On the Symbolism of Russian Peasant Embroidery of Archaic Type
A. K. Ambroz
Old Russian peasant embroidery has long attracted the attention of researchers because archaic nature its motifs. Thanks to work Gorodtsov, (1) it found a stable place among material sources on history old and Slavic beliefs, is today regarded as ranking archeological sources. But ornamented fabrics medieval times have, for all practical purposes, not survived, 19th early 20th century (the so-called embroideries in style) that serves main source studying them. When employing such recent purpose ancient paganism, historians sometimes forget (as distinct from materials) remained, many centuries since downfall paganism Russia, component part living folk culture and, consequently, could but undergo significant changes. The essential utilization historical — identification temporally diverse strata, relative absolute dating them yet been performed this regard. present article makes no pretense any complete analysis embroidery, contains only few conclusions which author led by study primitive religious symbols. (2)
Soviet anthropology and archeology