Russian Protodesign

Recently, I have visited one unusual, in my view, exhibition in the Shusev Museum of Architecture in Moscow. It calls “The Russian Protodesign”. The exhibition reminds about beginnings of contemporary design, which we can find on exposition of the most useful things in Russian domestic in the period from XVIII to the middle of XX centuries, such as work tools, houseware or children toys.

Protodesign is a sort of product design. Each object or thing was developed during long period of time. The technology of producing, the construction of the details, their forms – everything came through lots of prototypes. Design and shape changes a lot depend of time, but the purposes for most of things stay the same.

In the past, craftspeople always tried to find the most effective way of working with one or another material. Again and again they searched lots of methods to rise the quality of material. Thus, when master develops a new technology with higher results, the design will change.

 One of the oldest technologies was weaving. In the past in Russia rustics use this process to produce not only fabric for clothes, but also bast shoes “lapti” and baskets for different things. “Lapti” were weaved on special moulds with bast.

                                Moulds for bast shoes

Also Russian bast was used for children toys and even for musical instruments such as fife.

                                Prototypes of fifes

                                A cart wheel

                                Bricks from different private enterprises

  To conclude, today, lots of things, which were an important part of the household, become unnecessary, because of technological development. For example, we can find wash-hand-stand or torch for candle only in museum or in Grandmother’s garret.

                                Wash-hand-stands

                                               Torch for candle

Anastasia Balykina