Lidiya Yuryevna

About the craftswoman

Lidiya Yuryevna Fyodorova is an honoured craftswoman of Shalnoy Orenburg. Her path in the down-knitting craft began at 6.

Her mother and grandmother taught Lidiya Yuryevna to knit. The Fyodorov family's knitting dynasty already spans 4 generations of professional hereditary craftswomen!

From borders to shawls

Lidiya Yuryevna started by knitting borders and quite quickly reached such skill that already in 7th grade she was handing in shawl borders to the down workshop herself. Even then the quality of her work met the cooperative's strict requirements.

A little later her mother taught her to attach the border, and Lidiya Yuryevna began creating complete items on her own, only improving her skills over the years. In time she could knit anything — from a gossamer shawl to a warm shawl — and she spun beautifully, which is especially valued among craftswomen.

15 years in down production

By training Lidiya Yuryevna is a sewing machine operator, but from the very beginning she devoted her life to down knitting. In total she worked in down production for 15 years, right up to the closure of the factory.

“I worked at the Predchistinskoye, Chernootrozhskoye and Saraktash workshops,” she says. “They closed one by one, and I moved to the next one. I was a nomad,” she laughs.

3 of the 4 knitters of the dynasty, including Lidiya Yuryevna herself, worked in the down-knitting cooperative.

“Only my great-grandmother didn't,” she explains. “When she knitted, the cooperative didn't exist yet.”

Lidiya Yuryevna's mother, by the way, holds the most honourable title “Master with Golden Hands”.

Shawls to be proud of

Lidiya Yuryevna's items have always been famous for their quality — they were even ordered to Germany. After the factory collapsed, for a long time she had to knit almost exclusively for the market, but even then she worked conscientiously: she will never have to blush for a single one of her shawls.

“I like it with you; for now we're counting on you,” Lidiya Yuryevna replies when Shalnoy Orenburg staff ask about the prospects of the craft. “My daughter can knit, she knits now, but more as a hobby. My granddaughter doesn't — you can't make her. As for me, I want to keep working with you, if you don't throw me out,” she laughs.

We will add just one thing: masters like Lidiya Yuryevna are worth holding on to, and the Shalnoy Orenburg cooperative, in turn, hopes for further fruitful cooperation.