Palekh

Palekh (Russian Палех ) is an urban-type settlement with 5337 inhabitants (as of October 14, 2010 ) in Ivanovo, Russia. The place is known for the cultivated here icon painters and painting craft.

Geography and transport

Palekh is located south of Ivanovo, 64 km from the regional center of Ivanovo and 30 km from the nearest town of Shuya away. It is the administrative center of the homonymous Rajons ( district ) of the oblast. Through the town flows the river Paleschka. There is a country road link to Ivanovo and Nizhny Novgorod, but no own railway connection: the nearest passenger station is located in Shuya.

History

Palekh was noisy written references no later than the 15th century as a village and has held this status until the 20th century. The name has its origin in Finno- Ugric languages ​​, suggesting a settlement of the present village surroundings suspect, long before the 12th century. In the 15th century the village belonged to a son of Tsar Ivan IV ( the Terrible ), towards the end of the century there arose the first time a ( wooden ) Church, a predecessor of the present church of the Exaltation of the Cross.

The emergence of Palekh icon painters art is thought from the 16th century, Palekh was as a Handwerkerort in which, among other things, wood carvers were employed. To the early 18th century it has already established itself in a unique style of icon painters who continued in the traditions of the old Suzdal State among others.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Palekh icon painting went into in connection with the state's anti-religious campaign of the Communists sharply and temporarily ceased to exist almost. In 1924 in a place Artel of artists, focusing on wood paintings as well as to paint miniatures (see: Palekh lacquer miniatures ) specialized. This craft (so-called Palekh miniature ) has revived in Palekh still exists today, in addition to since the end of the Soviet Union the old icon painters traditions.

1947 Palekh was given the status of an urban-type settlement.

Demographics

Note: Census data

Economy

Today, Palekh lives mainly from handicraft and tourism; there is an art school, and several wood painting workshops. Further, during the Soviet period existent industrial enterprises ( including textile mills ) since the 1990s out of service.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Pavel Korin (1892-1967), painter