Russian Choir Shawl My object is a Russian Choir Shawl used in the Russian Orthodox Church. It was embroidered by my grandmother’s aunt in Russia. The date on the shawl says it was made in 1929. The history behind it was my grandmother’s aunt embroidered it for her daughter, (grandmother’s cousin) who used it in her choir. It was passed down from her aunt, down to her cousin, and then to her. The background is white, but there are roses and chickens near the top, which are both red. Towards the middle there are more red flowers and branches. At the bottom, there are black and red bell shaped objects but I don’t know what they actually represent. Red is very prominent color in the Russian culture. The word for red in Russian, “krasni”, was used to describe something beautiful, good, or honorable. When you are an Orthodox Russian you have very traditional beliefs. You believe that God showed himself in Jesus Christ, as well as the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. This shawl represents my Russian roots that I have not been exposed to before this project, as well as my family’s roots in the Russian Orthodox faith.  I had no idea about this type of Russian culture and it made me think about about who my family really was and where they came from.

– Thomas Wells

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more