Klavdievskaya factory is one of not many that produced Christmas-tree decorations in Soviet period. The factory was founded in 1949 in Klavdievo, near Kiev and first was specialized on laboratory glass products. In 50’s it started to profile in producing Christmas-tree decorations. Almost all of the production is exported (about 96%) to Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Great Britain, USA and etc. and only 4% stays in Ukraine. Let’s see how the process of making Christmas-tree decoration looks like.
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The first phase of decoration production is a ball or other decoration glass-blowing from the tube with the height of 1.5 m.
First the tube is heated up till 1.5 thousand degrees and then is pulled out into the thin long tubes. Then the decoration is blown out. Delicacy of this job for glass-blower is to take as much air into the lungs as it’s necessary for the decoration of the certain diameter. For one shift the master can make up to 200 Christmas-tree decorations.The second stage is silvering. Silver oxide, ammonia and distilled water in a certain proportion are injected into the decoration.
Christmas-tree decoration with this mixture is put into hot water, the reaction happens and silver is vaporized fortifying on inner walls. Decoration is shaken up several times after that so silver could run evenly. After that the rest of water is poured out. The third phase is painting. Silver-plated decorations are wiped and dipped into paint. Painted decorations go to the oven and get dry under the lamps.
The fourth phase is artistic design. Artists draw the certain picture on the decoration. To have the sparkling design first the glue is put on the ball and afterwards it is sprinkled with the sparkles. Every artist can draw all over from 50 to 100 of Christmas-tree decorations a day. The fifth phase is end-cutting. It is done with the diamond circle.
All is left is just to put well-known caps with eyes…and its ready to pack! And at the end here are some examples from the whole variety of the Christmas-tree decorations, produced at this factory.
Photi credits: 1
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Yeah cool i didn’t know that they are handmade
Another great jewish achievement!
Fake christmas tree decorations – looks like geniune, but brings no fun. : (
I enjoy seeing how artistic things are made! Great Post!
Garbage post.
Try Again! LMAO!
Ha Ha! I mean- WRONG ANSWER, try again! LMAO!
I hate to disappoint you Ivana Beaver, but your not the first drag queen who tried to impersonate me! And honestly, the first one did a better job of it as well!
For Sure!
ohW saw eht tsrif gard neeuq yepuaT?
Her name is right on the tip of my tongue! As soon as I remember, I will be happy to let you know. We use to go eat breakfast together quite often. She was one of the two most beautiful drag queens I’ve ever seen. The other one was in Tucson. I had never really known that one but had seen her at several Drag Shows at “It’s About Time” down on 4th Avenue. She did Reba absolutely perfectly!
They should add a little more glass, and blow the shapes into bongs instead of ornaments…
But, very nice anyway.
Interesting. First time I have seen decorations made.
Must be cold in that factory, everybody’s bundled up- didn’t the owner pay his heat bill?
Now that I see the face behind the work, I will really think about each bulb and admire that the person takes that much time to make them and how nice they are. I will treat them very carfully because someday the people may not make them but instead a machine. Thank you crafts people for a beautiful decoration.
Working conditions in Ukraine are very bad. They are much better in Russia.
Very interesting. I didn’t realize all of the hands on work that’s required to make them. Nice to see it being done like this instead of a “machine” turning out the ornaments.
Should I run the KAOS program on the next comment page MJ12?I will run it in code.
Go ahead and run it but keep it in code.
After these scenes, I will take much more care in not to break a christmas tree ornament again…
Excllent!!!!!!!!!
Pic #24: I see small photo of Yulia Timoshenko on drawing desk. What for? Do they paint her face on Christmas balls? Or do they get inspired by her to paint these cat figures?
Looks it’s pretty cold there, everybody with coats.
I will be happy to let you know. We use to go eat breakfast together quite often. She was one of the two most beautiful drag queens I’ve ever seen. The other one was in Tucson.
fix your tags, these images have nothing to do with russian decorations, russian plants, russian holidays, nor anything russian.
Au contraire, Bob. What you see is a typical Russian “factory.” Substandard electrical wiring, no fire supression system, no ventilation of toxic gasses, etc… All wrapped up in a marginal to begin with and decrepit ex-Stalinist flat! What could be more Russian than that!
I’ve heard that there is a spray that is supposed to help with the wax burning too fast from a woodwick candle set, is this true?
I really liked your writing style, please keep at it for us all!
What a beautiful collection of photographs about the Klavdievskaya factory making Christmas ornaments and decorations. We in America have also lost most of our maufactoring and production to other counties
Holly cow I had no idea those were hand made! Amazing ornaments, and love that camera lens…I need to get a wide lens like that. Nice post.
well it is nearing for us to buy some christmas ornaments for the coming christmas:,:
we will be buying more christmas ornaments these christmas because we like to decorate more `’~