Siberian Germans often decorated their houses with a spruch — a wall panel with a religious saying. These panels frequently featured phrases from the Bible. The spruch was made of cloth, paper or wood. The inscriptions were typically done in Gothic script in an artistic way. Paints, pencils, colored threads and pyrography machines were used in creating the panels.
Along with inscriptions, spruchs were decorated with different motifs, such as landscapes or scenes from everyday life. Flowers and doves were often depicted next to the sayings. In Christianity, these birds symbolized the Holy Spirit. The dove has long been considered a symbol of peace, innocence and humility, purity of thoughts and good news. Roses were the favorite flowers of Germans when creating folk embroidery and painting. These flowers played a significant role in Germanic-Scandinavian mythology and were dedicated to Frigg — the goddess of heaven and patroness of marriage. The Old Germanic pagan worship of this flower was also adopted into Christianity.
The panel from the museum’s collection is a canvas in a wooden frame, which was painted with oil paints. The panel was decorated with the inscription: Ich hebe meine Augen auf zu den Bergen, von welchen mir Hilfe kommt! In translation it means “I lift my eyes to the mountains, from where help comes to me!” The spruch was made in 1954 in the village of Trubetskoye in the Omsk region. The item was handed over to the museum in 1995.
Along with painting on canvas, spruchs were also decorated with cross- or satin-stich embroidery texts of instructive or commemorative nature. German women were actively engaged in needlework: spinning, knitting, and embroidery. They also created various textile products: bedding, towels, dresser scarves. They were often embroidered or decorated with lace. The fabric used was traditionally of the festive white color.
