The State Will Take Up the Revival of the Orenburg Down Shawl!

On 29 July 2014, a meeting of the Volga Federal District was held, chaired by the Presidential Envoy to the Volga Federal District, Mikhail Babich. It was attended by Viktor Evtukhov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, representatives of control, supervisory and law enforcement bodies, representatives of the district's constituent regions responsible for this area, and heads of folk art craft enterprises from the regions of the district.

The Orenburg region was represented by Natalya Levinson, acting Vice-Governor and Deputy Chair of the Government of the Orenburg Region for financial and economic policy, as well as the heads of CJSC "Down Shawl Factory" and LLC "Orenburg Down Shawl Plant".

Participants of the meeting were invited to take a close look at an exhibition of folk art craft items, where Orenburg down shawls were also presented in all their glory.

The main problems of the industry

Representatives of the folk crafts expressed serious concern about the indifference of young people: because of it, the valuable knowledge and skills of the masters may be lost. The growth of counterfeit products is also alarming.

The meeting discussed the effectiveness of existing federal and regional support measures, as well as the fight against counterfeits, which the envoy called one of the sorest points of the industry. With representatives of the prosecutor's office, the Russian Interior Ministry, the Federal Tax Service, Rospotrebnadzor and the Volga Customs Directorate, they discussed the state of the regulatory framework, law enforcement practice and the difficulties law enforcers face in protecting folk art craft producers.

The "Orenburg Down Shawl" Industrial Park

Natalya Levinson spoke about the initiative to create the "Orenburg Down Shawl" Industrial Park, which should help preserve and develop the down-knitting traditions of the Orenburg region. The park is conceived as a complex uniting all the main participants in down knitting. At the current stage, substantial investment is needed to create it.

Results of the meeting

Summing up the meeting – incidentally, the first on this topic in the Volga Federal District – Mikhail Babich stressed the need to strengthen state support and the fight against counterfeits, to create favourable conditions for trade in folk craft items and to attract young people to the industry.

It was also decided to continue holding such meetings. At least one more will take place this year!