Русский Souvenirs from Belarus
Souvenirs from Belarus
What can you bring from Belarus? What kind of souvenirs can you find and buy only in Belarus and nowhere in the world? What are uniqueness and richness of a hospitable country in the heart of Europe?
For the centuries Belarus was famous for flax fabric, symbolic rushniks, unique handcrafts of straw, pottery and wood, valenki and sheep fur caps.
Taste of Belarus is natural dairy and meat products, unique variety of potato dishes, flagrant and healthy bread, original alcoholic beverages based on herbs, sweetness from apples and cranberries.
We wish that your trip to Belarus will leave not only bright experience, but also will be remembered by souvenirs made with soul!
Original Belarusian flax
In Belarus flax has been cultivated from ancient times. From fibers they wove linen and sewed clothes, made beautiful household items, toys for children. From seed – they baked bread and cooked a delicious jelly. No wonder blue flowers of flax decorate the national emblem of Belarus. Flax is a wonderful material: the fabric can be coarse (bath towels) and soft (summer dresses), but eco-friendly and healthy.
National exclusive: neglubskie rushniks, flax dolls-amulets.
Slutsk belts
This is a unique symbol of the national culture. In XVIII – XIX centuries in the manufacture of the princes Radziwil in Slutsk belts with silk, gold and silver threads were woven manually by sophisticated technology. Within a year two masters could make not more than 6 belts. Such expensive and incredibly beautiful accessories were worn by magnates and wealthy nobles. Today real Slutsk belts are very rare, and most of the masterpieces of the national arts and crafts are in museums and private collections around the world. But in Belarus the unique production technology of Slutsk belts was revived
Tourists can buy souvenirs styled to Slutsk belts. Moreover, an enterprise in Slutsk revived production as close as possible to the old, authentic technology.
Souvenirs: top class belts are woven from gold and silk threads, a cheaper variant can be made from flax, cotton, woolen threads.
Gold straw
Belarusians liked straw for it beauty and warmth, because of the skillful handling, it turns into extraordinary works of art. Using straw, people made wreaths, hays and dolls for folk rites. In the late XVIII – early XIX centuries in the Belarusian Polesye the famous king's gate was created – wicker straw iconostasis that are common only in our country. Perhaps nowhere else in the world there is such diversity of using this unusual material giving energy of the sun.
Belarusian souvenirs: wicker figures of animals and birds, flowers, hats and sandals, dolls and amulets, accessories, pictures and paintings; wood souvenirs inlaid with straw: boxes and snuffboxes, chess sets, clocks, Easter eggs, toys.
National exclusive: a straw "spider".
Ceramics
From ancient times in different regions of Belarus there were identity pottery centers. Masters had his own secrets in forms and means of molding products, painting and glaze composition. Belarusian women knew that in ceramic crockery milk remained fresh longer, and dishes of national cuisine cooked in pots of clay were especially tasty. Also Belarusians made musical instruments from clay.
Souvenirs: figures of animals and birds (bison, beaver, stork, lark), pennywhistles, bells, candlesticks, magnets, ceramic dishes.
Belarusian exclusive: clay toys “Mozyr bears”
Wooden souvenirs
In Belarus, a land of forests, wood was a common material for the construction and art – woodcarving, cooperage. They made furniture, dishes, and beautiful decorations.
Souvenirs: wooden dished, boxes, figures of people, animals (a wooden figure of bison, host of the Belovezhskaya Pushcha, impresses especially) and birds, carved furniture.
Souvenirs from rod
Hundreds of years ago in Belarus from rod people did walls and fences, wove cradles for children, baskets for berries and mushrooms. Today craftsmen continue traditions of their ancestors. They use different types of rods that have special properties and colors, masters know advanced techniques and intricate patterns.
Souvenirs: baskets, bins, trays, dishes, pictures, pots, shoes. In Belarus you can buy beautiful rod handmade furniture.
Valenki and hats
Felting hats and valenki from sheep wool is an ancient craft of Belarusians, because in cold winter these things were just irreplaceable. Near the town of Dribin, which from the XVIII century is famous for felting craft, and today keep secrets of their ancestors: felting traditions of Dribin and professional language of masters.
Souvenirs: valenki and headgear.
Belarusian exclusive: valenki of Dribin.
Crystal and glass
Over a hundred years ago in Belarus there were factories, which began to produce products from glass and crystal. Belarusian glassmakers have become famous for their refined artistic taste and excellent quality of their work. The most famous factories are glassworks "Neman" and the Borisov crystal factory.
Souvenirs: crystal and glass dishes (glasses, wineglasses, carafes), vases for flowers and fruit, candlesticks, jewelry boxes, figurines of animals and birds, Easter eggs, fruits, and stained-glass windows.
Belarusian sweets and sweetness
In the oldest confectionery company " Krasny pischevik " has been producing for over a hundred years a delicious and healthy zephyr (marsh-mallow), pastille, marmalade, in recipes of which there are only natural fruits and berries. People of many countries of the world have appreciated sweets and chocolate of Belarusian factories "Kommunarka" and "Spartak".
Souvenirs: zephyr, marmalade, chocolate, sweets ( except traditional ones there are exclusive recipes with gifts of Belarusian nature - cranberries, blueberries, black currants, mountain ash), syrups and jams from wild berries.
Belarusian vodka, balsams and herbal liqueurs
In old times, Belarusians drank heady beverage from honey, in the ХIV century moonshine appeared, since ХV century they started to produce beer in Belarusian breweries. In the XIX century, they began to open large factories, traditions of which are developing today enterprises of alcohol industry.
In the world people appreciated Belarusian vodka ,made according to old recipes of the original tincture, original herbal liqueurs (from sweet grass from the Bialowieza forest), balsams with a rich composition of valuable ingredients (herbs and buds of trees, berry fruit drinks, spices, natural honey).
Souvenirs: vodka, balsams and herbal liqueurs with special decoration (glass and clay bottles, canvas and leather bag).