The history of Tatar shoes, or How Kazan Ichigi became famous throughout the world!
The history of the appearance of patterned shoes of the Tatars goes back to the distant past and dates back to the birth of the first Tatar state - the Bulgarian Khanate in the 10th century AD.
The most common and popular Kazan shoes are considered to be ichigi - light boots with a soft toe and a hard back, made of genuine leather produced by chrome tanning. Their main difference is the unique embroidery, the analogues of which do not exist to this day.
Initially, ichigs were created for Tatar princes. They were very comfortable, light and warm. The shoes were made of soft morocco and leather, decorated with bright flowers. To create the traditional pattern, leather of different colors was folded in layers and cut out in a specific way using a stencil. The pieces were sewn to each other with silk, silver or gold threads. Ichigi were not just boots - they were a real work of art, wearing them was prestigious.
Russian nobles were the first to notice these shoes after the Tatar feudal lords in the 13th century AD.There is a legend that the Grand Duke of Vladimir - Yaroslav - instructed his shoemakers to recreate the same mosaic on the skin as the Tatars, but no one managed to reveal the secret of Kazan shoes and sew something similar.
The fame of the incredible picturesque boots quickly spread throughout the world, the Ichigi conquered half the world and are to this day considered a unique national masterpiece of the Tatar people.
Such popularity and demand forced Kazan craftsmen to sew a women's version of morocco boots. Their design was more refined, the ornament was embroidered with metal threads, silver and gold, and decorated with precious stones and pearls. It is worth noting that exclusive embroidery, even today, is performed manually by sewing craftswomen.
Today, original ichigs are an integral part of the national costume of the Tatars and can be found in most museums around the world. For their originality and exclusivity, they have repeatedly received awards in the fashion world and were awarded the gold medal of the European Society of Sciences.
@sahtian11
In the middle of the 20th century, the demand for these boots reached a million pairs per year. Mass production was provided by ten trading houses. The range of shoes expanded every year, different elements and details were added. Ichigi were created without a pattern, made from several types of skin from different animals.
Unfortunately, during the First World War, a general economic crisis began, which greatly affected the industry of Tatarstan. Private financial injections into the leather industry decreased greatly, of course, this affected the quality of shoes - ornaments were simplified, gold threads were replaced with silk, and production was kept afloat only thanks to exports to Europe.
Only a few decades after the Great Patriotic War, the demand for traditional Kazan shoes increased again. The 60s of the last century became a kind of revival of the cultural values of the Tatar people. Centuries-old traditions were restored, ancient values were recalled. By that time, the embroidery on the ichigs was very different from the original version: it was poorer and coarser. Nevertheless, the factories were restored, and people were hired to sew shoes, in whose families this craft had been passed down from generation to generation. Classic ichigs have returned to the Kazan and world markets.
@sahtian11
Today they are called waders and are actively used for hunting. Made from flawless leather, they do not get wet, are lightweight and comfortable. The women's version of these boots retains the unique pattern, and the remaining details have been modified according to the latest fashion trends. So, today some ichigi are created with wedges or heels; only the ornament remains unchanged.
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