Not a single resident of the outback will waste his time in thought when it comes to choosing a new washcloth for the bath. Well, of course, it’s fake, what else? He will not be “turned away” by the multi-colored synthetic accessories for baths and baths, so beautifully laid out on store shelves. He will proudly walk by, knowing that the linden washcloth is what he, a person who truly cares about his health, needs.

A whole story awaits you if you ask him about the properties of this much-needed thing that will accompany you when going to the bathhouse. And not only in the bathhouse, in the bathtub and sauna it will take its well-deserved place of honor. But you still read the story about the linden loofah so you can tell it to your family and friends.

Click on photo to enlarge

Linden sponges were brought from environmentally friendly Nizhny Novgorod forests. Natural linden sponges are medicinal and, when steamed, release phytoncides that have a beneficial effect on the upper respiratory tract. The most important thing is that the linden washcloth has a natural bath aroma.

• the length of the linden sponge is 80-90 cm.
• 1 bundle = 10 pcs.

A bathhouse without a linden sponge is not a bathhouse

In Rus', concepts such as health and beauty were closely associated with visiting the bathhouse. It was in it that people rejuvenated, rested, and, in modern terms, freed themselves from negative emotions and stress. What did they wash with? Of course, you already guessed it: linden washcloths.

The strongest bast fibers from linden trees, both old and young, were very widely used in everyday human activities. If we talk about bast fishing, then for it they removed the bark mainly from large trees. Longitudinal cuts were made on both sides of the trunks. Then, using a wooden wedge, two half-cylinder troughs were separated from the trunks. This removed bark was called bast, most of which was used for making bast.

Soaked bast fibers, which were tied into bundles, instantly turned into that same linden bath sponge, so familiar to any modern person.

Linden washcloths - a bouquet of advantages

Linden wood is particularly soft, especially when it has just been cut down or steamed. When it dries, it becomes quite hard. “Girls are fake, guys are fake,” says one of the Russian proverbs.

Therefore, craftsmen prepared a variety of tableware from linden wood: bowls and spoons, ladles, scoops. And on lathes they turned turning toys for children, including the familiar Russian nesting dolls. It is this property that is worth remembering when buying a linden washcloth, then its dryness and hardness will not bother you.

Before direct use, it must be steamed very well in fairly hot water. Then make sure that it instantly becomes silky and very soft on the body. But when rubbed over your body, you will feel its elasticity, which will help your skin free itself from hardened areas.

And her honey aroma? “The linden honey plant has bloomed and haymaking has begun,” people say. No fashionable ones essential oils will not replace the natural smell of the pure Nizhny Novgorod forest where the linden trees were grown. Phytoncides released during steaming of linden sponge the best way will affect the respiratory system and fill your bathroom with a natural bath aroma.

It is better to store the linden loofah in a dried form, after hanging it in a ventilated place, but not in the sun. Then it will serve you faithfully for many years, giving you health and good mood.

An integral attribute of going to the bathhouse are washcloths, which help to effectively cleanse the skin so that the pores open better in the steam room. This much-needed bath accessory appeared relatively recently: the foam rubber we are used to began to be actively used only at the beginning of the last century, although even before that people used various materials to cleanse their skin. So, in public baths in Rus', linden bast was used - the progenitor of modern washcloths. People took the soft layer of fibers that are located between the tree and its bark and kneaded it well.

Such washcloths were divided according to their hardness: the so-called “lamb” ones, made of high-quality fibers, were more highly valued. It is curious that special ropes were made from them, on which bagels were hung in trade shops - hence the unusual name for washcloths. And the tougher ones were called “kuli” - the creation of such washcloths was made from old bags (kuli), in which salt had previously been stored. It is noteworthy that even today many people prefer those made with their own hands from foam rubber products. natural ingredients. Those who like to take a steam bath know well that such a bath sponge brings maximum benefits to the body. The same bast, jute, linen threads, birch bark and much more are held in high esteem by avid bath lovers. Anyone can make a washcloth with their own hands, even if they are not familiar with needlework.

From pumpkin and tights

Today there are quite a lot of materials for creating washcloths with your own hands. Depending on whether you want to have this bath attribute made from natural or artificial threads, not only the price of the finished product depends, but also its appearance. As a rule, yarn from natural or artificial materials is used to weave washcloths. Less commonly, natural materials that only need to be cut into cubes before use. So, a striking example of this is the loofah (loofah, luffa).

This is a herbaceous plant from the pumpkin family, which, when ripe and dried, is a natural loofah - you just need to remove a layer of hard peel. Initially, luffa was widespread in the countries of the African continent and in some regions of Asia, but now it can be grown even in the southern regions of our country. The advantages of a natural luffa washcloth are that it not only perfectly cleanses the skin of dead cells, but also has a massage effect on the body.

But the more common materials for creating homemade bath sponges are:

• nylon;
• polypropylene;
• sheep yarn;
• flax fiber;
• ramie

Nylon can be used to create a washcloth in two versions, both of which do not require large financial outlays. Firstly, you can cut it into narrow strips nylon tights. These strips will make excellent yarn, from which it will be possible to knit soft washcloths using a crochet hook or knitting needles. The second option is to find a nylon net, in which, for example, onions are sold. In this case, it will need to be thoroughly washed first and additionally treated with boiling water.

The instructions for making a mesh washcloth are as simple as possible. Pass one knitting needle through separate loops of the net, passing two or three between them. Once you have the entire length of the mesh on your knitting needle, pass a strong rope through these loops and pull both ends of the mesh material together and tie it tightly. In the end you will get something appearance resembling the voluminous bow of a first-grader.

An interesting one would be a washcloth knitted from yarn made from Chinese nettle ramie fibers. But you need to choose a thread with a main component content of at least 70% so that it is of medium hardness, ensuring good cleansing skin. Ramie is also famous for its anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating effects on the body.

An excellent material for a high-quality washcloth is sheep yarn - but not merino sheep, but breeds with less delicate and soft wool. You can buy this at yarn stores. Their advantage is that even threads with a hundred percent wool content are quite inexpensive (unlike merino, which is highly valued). This yarn is somewhat harsh to the touch, so it is not often used for knitting items of clothing, but it is best suited for a bath washcloth. This material will cleanse the skin even from serious dirt. Products made from linen thread perform similarly well.

Toys and mittens made of polypropylene thread

These artificial materials, from which various shower sponges are most often knitted, are convenient because they are quite easy to work with. The thread does not fluff for obvious reasons and does not get tangled, so it is easy to handle both with crochet and knitting needles. Another positive factor of polypropylene yarn is the wide range of colors. Using this material it is very convenient to knit multi-colored washcloths or bath accessories in the form of toys. The latter are especially popular with children.

You need to knit from polypropylene with knitting needles and crochet no finer than number four or even number five. This thread is quite stiff, and therefore it is advisable not to pull it very tightly, since a washcloth that is too coarse is not suitable for use. Moreover, you need to be especially scrupulous about this issue if you plan to knit a washcloth for a child. Therefore, do not rush to start working right away, but first knit several test rows with knitting needles or crochets of different sizes to find the most suitable knitting density.

If you decide to knit with polypropylene threads using a hook, then select a tool model with a rounded head. A sharp end can disrupt the structure of the thread, breaking it.

Polypropylene makes beautiful washcloths in the shape of a hedgehog toy. To do this, you will need threads of two different colors: darker - to create its needles and lighter - for the muzzle. You need to crochet a hedgehog with elongated loops as follows.

1. Cast on 20 cm of loops with a dark thread, connect them into a ring and knit two rows with single crochets.
2. Make several rows of elongated loops: pull out the loops two to three centimeters long and remove them from the hook, knitting the loops through one stitch.
3. Knit with elongated loops 10 centimeters in height.
4. Next, use light threads to knit the cone-shaped face of the animal.
5. Knit according to this pattern - two single crochets, then skip the next loop and two double crochets again - so that the knitting begins to taper.
6. Knit in this way until all the loops come together.
7. Make the nose and eyes of the animal from black thread - and the washcloth is ready.

In addition, you can make a knitted washcloth in the shape of a mitten from polypropylene thread, which will be not only beautiful, but also a convenient bath accessory. Two identical parts of the product are knitted. First of all, you need to crochet 20 loops and knit five rows with single crochets. Then, to knit a finger at the end of the row, you should cast on eight air loops and tie them with double crochets. Return to the main fabric and knit five more rows with single crochets, then begin to cut the loops, rounding the top of the mitten. To do this, do not knit one stitch from each edge of the knitting until the mitten is completely rounded. Complete the second part of the product in the same way and sew the finished halves together.

Options for knitting washcloths for beginners

Even a person who does not have much knowledge and experience in this type of needlework can knit a product with a hook. Beginners can try their hand at knitting a single-sided washcloth. In this version, they will hone their skills in order to move on to more complex ones in the future. The product is knitted with elongated loops, and the furry part will be on only one side. This element is simple to perform: you need to pull out loops a couple of centimeters long, as indicated in the diagram presented.

Knitting pattern

As a rule, such washcloths for beginners are made in a square shape to simplify the task as much as possible. The simplest option: cast on as many air loops as the width you want the product to be, and knit a couple of rows with single crochets. Then perform a row with elongated loops and a row with single crochets. Repeat this alternation until the length of the washcloth you desire. Also knit the last two rows with single crochets.

If you wish, you can tie a handle to the washcloth.

From one end of the square, knit enough chain stitches so that the chain reaches the other end of the square and hangs slightly. Secure the chain at the other end and cross it with single crochets. If you wish, you can knit two identical fabrics and sew them together by placing a piece of foam inside. This will give softness and increased latherability. More experienced knitters can also create round washcloth. It is knitted in a similar way - with elongated loops, only following a special pattern.

Knitting pattern for a round washcloth

The advantage of single-sided washcloths is that they dry faster after bath procedures. They also use a simple pattern such as elongated stitches, double crochets and single crochets, lush columns. All this is clearly visible in the finished product. And, besides, more complex patterns will simply not lather well and then take a long time to dry.

To make knitted washcloths, it is better to resort to the simplest elements possible. If we talk about the material for accessories, crocheted, then it is best to take natural threads. For example, the following threads have proven themselves well in work and further use in the product:

• sisal;
• hemp;
• nettle;
• wool.

They are quite harsh, which is good for thoroughly cleansing the body, and have a lot of positive health properties. You can also create a version of a bath sponge in the shape of a pipe. To do this, you also need to master the technique of making elongated loops.

The scheme of work is as follows.

1. Cast on 23–25 centimeters with air loops and connect them into a ring.
2. Knit 4 rows in a circle using single crochets.
3. Alternate rows of single crochets with rows of elongated loops.
4. Knit this way to the desired length of the washcloth.
5. Finish with four rows of single crochets.
6. Place a piece of foam rubber inside.
7. Close the loops at both ends of the pipe and tie the handles.

If desired, you can knit using this method without elongated loops. Then the thread consumption is much lower. And if there is foam rubber inside, the accessory will still be good to lather.

Massage sponges and bag of soap

There is a wide variety of products knitted using knitting needles. They are made with relief patterns, which, when soaping the body, have a massage effect on the skin. For example, the simplest option knitted Any person can use washcloths. To do this, you will need to master only two elements: casting on loops and knitting knit stitches. This pattern is called " garter stitch", and it’s as easy as shelling pears: type required amount loops (the width of the future washcloth) and simply knit each row with knit stitches. As a result, you will get a ribbed fabric that will demonstrate massage qualities very well. You will get small nodules, which, when soaped, will have an anti-cellulite effect on the body.

If you have a little more experience in knitting and you already know how to knit purl stitches, then you can use the “tangle” pattern, also known as the “pearl pattern”, to create a washcloth. The emphasis in this version is on alternating facial and purl loops in the ranks. For example, you knit the first row like a simple elastic band (one knit, one purl), and in the second row you change the stitches: where you have a knit stitch in the first row, knit a purl, and vice versa. Knit this way in each row and you will end up with a fabric densely dotted with embossed polka dots.

Having mastered simple techniques, you will create such an interesting bath product as a washcloth, which is a bag for a bar of soap.

For work, you can use any threads made from natural fibers or even their remains. First, measure your bar of soap so you know what size bag you need to knit. Then cast on the number of stitches needed for the width of the bag. Knit the fabric completely with knit stitches to create a ribbed pattern. Or like this: on the front side, knit, and on the back, purl. Then you will get a smooth canvas. Knit the required height with knitting needles and bind off the loops. Knit the second part of the bag in the same way.

Place them together and sew around the perimeter, leaving one side unstitched. Place a bar of soap inside and sew up the last part. But sew this side with light stitches, so that later you can unravel them and put a new piece of soap into the bag. If desired, it is also possible to make a handle for the bag so that it is convenient to hang it on a hook in the bathhouse or bathroom. In addition, a washcloth with a string will be much more convenient for the child, since he will be able to better fix it in his hands. The handle is knitted as in previous models.

What’s convenient about using such an unusual washcloth is that you don’t have to take soap in a soap dish and a separate washcloth with you to the bathhouse. You can also save a lot of money if you sew inside it not a whole bar of soap, but several remnants of soap, which are usually thrown away because they are inconvenient to use. This loofah can also be turned into a unique scrubbing item if you sew it inside natural soap with the addition of coffee grounds.

Twine accessories - simplicity and convenience

One of the most convenient materials for making washcloths with your own hands is twine. These threads, thin and durable, are usually sold in hardware stores, as they are mainly used for packing boxes, packs of newspapers or cardboard. They are made from artificial materials, such as polypropylene and nylon, or natural ones.

Natural threads sold in skeins include flax and jute. The twine made from these fibers is quite strong and at the same time flexible, which allows you to knit various patterns with it. However, to create washcloths with your own hands, it is best to crochet them. Just choose a larger one so that the knitting density is more airy: this will make the bath product a little softer. It is recommended to knit the simplest elements from twine, for example, double crochets.

This type of washcloth is flat, but has a massage effect because it will have a slightly ribbed texture. If you want to make it voluminous: knit a wider fabric, then fold it in half and sew along the edge. With the help of such a washcloth, a person will be able to thoroughly massage and wash his back, which is not so easy to do with your own hands without such a device.

The most acceptable form is a long sheet with two handles at the ends.

Natural materials for bath accessories

Those who like to have a good steam in a bathhouse prefer to use washcloths made with their own hands from traditional materials, the most popular of which are jute and bast. Jute is a thread made from the fibers of the plant of the same name. It is noteworthy that its texture is so durable that jute is used to make bags and even marine ropes, in the textile industry to create fabrics for furniture and carpets.

It is also invaluable as a material for a homemade washcloth, as it perfectly exfoliates dead skin cells and cleanses the body. By itself, this bath accessory can be considered an excellent peeling product that does not require any additions. As a rule, flat washcloths are knitted from jute threads with your own hands. In this case, you can use both knitting needles and a crochet hook, and choose any pattern you like, for example, knitting a voluminous round washcloth. If you want, you can attach a handle in the form of a loop to the finished product. Moreover, you can not only crochet it, but also simply sew a piece of wide elastic to it. Such a handle will fit more tightly to your hand during bath procedures.

Algorithm for knitting a round product

No less useful material is bast. Essentially, these are linden fibers that are extracted from the layers of wood located under the bark. Bast threads are not easy to find, so most often washcloths are not knitted from bast, but are sewn with your own hands. To do this, you will need a piece of natural durable fabric, such as cotton.

Lay the bast fibers on the fabric and make several lines across them using sewing machine. This will attach the fibers to the fabric. Then cut out the shape of the washcloth that is convenient for you: for example, a long rectangle with rounded ends. Hem the edges around the perimeter with fabric to firmly secure the fibers and prevent them from fraying during washing. Sew loops to the two ends to make it easy to hold the washcloth and wash your back with it.

You can also try to create a full-fledged yarn from bast fibers with your own hands, but for this you will have to knit many individual pieces into a single thread. This painstaking work will require a lot of time and perseverance. But if you still take this step and weave the required amount of bast yarn, then when knitting, use thicker knitting needles or a hook, and simpler patterns. Otherwise ready product can be quite harsh on the skin.

Today there are a lot of opportunities for creating unique bath accessories with your own hands. Gardening enthusiasts can grow a strange loofah in their own garden to later turn it into a miracle loofah. And needlewomen have a huge scope in choosing yarn and knitting techniques. The only difficulty will be wide range natural materials, each of which is useful in its own way.

If you really like to do handicrafts, then you can knit several washcloths from different threads so that you can use them alternately in the bathhouse.

There are sayings (“bast does not knit”, “it is not sewn with bast”, “it is girded with bast”, “not every bast fits into a line”, “they don’t sew on brocade with bast”), in which the concept “bast” appears. What it is? Let's turn to dictionaries for help.

What do dictionaries say?

In reference books, this word is interpreted as the young bast of some trees, which is divided into strips and thin fibers. Dahl's dictionary adds a definition: bast is a fragile subcortex. The tree tissue located directly under the bark is called bast. Behind it is young wood. The Brockhaus and Efron dictionary explains how bast was extracted: they cut down a young tree, cut off its branches and cut off the bark along the trunk. This activity is called “pulling the bast.” The best bast comes from linden. The proverb “ripped off like a stick” just speaks about this type of fishing.

Dictionaries unanimously state that “lyko” is a word used only in the singular. That is, you cannot say: “I kicked a lot.” It would be correct: “I kicked a lot.”

Bast is pulled from willow, elm, and oak. The Scientific and Technical Encyclopedic Dictionary says that this is done in the spring. Trees are selected no older than ten years. Remove the bark of approximately three arshins in length. This is about two and a bit meters. Afterwards, the top crust is removed, the bast is soaked, dried and put into use.

A bast hangs on a stake

The saying about the mop has real roots. Having removed the young bast (which means bast) from the tree, it was placed in ditches filled with water for soaking - mochila. They were located near forest streams and rivers. By autumn, it was hung out to dry, and then carried through the snow on a sleigh to the village. When thoroughly soaked bast was tied into bundles, it disintegrated into many fibers.

Sometimes this happened while it was drying out. Such fibers can be seen at the market or agricultural fair. In Rus' they are called “mochalo”. This is where the word “wetten” comes from, that is, cut into small fibers so that the previous shape is lost.

There is no Russian bath without a sponge and a broom. This eco-friendly material was used for massage, and our ancestors did not know the disease. The tradition of washing with a washcloth is very ancient. Brushes and brushes were made from bast bundles, they were used to whitewash stoves and fences, clean kitchen utensils, twist ropes, and make coarse threads that were used to sew together nets for fishing.

Dolls were knitted from bast, and not only for children's games. In the peasant hut there were many amulets: a squash, a small egg. For every event family life had her own doll.

Not only fishing nets were woven from bast, but also horse harness, matting, and in Germany even raincoats. In the old days, upholstered furniture was stuffed with bast. Instead of refrigerators, they used linden containers. Tueski wove according to the example of bast shoes. They are good for storing butter and caviar.

Lapti

Perhaps the meaning of the word “bast” is easiest to explain using the example of bast shoes. Everyone knows what bast shoes are. These simple shoes served people not only in Rus', but also in Finland. If in Europe they preferred wooden shoes - clogs, then our ancestors liked light bast shoes.

A pair of such shoes for an adult requires three linden trees. A man engaged in peasant labor wears them out in a week. Therefore, everyone knew how to weave bast shoes. It was a common, uncomplicated matter. A block was used for weaving.

Almost all people in Rus' wore bast shoes, so the country was called “bast shoe Russia.” Bone kochedyki (devices for archaeologists find during excavations of the Stone Age era. In the “Tale of Bygone Years” we find the word “bast man”). There were artels that went into the forest to tear the bast with a burr - a wooden tool that left a bare trunk. From the bast cart three hundred pairs of bast shoes were obtained. Peter the Great himself learned to weave bast shoes.

What is the meaning of the word “bast” in sayings?

Many proverbs and sayings with the word “bast” have reached us. Only some of them relate directly to bast products and the process of their manufacture. The rest are used by folk wisdom as illustrative examples for analogy, comparison or hyperbole. Let's look at some:

• The bast does not knit - this is what they say now about a person who is incapable of basic independent actions, or about a lazy person who avoids work. Why bast? What it is? Allegory? No. Knitting bast (tying into bundles) is a simple operation that even a child can do. They tied bast for weaving ropes, making brushes, washcloths, and preparing bundles for future work.
• Don't be fooled - now the saying means a person who cannot be deceived. He is not simple, he has knowledge and experience. Previously, a completely bankrupt peasant could wear clothes sewn with coarse bast fibers, which were only suitable for mending fishing nets. The belt could also be twisted from bast. But if he had friends or relatives, this could not last long. In the end, the man with his hands and head on his shoulders acquired new property. Those who did not want to work, drank away the clothes given out of mercy, and did not enjoy respect in society. They said about such people: they are sewn with bast, they are girded with bast.
• Not every bast in a line is a saying of the Lapotniks. When weaving bast shoes, lines were distinguished, that is, rows. They were selected based on color and quality. Some were no good. This is what they said about those who are not suitable for some task, who stand out from the general mass due to some kind of shortcoming.

Bask clothing

The Romans, traveling through the territory of modern Germany, were surprised to find people dressed in bast cloaks. “What is this?” they wondered. The people who inhabited the German lands seemed wild in their eyes. But in vain. Well-woven bast clothing protects against insect bites. You can collect in it. It is neither cold nor hot. She doesn't get wet from the rain.

Even to this day, some Indian tribes use the ancient skill of making clothing from bast. The photo shows a specially made suit and a neat suitcase. Everything is made from bast using the weaving method of bast shoes.

Let's sum it up

Many people like bast. You already know what it is. We took a detailed look at the extraction and processing of this affordable and durable natural material. For many hundreds of years man has worked with it, and it has served him reliably. Now there is various master classes, reviving folk crafts. Shouldn't we go to the forest on the next day off and kick some bast there?

There is a village in Russia where people live in a rare ancient profession - washmen.

I stand on the slippery platform and try not to inhale deeply: it smells like rotting wood. “Just don’t fall,” I think, and, as if on purpose, at that very second I lose my balance and find myself in muddy water. Fortunately, this is a very shallow pond - the locals call it mochische. Alexey, a man of about thirty-five, helps me get out, but he himself remains waist-deep in the water. He takes out bundles of tree bark, submerged under the weight, from the pond, and then spreads them on the ground, like carpets. Photographer Marina Makovetskaya records Alexey's every move. Marina and I are in the Nizhny Novgorod region - in the village of Bukaley with a population of 43 people. Alexey shows us how he earns a living for his family. Here he is, with his hands, tearing off the inner layer of the “carpets” - white wood fibers - and hanging them on the fences to dry. What is he doing? A century ago, any of our compatriots would have immediately answered this question. Bukaleyans are one of the last people, who live by the oldest Russian craft - basting.

“For the sled, you need to tear out two fir trees with roots bent like hooks, tie them and lay bark on them,” says the tutorial for spongers. The author of the manual does not specify how the peasants pulled out the Christmas trees.

The Chinese had silk, the British had wool, and the Russians had bast. This material played such a role in the fate of Russia important role that without exaggeration it could be considered a national symbol on a par with sable fur. But they forgot about the sponge as soon as the need for it disappeared. Today even the meaning of this word is not known to everyone in Russia. Bast was the name given to the inner part of the linden bark soaked in water and dried - bast (also known as bast, or subbark). From it, peasants on an industrial scale made dozens of necessary things: bast shoes, sea ropes, brushes for whitewashing, bath sponges (now it’s clear why they are called that), roofing for the roof, sieves for flour and matting - cheap fabric that was used for clothing and bags. Matting, as the most popular product, was partially exported. Until the beginning of the 20th century, linden bark “fed” at least half of the peasants in Central Russia - mainly residents of the northern Volga region. According to the census of the Imperial Forestry Institute, in 1912 alone, 2.8 million poods were harvested, that is, 44 thousand tons of bast. In Russia it was an irreplaceable material - the same as PVC or polyethylene today.

If it were not for the urinary industry, the residents of the village of Bukaley would be faced with a real subsistence economy: they already eat mainly their own products - meat and vegetables, eggs and milk.

Photo: “Fishing”, “karabat”, “combing”, “knitting” - not just words from Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary - these are stages of the production process of making bast washcloths and brushes in Bukaleya. Author: Marina Makovetskaya">

“Fishing”, “karabat”, “combing”, “knitting” - not just words from Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary - these are stages of the production process of making bast washcloths and brushes in Bukaleya.

People who made their living by preparing bast were called bast workers. In 1840, geographer Peter Keppen counted hundreds of thousands of peasants making bast in only eight Volga provinces. The scale of the fishery was so enormous that, concerned about the condition of the linden forests, the Ministry of State Property sent Köppen on a two-year expedition to calculate the damage. “In the forests of Russia there are many lindens, on the extermination of which one of the most remarkable industries is based,” the geographer wrote. “Knowing that this fishery, so national, has not yet been described by anyone, I decided to collect information about it.” The information presented by Köppen in the 60-page report “On the bast industry” is unique: for example, only he has information that in the Crimea bast was made from date tree fibers.

Marina Makovetskaya found out about the village of mokalniks when she was filming for another article in the village of Polkh-Maidan, neighboring Bukaley, where nesting dolls are made from linden trees: then they explained to Marina that the Bukaley residents take the bark for themselves. “Mutually beneficial cooperation has been established in the two villages,” the photographer said when she arrived at the editorial office. “The linden makers have no problems with raw materials, and it’s convenient for the nesting doll makers: the neighbors peel the bark from the linden trees for free.” Without thinking twice, we headed to Nizhny Novgorod region, armed with Köppen’s book and the self-instruction manual “How to Prepare Bast” published in 1912. In the preface, the author - a certain Permyak - assured that anyone can master an “easy and profitable craft”. But from the first pages it became obvious that urination was a very extreme activity. The most dangerous stage of the wet business there was a harvest of linden bark. Whole families of peasants left to chop and “pluck linden trees” at the beginning of May: at this time, sap begins to move in the trees, and the bark more easily separates from the wood. The mokalniks, along with their wives and children, lived in the swampy forests for several weeks. The bark of young linden trees was torn off with teeth, according to Köppen, into bast shoes; large trees were felled and peeled with an ax. Sometimes, for the sake of speed, the bark was removed directly from standing trees. In such cases, lykoders climbed the tree without a ladder - with the help of ropes from the same bast. While the forest was being cut down, horses often died, and people died due to dampness and disease. In 1913, Nikolai Filippov, a professor at the Imperial Forestry Institute, called the working conditions of washmen “inhumane and harsh.” However, Peter Keppen wrote about the difficulties of the basting industry with laconic severity: “All this is natural and does not serve as a reason for complaints.” Today in Bukalei, the difficulties of extracting bark have been reduced to almost zero: the bark is stripped off in Polkh-Maidan from already cut down trees. The Bukaleyans could not work in the forest even if they wanted to: almost all the villagers are single women over sixty. There are only two young families in the village. Nina Belova, a pharmacist from Nizhny Novgorod, who long ago left Bukaley to study, helped us get to know the local residents. Nina remembers well how, as a child, she “scratched” the washcloth at night - she helped her mother with work in the artel. According to Belova, in Bukaleya the majority are engaged in urination due to a habit that has been ingrained among people since ancient times. “There used to be an artel in the village. They wove matting from bast, made bags and mattresses from it; there is still a matting machine in every house, I’ll show you,” says our escort on the way to the village.

For those who do not want or cannot study after school, this lifestyle is better than migrant workers in Moscow. You create something from scrap materials, benefit people and preserve the tradition of your ancestors.

We enter the main and only street of Bukaleya: cows are walking along it, but not a soul is visible. Nina jokingly reminds that the name of the village is translated from Chuvash as “valley of bulls.” At first glance at the ancient houses, it is clear that Bukaley is a place where people live in the past, almost cut off from modern civilization. A bus from the regional center comes here once a day, and a grocery store comes here every three days. There is no electricity or running water in the village. We go to the first house - one of the oldest residents of Bukaleya, Evdokia Fedorovna Klimakova, lives here. In the yard I stop for a second: a very strong specific aroma hits my nose - something between the smells of a kennel, rotten eggs and linden flowers. Evdokia Fedorovna, like all the residents of Bukaley, no longer feels this smell - her clothes smell even stronger. The aroma thickens as we approach the barn with the ingredients. As soon as we enter inside, we understand: there is nowhere to go further - the high room is filled to the ceiling with rotting bast and linden bark. “I don’t have time to work,” explains the owner. Bukaleyans produce two types of products from bast.– paint brushes and bath sponges. There are no individual entrepreneurs in the village - women, in the old fashioned way, without any bills or invoices, sell brushes and washcloths to resellers. “People come from Rostov to buy brushes; they are sold in Ukraine,” says Evdokia Fedorovna. “And washcloths are bought from different places, sometimes for beauty salons.” An unexpected phrase in the mouth of an eighty-year-old woman from a remote village, but she knows what she’s talking about: resellers really sell fake washcloths - at a high price, by the way - in elite spa salons. Evdokia Fedorovna has difficulty walking, but deftly snatches a piece from the mountain of undergrowth and shows what it means to scratch a bast. Fifteen times she runs the washcloth along a comb of nails nailed to the floor, and in a few seconds twists the resulting fibers into a figure-of-eight knot. The real Russian washcloth is ready.

Photo: A brush from the Russian hinterland whitewashes a Ukrainian hut - the product has reached the consumer. According to a long-standing tradition, houses in Ukraine are renovated in the spring before Easter. Over the year, the price of a bast brush has doubled: 50 hryvnia (140 rubles) versus 25. Author: Marina Makovetskaya">

A brush from the Russian hinterland whitewashes a Ukrainian hut - the product has reached the consumer. According to a long-standing tradition, houses in Ukraine are renovated in the spring before Easter. Over the year, the price of a bast brush has doubled: 50 hryvnia (140 rubles) versus 25.

Photo: Tatyana Fedorovna Klimakova is called “factory” by her fellow villagers. Since childhood, she has been accustomed to “scratching” brushes - at least twenty a day. This was the norm set by the parents. And now, despite her age and gardening and land work, the woman works every day in the workshop - and so on all year, except for major holidays. Author: Marina Makovetskaya">

Tatyana Fedorovna Klimakova is called “factory” by her fellow villagers. Since childhood, she has been accustomed to “scratching” brushes - at least twenty a day. This was the norm set by the parents. And now, despite her age and gardening and land work, the woman works every day in the workshop - and so on all year, except for major holidays.

“How do you select bark for raw materials?” - I ask. “No way, everything comes into play indiscriminately. We use dark washcloth for brushes, white for washcloths,” the woman answers. A century ago, this technology did not work. The peasants chose the best linden tree in advance, even before the onset of spring. "In winter, a washcloth in free time“I must look for places in the wilderness where linden grows better, so that in the spring I don’t needlessly get lost in the forest,” the self-instruction manual gives clear instructions. The best was considered a middle-aged linden with a diameter of 5 vershok (a little more than 20 centimeters), growing on sandy soil in a spruce or fir forest. The author of the best-selling book How to Harvest Bast explains: “Bat taken from a tree growing in good sandy soil weighs more. Bast is difficult to separate from old trees, and its color is dark.” The bark leaves were collected into bundles (rocks), and everything was ready for the second stage of harvesting - soaking. To look at the lock of the linden bark, Nina and I are heading to Lena and Alexey’s family - in Bukaleya everyone has their own urine. Unlike other, older villagers, this couple produces bast in large quantities. Even Lena and Alexei’s daughter, second grader Ira, is involved in the family business. Immediately after the spring harvest, the linden bark is soaked and left in water until autumn, so that the bast becomes soft and easily separates from the outer bark. Fortunately, modern washers don't have to think about delivering the bark to the washbasins. Previously, transporting raw materials to a river or dam was fraught with many problems. Carts got stuck in swampy forests, and peasants had to come up with creative ways to transport heavy loads. The self-instruction manual for scourers described an extravagant technique that cannot be ignored: making “quick” sleds from spruce. “For the sled, you need to tear out two Christmas trees with roots bent like hooks, tie them and lay bark on them,” the book teaches. The author of the manual does not specify how the peasants pulled out the Christmas trees. But somehow we managed - the mother of our guide Nina Belova, who quit fishing just a few years ago due to health problems, remembers that her grandfather made similar sleds.

We knock on the door of Lena and Alexei’s house, and fifteen minutes later the gates are opened for us. We pass through the yard, the backyard, the vegetable garden and, finally, we find ourselves in front of a wet spot that resembles a pond from the painting “Alyonushka”. (I couldn’t even imagine that in a few minutes I would find myself in it.) The already familiar smell from Evdokia Fedorovna’s barn reaches its climax here. Along the moische there are rows of hangers - wooden hangers for drying moss. The family prepares raw materials all summer: this year’s bark remains in the water until autumn, and in the meantime Alexey takes last year’s bark out of the water. “Why are you doing bast work? You are young people, you have not worked in an artel. Have you ever wanted to do something more modern?” – I ask Elena. “I got married in Bukaley, I do the same thing as my husband,” the woman answers very briefly and without emotion. My interest seems strange to her. “What’s unusual here?” – that’s all she says. According to Alexey, it is profitable to work with bast. This allows you to work only five months a year, and in winter you can find work in the city. The residents of Bukaleya got their own personal water ten years ago, when oil workers working near the village dug ponds for the residents as payment for their stay. Previously, the bark was soaked in rivers or streams in the forest - the same place where it was stripped. Sometimes one stream was dammed every ten meters. The bast needs standing water, a dam, and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, in this case the bast will definitely not be carried away by the current. Secondly, explains the self-instruction manual for bast cloths, “so that the bast does not turn black from the air.” In the fall, the bark is removed from the water and the underbark is separated. Previously, for this purpose in Bukaley they used a Russian instrument with a funny name - kochedyk (it is also called a bast awl - without a kochedyk you can’t weave bast shoes). But over time, all the Kochedyks in the village became lost, and finding new ones in modern Russia It turned out to be difficult. People in Bukaleya still tell how back in Soviet time several village craftsmen went to GUM for kochedyk, but did not find anything like it there and were very upset. Now Alexey can do it without a tool: he separates the sponge with his hands, digging his nails into the bark. “With your hand you can better feel the layer where the subcortex separates from the cortex,” he explains.

A very strong specific aroma hits your nose - something between the smells of a kennel, rotten eggs and linden flowers. It thickens as we approach the barn with the ingredients. As soon as we enter inside, we understand: there is nowhere to go further - the high room is filled to the ceiling with rotting bast and linden bark.

Evdokia Fedorovna gets more than a pound of raw materials from one linden tree. (In Bukaleya they still use this measure of weight - another piece of the past that has become the present here.) In the house of Evdokia Fedorovna’s sister, Tatyana, the bast is weighed on real pound scales from 1903. Two craftsmen in Bukaleya are still weaving bast shoes - but they do it not regularly, but “whenever they want.” According to bast masters, their products are also, although infrequently, purchased for spa salons - bast shoes are used there as massage slippers. But compared to brushes and washcloths, bast shoes are in less demand. Mocha became a large-scale fishery only in Russia, despite the fact that the “raw material” - cordate linden grows throughout Europe. Why this happened - neither ethnographers nor cultural scientists can give an exact answer. But environmentalists have some interesting comments. In 2012, employees of the Institute of Forestry of the Russian Academy of Sciences found that the disappearance of the lykoder craft has at least one huge advantage: after centuries of brutal felling, linden in Russia has finally restored its habitat over the past 70 years. The heart-shaped linden, Tilia cordata, has become an object of national basting fishery due to the specific structure of the trunk. All trees have bast, a sap-conducting tissue between the bark and wood. But it is the linden tree that has the thickest, most durable and softest bast. Especially a lot of linden bast was used to prepare bast shoes - very young trees were cut down for them. According to Koeppen, bast shoes made of birch bark and elm were uncomfortable and quickly turned black. But even without bast shoes, for one matting brush, 5 million linden trees were cut down in 1912 alone! It is no coincidence that Koeppen proposed expanding production different types fabrics and shoes instead of matting and bast shoes. And even earlier, in the 18th century, attempts were made to grow linden in Russia. “Linden is one of the main tree species in Russia, but if the linden fishery had continued for another century on such a scale, the tree would have risked becoming an endangered species,” wrote the prominent forest scientist Lev Rysin several years ago.

Today, it is not the linden tree that is threatened with extinction, but the craft. Tatyana Fedorovna remembers with gratitude even the seemingly recent Soviet times, when there was a stable demand for linden bast. “In our region, every schoolchild going to camp had to have a washcloth with him. In the summer we sold them for the whole year,” says the woman. Nobody talks about the future in Bukaleya - it seems indecent to ask questions on this topic here. Older women remember the past, while young families prefer to live in the present. “If necessary, we will move,” says Elena. On the way back from Bukaley, Nina Belova convinces us that bast is a very profitable occupation for her fellow countrymen: “There is a demand for bast, and no one would bother with bast if it did not pay off with interest.” Our guide thinks for a few minutes and continues: “For those who do not want or cannot study after school, this way of life is better than migrant workers in Moscow. You create something from scrap materials, bring benefits to people and preserve the tradition of your ancestors.” For the hundredth time these days, lines from childhood flash through my head: “There was a stake in the yard, on the stake there was a washcloth; start over!” Now I understand their meaning and significance.

Resistant to water.

Many folk dolls are made on the basis of bast. They say that large paint brushes made from bast are sometimes sold in construction stores, but I have never seen them. Make the sponge yourself - it’s a pity for the linden tree only if you’re lucky enough to find the fallen one, but so far you haven’t come across it.

Bast can be bought in brushes - it can be used not only as a brush, but also for crafts; bast in brushes is of excellent quality.

Bast is not only good for dolls, it is also a real washcloth, for baths and more, it is also perfect for an ordinary city bath.

When steamed, linden bast becomes soft and silky, just like the skin after peeling. bast sponge. When using a washcloth bast fibers emit phytoncides - the best remedy for the prevention of colds.

Bast washcloths are made from the inner layer of linden bark, split and specially processed. After steaming, linden bast becomes soft and helps to perfectly cleanse the skin, this is explained by the fact that the entire surface of the bast is covered with tiny fibers. Among the body washcloths there is another wonderful one: natural material-, they are also suitable for creating crafts, like the loofah.

The thickness of the villi is comparable to the size of human pores, therefore, when we wash ourselves with bast washcloth, it not only scrubs and massages, but also cleanses the pores. In addition, during washing, fibers release phytoncides, which, as you know, are the best weapon against microbes. Such a washcloth will ensure cleanliness, will not harm the skin, and will also help protect against colds.

A bast is a mandatory attribute of a Russian bath. Removes static electricity, improves regeneration skin. When using the washcloth, you first need to steam it with boiling water for 10 minutes, then pour it over with cold water and soap it.

The tradition of making bast bast came to us from time immemorial. Bast sponge was used not only for washing, it has always served as an excellent addition to a bath broom as a tool for massage.

Once upon a time the linden tree covered almost all of Rus'. Bast fibers from linden bark were used to make bast shoes, feet, shoe covers, boots and sandals. One shoe was worn during long journeys, another during commercial hunting and fishing, and the third was simply used as house shoes, similar to modern slippers. For Russian people, wicker bast shoes were as traditional as wooden shoes for the peasants of Western Europe.

Bast for weaving shoes was removed from trees no older than ten years old. Having made longitudinal cuts on the trunk with a knife, the harvesters removed four narrow ribbons. After removing the top crust, the bast ribbons were soaked and weaving began.

Linden wood has a unique smell, this smell is persistent and lasts for many years. It smells nice of loofah and maybe a little linden blossom.

Everyone knows the little rhyme about the “white hare” who picked a bast in the forest and put it under a log. In fact, the hare does not prepare bast, but simply feasts on the sweet and juicy bark.

But squirrels, crows and rooks actually harvest bast. They pluck it from dried branches without causing any harm to the tree. The dry crust covering the bast fibers crumbles, but the flexible soft fibers remain. This is what squirrels and birds line their nests with.

Durable bast fibers of old and young linden trees have found a wide variety of uses in human economic activities. For basting, the bark was removed from large trees. Longitudinal cuts were made on the trunk on both sides. Then, using a wooden wedge, two half-cylinder grooves were separated from the trunk. The bark removed in this way was called bast. Dried bast was used as roofing material for outbuildings, and simple utensils for dry food were made from it. But the main part of the bast was used for the production of bast, the use of which was very diverse. To obtain bast, bast was soaked in mochila - ditches dug in the forest near a stream or lake. Bast harvested in spring or early summer was loaded into soaking ditches. Well-soaked bast was hung out to dry, and in winter it was brought to the village and put into use.

Soaked bast fibers tied into a bundle instantly turned into a bath sponge, which is well known to modern people. They knitted brushes from bast for whitewashing stoves, made brushes and brushes for washing dishes, wove quite strong ropes and even threads for fishing nets. Archaeological excavations confirm that fishing nets were woven from bast back in the Neolithic era. The strength of ropes made from moss can be judged by the fact that they were used to make harnesses and fetters for horses. On simple wooden looms, village craftsmen wove matting, from which they made coolies, capes for horses, and much more. The ancient Germans wove clothes from sponge - mainly cloaks and belts. In Russia in the last century, Ryazan lamplighters made raincoats from bast bags. One corner of the sack-bag was inserted into the other - and the cloak was ready. In the old days, sponge was widely used by carpenters as padding material for upholstered furniture.

The mop was also used for polishing wooden furniture. Moreover, it was used so widely that the polishing process itself began to be called basting.

Oil, caviar and grape juice are well preserved in linden containers. In the Caucasus, huge vats for squeezing grape juice and churns were made from linden trees. In modern cooperage, linden staves are used to make dishes intended for storing and transporting granular caviar.