Museum of Folk Art in Vetka

Vetka is a small town located in the east of Belarusian Polesie on the bank of the Sozh River. According to some historical data the Belarusian town was founded by Old Believers, who came from Central Russia, in 1685. Soon the town Vetka became a center of Russian Old Believers. At that time they were seeking refuge on the territory of Belarusian land. Because in Russia old believers were persecuted by temporal and church powers.

Folk Museum was founded on 30th November, 1978 in Vetka. It was formed on the base of the personal collection of Fedor Shklyarov. He was a local resident, an Old Believer, an artist and a collector.

In 1987 the first regular exhibition was placed in the Groshikov”s house who was a local merchant. Today this building is an architectural monument of the XIX century. After five years, the area of the museum was extended. It got in property the biggest part of the building of the former district party committee. Today there are stores of the museum there. The museum in Vetka was partially reconstructed at the beginning of the XXI century.

In a few years the museum became a regional research center of local customs and traditions. Its area now is more than 404 m ². Here you can learn about the culture of traditional Orthodox and Old Believer villages of Belarus. There are more than 10 000 masterpieces in 11 halls of the museum. They organically fit into the historical context. Many of them are unique. Among them there are ancient and Old Believer icons, manuscripts and early printed books, archaeological finds, collections of drawings and miniature of painters of the XVII-XX centuries, a collection of handmade goods, created by the unique artistic method - embroidering with gold threads, beads and pearls. In the museum in Vetka you can also know the technique of gilded wood carving, see cast icons and crosses, a collection of chased settings for books and etc.