The rushnyk is an object with a deep symbolic meaning. It not only adorned the everyday life of people, but was also a reminder of the ties that connected people with their ancestors. Patterns of embroidered towels are an encrypted story about the life of people and nature.

There were a large number of varieties of towels, each of which carried its own meaning and had a clear purpose. It took one day to embroider ordinary items. Such towels were believed to have protective properties. They were created exclusively during the day, when the evil forces of darkness could not harm them. They were used in various rituals, for example, in the event of a drought or loss of livestock. They were never woven in advance, but only on the day when they were to be used in the ritual.

If we recall the well-known proverb “let the road be like a tablecloth”, which now has a negative meaning, it had been previously used to wish a happy journey. The saying was associated with special, road towels. They were small, with little embroidery, and were given to those who left their home and went on a journey: warriors, merchants, and travelers. The travel towel personified the wish for an easy journey and a speedy return.

A midwife wrapped a newborn in a maternity towel, and a baptismal towel was embroidered for christening. The child was carried to the church and wiped with this towel after immersion into water. After the christening, the child’s first shirt could be sewn from this towel, or it could be kept until the person’s wedding or even funeral. After death, towels accompanied people during their burial. These household items were also used to carry the coffin. In addition, they were hung on a tomb cross.

On Maslenitsa, in gratitude for the treat, the owners of the house were presented with a towel called “blinnik”. Easter towels were intended for baked Easter cakes, they were similar to welcome towels, but differed in ornament: they often featured the abbreviation ХВ (Christ is Risen) and egg symbols.

The towel, which framed the icons, was called “bozhnik”. There were about 40 wedding towels. However, only five types were considered the main ones: parental, union, “bozhnik”, wedding and welcome towels.

A rushnyk is an embroidered decorative towel made of homespun canvas, which was formed by interlacing threads, most often made from linen yarn. This is an object of folk culture and art of the Eastern Slavs.

Since olden times in Rus, the rushnyk had not only an aesthetic purpose, but also a ritual one. The patterns that craftswomen embroidered on the towel served not only as an adornment of an everyday item, but were also a symbolic reminder of the ties between people and their ancestors.

There were different types of such towels. Making wedding towels, for example, was considered the duty of the bride. Our ancestors perceived the towel as a canvas on which the past, present and future were depicted with a red thread. People believed that in the process of embroidering a wedding towel, the bride embroidered her family future. That is why it was allowed to embroider only in a good mood.

Women made towels not only from linen, but also from hemp. Its width was 30–40 centimeters, while the length could reach three or more meters. To decorate the towel, the embroidery technique, lace and ribbons were used.

Various symbols were used in embroidery on towels. Until the 18th century, each embroidered pattern had its own sacred meaning and ritual purpose. After Peter the Great’s reforms, everyday motifs began to appear in embroidery, which did not carry any ritual meaning, and by the end of the 19th century, embroidery had almost completely lost its ritual significance.

At present, the old Slavic traditions are almost forgotten, but people still decorate homes with rushnyks — they are used in various rituals in some regions of modern Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Towels adorn the icons, shrines, door and window openings, and also decorate the walls. These towels can currently be found among Orthodox Christians during the celebration of Easter and the consecration of Easter cakes. Such towels can be decorated with patterns featuring eggs and willow twigs.

Name: Rushnyk
Date of creation: the second half of the 20th century
Place of creation: Western Siberia, the USSR
Technique: sewing
Dimensions: 185×40×1 cm