Valenki ( rus, ва́ленки, p=ˈvalʲɪnkʲɪ;
sg valenok ( rus, ва́ленок, p=ˈvalʲɪnək)) are traditional
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n winter footwear, essentially
felt
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...
boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
s: the name ''valenok'' literally means "made by
felt
Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...
ing". They are not water-resistant, and are often worn with
galoshes
Galoshes, also known as dickersons, gumshoes, rubbers, or overshoes, are a type of rubber boot that is slipped over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet. In the United States, the word ''galoshes'' may be used interchangeably with boot ...
to protect the
soles from wear and moisture.
Description
Valenki are usually worn for walking on dry snow in frosty weather. In order to prevent wear, the boots are often soled with leather, rubber or another durable material or worn with
galoshes
Galoshes, also known as dickersons, gumshoes, rubbers, or overshoes, are a type of rubber boot that is slipped over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet. In the United States, the word ''galoshes'' may be used interchangeably with boot ...
. Traditionally, valenki come in brown, black, gray and white, however, modern versions are often dyed or produced from colored artificial materials.
The use of felted footwear has been known for millennia, felt shoes have been found in
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
n burials. The origin of valenki has been speculated to trace back to the traditional felt boots worn by nomads of the
Great Steppe
The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistria ...
(including Southern
Rus'). The first modern valenki appeared in the early eighteenth century and became more widespread as
Russian industrialization progressed, becoming cheaper and more accessible.
Before the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
, the production of valenki was concentrated in the Semenov district of
Nizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod ( ; rus, links=no, Нижний Новгород, a=Ru-Nizhny Novgorod.ogg, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj ˈnovɡərət ), colloquially shortened to Nizhny, from the 13th to the 17th century Novgorod of the Lower Land, formerly known as Gork ...
province, in the
Kineshma
Kineshma (russian: Кинешма), the second-largest town in Ivanovo Oblast in Russia, sprawls for along the Volga River, 335 kilometers north-east of Moscow. Population:
History
Kineshma was first noticed as a ''posad'' in 1429. In 1504, ...
District of
Kostroma province
Kostroma Oblast (russian: Костромска́я о́бласть, ''Kostromskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kostroma and its population as of the 2021 Census is 580,976. ...
, and in the
Kukmor in
Kazan province The Kazan Province (russian: Каза́нская прови́нция) - province of Kazan Governorate of the Russian Empire, which existed 1719–1775. Its center was the city of Kazan
Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, К ...
. In 1900, contemporary jackboot
fulling
Fulling, also known as felting, tucking or walking ( Scots: ''waukin'', hence often spelled waulking in Scottish English), is a step in woollen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of woven or knitted cloth (particularly wool) to elimin ...
factories of Russia produced 1.4 million pairs of valenki for the value of 2.1 million
ruble
The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union.
, currencies named ''rub ...
s. In 1900, a pair of valenki cost 1.5 rubles, in 1912 - 2 rubles, at the end of 1916 the speculative price reached up to 12-18 rubles per pair.
Valenki have become less popular in urban life since the middle of the twentieth century, as human activity has softened the winters in cities, requiring lighter and more waterproof footwear. In modern media, valenki are seen as a rustic, old-fashioned style of clothing; in cities they are usually worn by small children, or during especially severe
frost
Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...
. Valenki are included in the standard equipment of parts of the internal military service of the Russian army.
[Russian Federation Government Resolution of 17 July 1995 N 720 "On Approval of the glove providing law for enforcement officers of the Russian Federation and norms of supply of glove property for commanding and enlisted personnel of the Interior of the Russian Federation, with the special title of the internal service]
See also
*
Telogreika
The telogreika (russian: телогре́йка, lit=body warmer, ) or vatnik ( rus, ватник, p=ˈvatnʲɪk) is a variety of Russian warm cotton wool-padded jacket. It was also a part of the winter uniform first issued by the Red Army duri ...
*
Ushanka
An ushanka ( rus, уша́нка, p=ʊˈʂankə, from , "ears"), also called an ''ushanka-hat'' ( rus, ша́пка-уша́нка, p=ˈʂapkə ʊˈʂankə), is a Russian fur cap with ear-covering flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, ...
*
Afghanka
The Afghanka (russian: Афганка) (proper designation: M88) is a type of military uniform system developed and issued by the Soviet Army in the early 1980s, still in use today in some Post-Soviet states in many different variants. The name ' ...
References
Sources
* Békési, László (2006) ''Stalin's War: Soviet uniforms and militaria 1941-45''. Ramsbury: The Crowood Press
*Zaloga, Steven J. (1989) ''The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War, 1941-45''. London: Osprey
External links
*
{{Russian souvenirs
18th-century fashion
19th-century fashion
20th-century fashion
Boots
Folk footwear
Russian folk clothing
Russian inventions
Winter clothes