Vologda Lace

Vologda lace is made on a firm round pillow with dozens or hundreds of wooden bobbins, following a pricked pattern pinned to the surface, and its distinguishing feature is the vilyushka - a continuous unbroken tape of dense weave that winds through the design and is filled around with a light mesh, so the pattern reads as a flowing ribbon rather than as separate motifs. The craft became an industry here in the nineteenth century, at first on landowners' estates copying European designs, then in thousands of homes across the province working for merchants. In the Soviet period a factory consolidated production and designers created large panels and tablecloths, including pieces with distinctly period subjects. The museum on Kremlin square, opened in 2010, shows the historical progression along with foreign lace for comparison, and demonstrations of the pillow and bobbins run there. Real lace is expensive - a large piece is months of work.

What you actually see

• The vilyushka - the continuous dense tape winding through a light mesh ground.
• The pillow and bobbins - dozens of bobbins worked over a pricked pattern.
• The Soviet panels - large designed pieces from the factory period.
• The comparison cases - European lace shown alongside for contrast.

When to go

All year. One to two hours. Demonstrations run at set times; check the schedule.

Honest expectations

Machine-made imitations are sold widely in Vologda and are hard to tell apart without looking closely at the ground. Real pieces cost a great deal. Labelling is largely Russian. The museum is compact and can be done in an hour.

Nearby

Vologda kremlin and St Sophia are on the same square; Kirillo-Belozersky monastery is about 130 km north.