MANiFAKTURA House of Weaving

Weaving was once widespread in the Novgorod lands, as recorded in Novgorod cadastral books of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Medieval Novgorod had the Nerevsky End on the left bank of the Volkhov River, where weavers lived and worked on homemade looms. They produced canvas, linen, napkins, belts, rugs, branina — a rare patterned or glazed fabric similar to gauze, mainly used for curtains and tiebacks — muslin, a very light transparent cotton plain-weave fabric, and pestryad, a patterned cloth woven from threads of different colours. At the All-Russian Handicraft Exhibition in 1902, 87 items received a small silver medal. In 1895 the first weaving school-workshop opened, employing a weaver experienced with a spinning wheel and an improved loom. The MANiFAKTURA House of Weaving was founded in 2019 by garment-production technologist and entrepreneur Nadezhda Blagova and creative director and designer Darya Sokolova. It promotes Novgorod weaving among children and adults and revives traditional skills. Household and interior pieces are made from modern materials on late-19th-century looms. The project aims to preserve Novgorod weaving traditions in the modern world and involve people in creative making. Visitors can buy exclusive handmade collections including décor, bags, rugs, backpacks and more, or join a workshop to make a gift on an antique loom under professional guidance. Programmes include the tour “What Can Grandfather’s Loom Do?”, showing how traditional Novgorod techniques turn modern materials into bags, interior rugs and even versions of Kazimir Malevich paintings; the environmental game-tour “New Quality,” about recycling denim and polyethylene and preparing materials for eco-weaving; a family workshop for all ages; a collaborative portrait activity suitable for birthdays or corporate events; an environmental workshop turning unwanted polyethylene and clothing into a tablet case, cushion or mini-rug; and coworking for experienced users who want access to equipment and expert advice for their own projects.