The symbol of Vetka's book culture has given its name to an open competition for souvenir products - "Bird on a Branch" - for artisans of the republic. This was reported to BELTA by Marina Filonova, General Director of the Gomel Branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The symbol of Vetka's book culture has given its name to an open competition for souvenir products - "Bird on a Branch" - for artisans of the republic. This was reported to BELTA by Marina Filonova, General Director of the Gomel Branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The competition is organised by the regional branch of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in conjunction with the Vetka Museum of Old Believers and Belarusian Traditions named after F.G. Shklyarov. Vetka was once a centre of book publishing. From the 17th century until the first decades of the 20th century, Old Believer craftsmen created manuscripts adorned with ornaments, initials, and illustrations. The image of such books is a paradise garden, abundant with blooming flowers and singing birds.
"As a result, the bird on a branch became not only an figurative symbol of book culture but also the unofficial emblem of the city itself. Thus, artists wanted to convey to the whole world the message that the severed branch of the old faith had taken root in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania," the interlocutor noted. Vetka masters created their own style of book decoration, combining the style of canonical works with a folk sensibility and the living language of riddles and omens.
The competition for souvenir products dedicated to the theme of Vetka's book initial will run until mid-October 2017. According to the regulations, four nominations have been defined: collectible souvenir, souvenir toy, business souvenir, and author's work. The results will be announced during the business event "Business Days in Gomel".