THE RFB

The word “sarafan” might not be familiar to many, but most people easily recall how a traditional Russian costume might look. The sarafan is, in fact, built around the concept of a long, trapeze-shaped dress that, over the centuries, went under the names of “feryaz”, “klinnik” and, finally, “sarafan”. The word itself takes its [Continue reading...]

Born as an artistic movement around 1919, Russian Constructivism proposed the ideology of “production art”, that is, art with a social meaning and practical purpose. Stemming from a series of debates and collaborations in INHUK and Vkhutemas*, it counted self-professed “artists-engineers” Vladimir Tatlin, Alexander Rodchenko, Varvara [Continue reading...]

Traditional Russian embroidery intertwines itself closely with the history of Russia, or more precisely, the land that it now occupies. Seen as an ubiquitous folk tradition, it is, in fact, a diverse and multi-faceted skill that spread and evolved through centuries and over geographical borders, equally distinguishing and uniting people. [Continue reading...]

The National Gallery of Art in Washington is days away from launching an exhibit that chronicles the Ballets Russes, a collaboration that, through its high caliber of expression and unexpected collaborations, shaped art at the beginning of the 20th century. By blending art, dance, and music, this revolutionary movement gave birth to productions [Continue reading...]

Russia had many difficult moments during the past two centuries: wars, economic and social issues, but there was never shortage of creative people trying to express themselves through clothes they make and wear. “Fashion as the Mirror of History: 200 Years of Russian Fashion“, on view from May 17 to October 8, aims to explore [Continue reading...]