Posted: 10.02.2022 17:16:00

Openwork secrets

We visited the workshop of Natalya Klimko from Novogrudok, who was awarded a special Presidential award for art luminaries

Natalya Klimko, the Head of Kalyarovaya Altanka, a folk art club in the Novogrudok District Crafts Centre, was awarded a special award of the President for her fruitful work in preserving the traditions of making the Belarusian vytynanka (folk art of paper cutting images with scissors). For more than ten years, she has been replenishing her own collection of original works and also passes on the national art to the children and youth of the Novogrudok District. There are already about 100 works made in a special technique in Natalya’s collection. They are known by visitors to the exhibition halls of Belarus, Russia, and Turkey. They were also presented at the festive venues of Alexandria, the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, and the Vyasnovy Bouquet (Spring Bouquet), the Republican Festival-Fair of Crafts.


Only unique craftsmen plunge into the laborious process, because it takes about four (!) days to make a vytynanka. Natalya Klimko collects the overall picture from separately thought-out sketches. First, she draws a cellular grid — the main element, reminiscent of the curtain fabric familiar to everyone, then she makes the drawing itself and patterns. Natalya invents each part on her own — this is the secret. There is even a notebook for original ideas, which the craftswoman always keeps with her. Inspiration visits her spontaneously, sometimes on a walk or on a fishing trip. The remaining two days are allotted for the finishing stage — ‘punching out’ all the elements with a hammer, chisel, and specially sharpened screwdrivers. According to Natalya Klimko, exhibition visitors are surprised how such products can be made from paper, “Many are sure that this is crochet. And few people know that in the villages they made a vytynanka expressly for the holidays to decorate the house.
Paper craftswomen made excellent overlay covers for shelves and firankas (special curtains) for windows. In most areas, rural craftswomen carved their work with scissors. The peculiarity of the Novogrudok region is to ‘punch out’ patterns. I used to be a beginner in this art myself. After graduating from the Minsk Art College named after A.K. Glebov, I came to the Novogrudok District, my husband’s homeland, and met Nina Shurak, the Chief Curator of the Funds of the Novogrudok Museum of History and Regional Studies. Communication with her gave impetus to a new hobby, now it’s my life’s work.”
In 2002, Natalya was appointed Director of the District Crafts Centre. At that time, each region tried to find its own zest and revive it. And so the search for the identity of Novogrudok began. Employees of the Crafts Centre travelled around the area: they studied folk art, got acquainted with the craftsmen. It turned out that weaving, pottery, and straw weaving were well developed in these parts.
“Suddenly I found out that Nina Shurak, in addition to beautifully embroidered towels, is engaged in vytynanka. We just organised the first exhibition of works for her 70th birthday. After seeing the openwork beauty, I began to thoroughly study the topic, to understand it more. She even presented her thesis on the traditional vytynanka at the University of Culture and Art. Then she created the first set of works under the name Svyata (Holiday), dedicated to Easter.”


Now Natalya Klimko is not only a master of her craft but also an excellent teacher. The needlewoman passes on her experience to children in a vytynanka studio. Novogrudok children of different ages gather at the Crafts Centre every Saturday and learn all the basics of technology: from a sketch of a drawing to the final product. In the countryside, schoolchildren also know how to handle a hammer and know what a cellular grid is. The craftswoman travels to them with workshops and practical classes.
For the older generation, there is the project No to idleness — yes to needlework. People have been visiting these monthly classes for two years now.
“We are also collaborating with the Novogrudok Residential Care Facility for Neuropsychiatric Patients in the village of Bolshiye Karnyshi, holding creative master classes there. We invite you to visit us for a tour,” says Natalya.
The Kalyarovaya Altanka folk art club is known in the country thanks to numerous exhibitions. This is proved by all the letters of recognition and diplomas in Natalya’s workshop. This year, the team took first place at the Vyasnovy Bouquet Republican Festival-Fair of Crafts.
“We participate wherever we can. There are 28 people from the city and the district in the club, they are very friendly. The club gathers people of various ages and professions. Craftsmen exchange experiences, learn from each other, hold creative events. Lyceum and colleges of Novogrudok also collaborate with us, provide their works for exhibitions.”
Colleagues cherish and respect Natalya Klimko, they are proud of her. We are sure that she deserved the special award thanks to her desire to create and hard work. But the craftswoman herself admits that she still does not believe in what is happening, “I still remember how excited I was before going on stage. My heart beat faster even due to the mere understanding that there were people of such a high rank nearby. It seemed as if all this was not happening to me, it was like a Christmas fairy tale. And when the guests in the hall stood up to greet me, tears of joy rolled up, I was overwhelmed with a sense of delight. I am grateful that the work done was noticed and appreciated. I am grateful to our President! It is important when beginning craftsmen are provided help. In life, you need to love what you do, constantly develop in your field. It is also good when the team supports you in difficult times. I always adhere to the rule: do not interfere in the creative process. I can only prompt the student, show him or her the direction.”
The art of making a traditional vytynanka will definitely continue its rich history. Natalya Klimko took care of this: her daughter Veronika became interested in special technology in her childhood and now she has her own crafts studio, and her grandchildren Masha and Ilya are regular participants in classes and master classes.

By Irina Lukashik
Photo by ALeksei Bibikov and  ALeksei Matyush