Basket weaving

One of the oldest human activities is weaving. According to scientists, weaving appeared from weaving in the Neolithic (New Stone Age). Knitting, which is well-known to everyone, can also be considered a type of weaving. Flexible rods, stems, roots, hair and strips of skin were used as the material.

Weaving was a traditional occupation of Siberians, and it was common among both Russian old-timers and the indigenous peoples of Siberia. Peasants living along the river banks traditionally made bags, boxes and caskets, matting and mats by weaving. Willow twigs, pine shingles and wild rye (tuveyka) served as the material for weaving. Sieves were made from braided hair and a hoop. Wicker products were also used by immigrants who rushed beyond the Urals, fleeing from the lack of land. They were bast shoes and baskets. They taught basket weaving to Russian old-timers of Siberia. Baskets were brought to fairs by the hundreds and they were very cheap.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, wicker products could be found in any peasant house. Since their main advantage is their versatility, they were widely used in Soviet times, in agriculture, industry, and trade. And now wicker products continue to be used in villages and villages.

Basket

Basket (basket) is a wicker product made of twigs, stems, straw, roots, bark, etc. It was intended for storing and carrying things. In many places in Russia, the basket was called koshnitsa, pletenka, mostinka, pester. The baskets differed from the box in the absence of a top and lid. The basket maker was called a basketmaker.

In the old days, there were several types of baskets in Russia, here are some of them:

A large basket for firewood, hay, chaff. In Yaroslavl, she was called berkovich or berkun, in Tver – bolshun or karnovatka, in Novgorod and Vladimir – pletukha, pletenka, nabirukha.

Poster (poster, pesteryuga, pekhter, pichter) is a large, high basket for carrying hay and small feed for livestock. It was made of twigs, roots, birch bark and bast.

A lukoshko is a small hand basket made of splints or twigs, designed to collect berries and mushrooms.

The purse is a soft folding basket.

The box

A box was called a chest or a wicker box made of bast or shingle. If the real chest was a capital product made of wood with metal elements or entirely made of metal, then the box was simple to manufacture and the cheapest materials were used for it. The travel shoulder box was called a "body". Boxes were a common item in peasant everyday life almost up to collectivization.

The box is the subject of proverbs, sayings, riddles.
"Neither out of the box, nor into the box, neither there, nor here."
"It doesn’t climb out of the box, but it doesn’t go into the box, and it doesn’t give away the box."
"I don’t go into the box, I don’t climb out of the box and I don’t give the box away."
"I've talked out of my mind!"

A large box was called a "box".

A box bent from an aspen shell with a loose lid, round or with four corners, was called "box" or "box", as well as a box, a box, a box.

Purse

In the "Explanatory Dictionary of the Great Russian Language" by V.I. Dahl, the following explanation is given for the word purse: "A purse is a soft folding basket, a woven or knitted bag, a mesh bag, a gate, a bag. The etymology of the word is connected with the Slavic word "kosh" - wealth. Similar words are the words "koshelek" and "moshna" (bag).

"The rich man is sorry for the ship, but the poor man is sorry for the purse". "Save your purse, but shake it as you want"
"Kalita is a brother, kalita is a friend, there is a kalita (in a purse), and a godfather on kut (that is, on a visit)"
"There is in the purse, so it will be in the bowl"
"The purse does not speak, but it does a lot"

The master who made purses or purses was called a "koshelnik" (purse maker)

Kuzov (bodywork)

The kuzov (bodywork) is a travel shoulder box or a hand basket on a shackle. The kuzov was designed to carry berries, mushrooms, nuts, bulk products and small items. In different parts of Russia, the kuzovs were called: mostina, kuzhenka, pletushka, pletenitsa, berestyanka, purse, knapsack, basket, goiter.

This household item was made by weaving or stitching from birch bark, bast and shingles.

The shoulder box was a wicker container with straps. The top of the box was closed with a wooden lid with a bracket handle. Such a box was taken with them on the road or into the forest to collect mushrooms and berries.

Small kuzovs were called kuzovok.

The kuzov is often mentioned in Russian proverbs, probably the most famous of which is "Called a bunch — get in the kuzov." If there are others:

"You can’t get around it in the kuzov"
"Wasting time, picking mushrooms, and even with a big kuzov!"
"Don't go dancing with a kuzov, walk with an edge!"
"There was a woman from overseas, carrying a kuzov of health, this, that piece, you have the whole kuzov."
"Like a pie with a grain, so is everyone with a hand, and like a whip with a knot, so go away with the kuzov!"