According to the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a textile fragment was found in the burial of a woman between the ages of 16 and 25, and it is a strip of cloth 12.1 cm long and 5.5 cm wide. , composed of a wide woven golden ribbon with a “braid” ornament and dark silk samite fabric. The product depicts Jesus Christ with a blessing gesture, on the sides are the Mother of God and John the Baptist standing in prayer poses and facing him.
“It should be noted the highest level of craftsmanship, jewelry subtlety and elegance of this miniature embroidery, – says the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in a message, – It should also be emphasized that the embroidery on a gold ribbon requires more skills and experience than simply embroidering on fabric. In this case, the embroidery is done with tiny stitches of silk threads of various colors and gold threads. To give additional artistic effects (emphasizing the lines of clothing draperies, etc.), a variety of stitching techniques were used in embroidery: on the floor, “blank”, “split” in shape, stem stitching. This tape is without a doubt a great work of art and craft.”
According to scientists, the embroidery depicting the saints on the Chaadaevo product is unique in its execution and requires further study. Since the embroidery had a rigid base (made of birch bark), it may have been part of a headdress.
“Such findings indicate that in the early stages of Christianity, religious themes could well be present in everyday life and were probably assigned the role of demonstrating adherence to Orthodoxy. There is no doubt that the rich gold embroidery is a status decoration of the costume and testifies to the high well-being of the buried, which is quite consistent with the nature of the finds and the size of the hacienda complexes in the settlement. IA RAS Notes.
Rescue archaeological work near Murom was carried out before the construction of the M-12 Moscow-Kazan highway. In 2021-2022, scientists fully excavated the medieval settlement of Chaadaevo 5 in an area of 3.5 hectares and also explored the necropolis outside the real estate development. In it, 46 tombs made according to Christian custom have been excavated. Fragments of the decorative design of the costume of the pre-Mongol era were found in several of them.
