A sarafan ( rus, сарафа́н, p=sərɐˈfan, from ''sarāpā'', literally "
rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* ...
head to feet") is a long, trapezoidal
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n dress worn by girls and women and forming part of Russian traditional
folk costume.
Traditional Russian costume consists of straight, flowing lines. Beginning at the turn of the 18th century, the sarafan became the most popular article of peasant women's clothing in the Northern and Central regions of Russia. Sarafans were regularly worn until well into the 20th century, having first been mentioned in chronicles dating back to the year 1376. The origin of the term Sarafan lies in Persia, but the structure of the sarafan was inspired by Viking women clothing. Old Russia cultivated especially during the era of
Grand Principality of Moscow strong ties to
Western Asia
West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...
and
Southwest Asia
West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenia ...
and served also as an intermediary in the trade between European countries like Sweden, and Asian countries like Persia, and what is today Turkey. The sarafan most likely originated from a
kaftan
A kaftan or caftan (; , ; , ; ) is a variant of the robe or tunic. Originating in Asia, it has been worn by a number of cultures around the world for thousands of years. In Russian usage, ''kaftan'' instead refers to a style of men's long suit ...
-like costume that was worn in Russia by women and men. Sarafans became most popular in the
Central and
Northern Russian regions. Through trade with Central Europe, the quality and colour of clothes grew.
Sarafans had originally a tighter form but became wider through the influence of the
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...
.
After the reforms of
Peter the Great
Peter I (, ;
– ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
, which also introduced various Westernised or modernised cultural standards to Russia (with contention), only peasants wore the sarafan for daily use, while the upper classes switched to Central European fashion.
In many areas of the former
Grand Principality of Moscow and today's
Southern Russia the skirts were also worn by women. Today the garment is most often seen at performances of Russian
folk song
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
and
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and is worn on Russian folk and religious holidays. Designers from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine are re-imagining the sarafan style with its old national heritage for the 21st century as a summertime light dress that can be with its modern shape a part of today's woman's wardrobe.
The outer layer of a
Matryoshka doll is traditionally depicted as wearing a sarafan.
Gallery
File:Fort Ross Woman wearing Traditional Russian Costume b.jpg, Sarafan worn with a Kokoshnik for a Russian folk festival
File:Сарафан Шебекинский район.jpg, A simple black sarafan from Belgorod Oblast
Belgorod Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia. Its administrative center is the types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Belgorod. , the population is 1,540,486.
History
During the Princely ...
File:Traditional Russian Folk Costumes 02.JPG, Ethnic Russian clothes
File:Osenins 0152.JPG, Russian women with treshchotka and spoons in their hands. The two women on the right are wearing Sarafans.
See also
*
Jumper dress
*
Pinafore
References
External links
{{Russian souvenirs, state="expanded"
14th-century fashion
15th-century fashion
16th-century fashion
17th-century fashion
18th-century fashion
19th-century fashion
Russian folk clothing