Artistic traditions of metalworking in the territory of Tatarstan

Authors

  • Aigul Kanifovna Zalyaleeva

    Ibragimov Institute of Language, Literature, and Art of the Tatarstan Academy of sciences

    Author

  • Ekaterina Nikolaevna Mengden

    Kazan State Institute of Culture

    Author

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/ntat.2026.1.91-113
Keywords:
decorative and applied arts, traditional crafts, blacksmithing, artistic metalworking, artistic forging, embossing, Tatarstan
Abstract

The present study is an art studies review of artistic metalworking in the historical territory of the Middle Volga region and the Kama region, which is part of modern Tatarstan. The authors consider craft as a part of cultural history, in which local artistic features, professional memory and forms of national aesthetics are preserved. The article covers a wide chronological range – from the oldest archaeological cultures of the Bronze Age to modern decorative and applied arts. The main focus is on the change of technological and artistic traditions in the process of historical development in this area. The influence of historical events, including conquests and socio-economic transformations, on the development of handicrafts is considered separately. The historiography of the issue is considered in detail, archival and field materials on the topic are included, the stages of metalworking development are reviewed, the achievements of famous craft schools (Chebaksin forging, Rybnoslobodskaya coinage) are presented. The article analyzes the artistic features of the work of modern craftsmen working in various techniques, continuing craft traditions. Their few works make an important contribution to the development of metalworking as part of the cultural space of Tatarstan. It is revealed that artistic metalworking in Tatarstan has developed unevenly due to historical events. After the Kazan Khanate joined the Russian lands, the Tatars were forbidden to engage in hot metalworking – as a result, the traditions of the Bulgarian-Tatar craftsmen were lost. In the second half of the 19th century, the Rybnoslobodsk coinage and Chebaksin forging were developed: at that time, the leadership of the Russian state purposefully helped artisans and artisans. At the beginning of the 20th century, the artistic level of the products increased due to professional education and national exhibitions. We believe that for the long-term development of this area, it is necessary to strengthen state support for craftsmen and create conditions for the preservation of unique craft skills.

The research results can be used in educational programs on decorative and applied arts and restoration, contributing to the revival of forgotten techniques in modern art practice.

Author Biographies
  1. Aigul Kanifovna Zalyaleeva, Ibragimov Institute of Language, Literature, and Art of the Tatarstan Academy of sciences

    Research Fellow

  2. Ekaterina Nikolaevna Mengden, Kazan State Institute of Culture

    Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Lecturer

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Финансирование. Исследование выполнено при поддержке «Ассоциации искусствоведов».

Financing. The research was carried out with the support of the Association of Art Historians.

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Published
2026-06-22
Issue
No. 1 (2026)
Section
Art Studies and Cultural Studies
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How to Cite

Artistic traditions of metalworking in the territory of Tatarstan. (2026). Scientific Tatarstan. Humanities, 1, 91-113. https://doi.org/10.24852/ntat.2026.1.91-113