Inventory

Region: District:

The Tradition of Paper Cutting (Vycinanka-Vybivanka)

Cipher (in the State list): 43Б0000100

Date inclusion: 02.08.2016

№ Protocol Rada: Пратакол пасяджэння Беларускай рэспубліканскай навукова-метадычнай рады па пытаннях гісторыка-культурнай спадчыны ад 22.01.2014 № 210. Пастанова Савета Мiнiстраў Рэспублiкi Беларусь ад 02.08.2016 № 607

Cipher (in inventory): НКС-140730/01

Identifying the elements of the ICH

Name:

The Tradition of Paper Cutting (Vycinanka-Vybivanka)

The second item name ICH (adopted in a particular community, the local version):

Corresponding to (s) Community (s), group (s) or individual (s) described:

Habitat:

Hrodna region » Navagrudak district » Navahrudak Town;

Short description:

Navahrudak’s traditional vycinanka-vybivanka is a distinctive technique of punching of a particular image on paper using special homemade tools, such as chisels, flattened nails, metal tubes (empty cartridge cases), sharpened aluminum tubes, etc. The foundation for such creations is a diamond-shaped network that imitates cells of lace curtains. Symmetrical large flowers or bouquets are placed on it, and the edges are trimmed to give them the shapes as little crescents or triangles. Such curtains create the illusion of lace fabric. Today Navahrudak style vycinankas-vybivankas are used in the design of ethnographic corners as elements of interior decorative finishes. Paper designs created in the genre of vycinankas-vybivankas adorned the interiors of homes in some villages in Navahrudak area in the 1930s – 1950s of the 20th century. This method of making vycinankas was quite rare, since paper is not a lasting material, and the few surviving specimens made in this technique were created by some craftswomen, who were remembered by villagers, and years later their art became the basis for the recovery of vycinankas-vybivankas, which for some time had been lost. Nina Šurak was the one who revived this unique kind of vycinankas. Today, the main bearer of the tradition is one of her students, Natallia Klimko, who passes on her know-how of punching lace patterns on paper to teenagers, youth, and the elderly during master classes, workshops, and at exhibitions and open apprenticeship classrooms