Golubeva, L. V. ‘CLOTHING’ SPACE: SOFT BORDERS – STRICT RULES // Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2018. No 4 (173). DOI: 10.15393/uchz.art.2018.143


Literary studies

‘CLOTHING’ SPACE: SOFT BORDERS – STRICT RULES

Golubeva
L. V. 		St. Petersburg State University
Keywords:
symbolic and practical space
visual practices
traditions
ritual and everyday practices		 Summary: The article is concerned with functionality of symbolic and practical space in a village house. Along with practical reasons textile valance on the windows and other places inside the house have symbolic meaning. They are “borders” between public and private zones. By the valance peasants separate space between a stove and a wall (“solnysha”) from the rest area. Only a mistress(“bol’shukha”) of the house can enter the solnysha. A place for sleep can as well be shut by the textile valance (“polog”). Careless use of a valance by a girl who is sleeping behind a polog on her own can be perceived as an erotic message by a young man. On the contrary, a closed door would be a habitual and evident sign for a townsman in this case. The door provides a visual and acoustical impenetrability for ones behind it. Textile borders are more passable and soft. This discrepancy determines responsibility for keeping familiar borders. When people use visual and acoustical impenetrability (closed door), this responsibility is reciprocal for both sides. When people use a textile valance for keeping a familiar space, the responsible side is one who has looked behind the valance. A looking person disturbs the border of the private zone. The researcher concludes that a habit not to look inside the private zone is developed through ritual practices, which then are incorporated into everyday life. Herewith textile valances play a role of a special tool for practicing this habit. The second conclusion is concerned with a gender aspect. In villages it is women who control these soft borders of the private zones in daily practices and within ritual. Materials used in this article are recordings that have been made inRussian North since 1984 and which are stored in Vladimir Propp Research Center archive.



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