Stylized logo in the year of folk art of the peoples of Russia

Folk art and intangible cultural heritage are what we have inherited from the past, and that part of history represents a very important and very relevant cultural value throughout the world. It is what connects people to their roots, being one of the most important aspects of identity, giving people a cultural memory and knowledge to build a better, more inclusive and responsive society.

Russia is a multi-ethnic State with more than 180 nationalities. The culture of each of them is distinct and unique: it is permeated by customs and traditions, and has its own forms of folk arts, national cuisine and language. These inexhaustible sources of wealth have tremendous cultural value to our vast country.

In order to draw attention to the issue of preserving the «cultural layer» and historical memory, the Government of the Russian Federation initiated in 2022 the Year of Folk Art and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia, a programme that takes into account the specificities of each region will be implemented.

We, ANCORE, have decided to keep up with the times and to draw the attention of our employees, partners and clients to one of the folk crafts existing to date, styling the logo of our company with appropriate elements of decorative and ornamental painting.

So, our choice fell on Nizhny Novgorod region, perhaps one of the richest on original national crafts. We have plunged with interest into its historical past and have learned a little more about one of the illustrious handicrafts of this region, which was born as a decoration of everyday objects and grew into a patterned, festive reflection of the Russian soul.

All this is about the Gorodetsky painting - traditional folk art industry, which originated more than 160 years ago in the city standing on the Volga with the acclaimed name Gorodets. The flourishing of the folk art was related to the activities of Peter I, who demanded that the navy be decorated with carvings and paintings. After a while, Gorodets craftsmen began to look for other ways to apply their experience, so carvings with colorful patterns began to decorate spines, chests and other utensils. Later, the carved decor was finally replaced by the painting.

In their compositions, peasant artists discovered a unique world. The subjects of the paintings became peasant and merchant life: dates, tea parties, banquets, walks in the garden, rides on horses; horses, birds, stylized floral ornaments with roses and kupavka. The painting was characterized with cartooning effect and the distinguishing feature of the colors was the predominance of red, yellow, green, and black.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the industry had slowly declined and soon ceased to exist. The restoration of the Gorodetsky painting began only in the 1930s, when the studio of craftsmen opened. Nowadays the heritage of old masters and their best traditions are striving to revive artists working at the factory «Gorodetskaya Mural» in Gorodets, which was created in 1960.