"The history of flax cultivation"

Neither warm wool nor natural or artificial silk could replace linen. Flax (the ancient Romans called it "linium") has unique properties. He gives people oil, the finest cambric, Brussels and Vologda lace, sheet linen, tablecloths, linen and clothes, which are distinguished by excellent sanitary and hygienic qualities, durability, strength and resistance to decay. Under linen sails, ships sailed across the seas and oceans, bringing new discoveries. Linen canvases have preserved for us the creations of the great masters of the brush.

Tensile linen yarn is almost 2 times stronger than cotton and 3 times stronger than woolen. It is hygroscopic - not only absorbs moisture, but also "removes heat", ensuring excellent well-being, especially in hot and humid climates. Water evaporates from it at almost the same rate as from the surface of the reservoir, as a result of which the linen fabric is always fresh and cool. Flax does not cause allergies and inhibits the growth of bacteria. The silica contained in flax protects it from rotting. No wonder the Egyptian priests wore linen clothes, which was a symbol of purity, light and fidelity, and the mummies of the Egyptian pharaohs, bandaged in the finest linen fabrics of amazing strength, have survived to this day. The death of the flax crop in ancient Egypt was equated with one of the "seven Egyptian plagues." When there was still no paper, many books were written on cloth. So, one of the famous books - "The Linen Book" of the ancient Etruscans - was written on linen fabric back in the 7th century. BC e.

Flax is fabulously beautiful when it blooms. The field turns blue. Blue, bluish, less often purple, pink or white flowers are collected in a brush. They are large (15-20 mm in diameter), of the correct shape, they swing on long pedicels. However, this tale can only be seen in the morning. Delicate flowers open at dawn, and by noon, with the onset of heat, they again fold or crumble to the ground in blue snowflakes.

Bees can collect up to 15 kg of honey from 1 hectare of crops.

Flax is one of the oldest agricultural crops. During archaeological excavations of Neolithic pile structures in Switzerland, charred remains of food made from flax seeds, scraps of thread, ropes, nets and fabrics from flax fiber were found. Thus, Neolithic man was already cultivating flax.

Traces of flax culture have been found in archaeological finds from the Bronze Age in Spain, but most of the finds indicating the cultivation of flax in prehistoric times date back to the Iron Age. Judging by them, perennial narrow-leaved flax was cultivated then already throughout Europe, right up to the Scandinavian Peninsula. In Germany, in strata that have preserved traces of human settlements of the Iron Age, remains of bread made from a mixture of wheat, millet and flax grains were found. Many archaeological finds, as well as literary, historical and linguistic data, rank among the most ancient centers of flax culture, in addition to Switzerland and Germany, also India, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Bukhara, Afghanistan, Khorezm, Turkmenistan, Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, Abyssinia, Algeria, Tunisia and Spain.

In India and China, flax, as a spinning plant, and even more so as an oil plant, was introduced into the culture before cotton - more than 5 thousand years ago. There is evidence that for 3-4 thousand years BC. e. flax was grown on fiber in Mesopotamia, Assyria and Egypt, where the finest linen fabrics were made. The ancient historian Herodotus mentions a linen fabric donated to Athena of Rhodes, where each thread consisted of 360 finest threads. The flax culture flourished in Colchis, which paid tribute to the Turks with flax. There is a version that the campaign of the Argonauts from Hellas to Colchis for the "golden fleece" was essentially a campaign for the secret of obtaining the finest yarn from flax, which was sold literally worth its weight in gold and was not inferior to the Egyptian. Alas! This secret has not survived to this day.

Some researchers consider western Persia as the birthplace of flax, from where it came to other countries ranked among the most ancient centers of flax culture - India, China and regions of Central Asia, as well as to the west and southwest, primarily to Babylon and Egypt. There is reason to believe that both ancient Rome and ancient Greece borrowed the culture of flax from Egypt. Flax is mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature since the 6th century. BC e. The words "lyon" (Greek) and "linium" (Latin), from which, obviously, the Russian "flax" comes from, are found in the works of Homer, Herodotus, Theophrastus, Pliny and other writers of the ancient world.

The Gauls and Celts, the founders of flax growing in Western Europe, borrowed flax from the Romans, and the Slavs, who initiated the cultivation of flax in Eastern Europe, from the Greeks. In the most ancient centers of flax culture on the territory of Central Asia (in Afghanistan and the mountainous regions of Bukhara, Khorezm and Turkmenistan), the use of flax until the beginning of the twentieth century. remained at a primitive level.

In Australia, flax cultivation spread when they began to breed different types of plants separately, depending on the purpose and how they were used - for fiber or for oil.

Flax has been cultivated in Russia since ancient times. All Slavic tribes that inhabited the eastern part of the European Plain before the formation of Kievan Rus were engaged in flax growing. In the X-XI centuries, flax was cultivated for fiber and oil in significant quantities, it was considered the most important plant, because it supplied clothes and oil, was an object of craft and trade. The peasants paid them rent and taxes, brought it into the royal treasury. Commodity flax growing in Russia arose in the 13th century, and with the formation of the Russian state, the center of flax growing shifted to Pskov, Novgorod, and then to the Suzdal lands. The flax trade occupied a prominent place both within the country and in the ties of Russia with the West. Russian princes collected taxes with flax. Yaroslav and Mikhail Tversky imposed a "box duty" duty on Novgorodians for trade in flax. Veliky Novgorod, a member of the Hanseatic League, was at that time the center of Russian foreign trade, and in particular the flax trade.

With the loss of access to the Baltic for Russia and the opening of the Northern Trade Route through the White Sea, Novgorod lost its former importance, and Arkhangelsk became the trade center of Russian flax growing.

Meanwhile, in Western Europe - Belgium, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and France - the technology of making fabrics from flax fiber has reached an incomparably higher level than in Russia. Russian linen fabrics could not withstand the competition of Dutch, Flemish and Saxon canvases, widely famous everywhere, at that time, although the latter were produced mainly from Russian linen, which had no equal in quality and cheapness.

The mechanization of flax processing was very difficult. Many countries developed and then curtailed the production of flax. Napoleon I announced a competition with a prize of one million francs for anyone who develops a process for producing fine yarn mechanically and thereby relieves France of the import of textile raw materials. The prominent scientist chemist Gay-Lussac and the mechanic F. Girard solved this problem by revolutionizing the production of linen fabrics. However, this method was invented after the fall of Napoleon.

Since this invention was associated with Napoleonic designs, it was not immediately recognized in the homeland of its authors. Girard was forced to seek an application abroad for him. At the suggestion of Alexander I, he founded in Russia, in the Vistula region, the first mechanical linen factory in Russia and in the world, from which the famous Zyrardovskaya manufactory later grew.

Machine spinning has tripled labor productivity compared to a spinning wheel. The demand for flax, especially Russian, has grown tremendously in Great Britain. Already in 1837, the import of flax from Russia to Great Britain exceeded 1.7 million poods, and the share of Russia in the total import of flax to this country reached 70%. After another 10 years, flax became the main article of Russian export, and Russia - the main supplier of it not only to Great Britain, but also to all other Western European countries with a developed flax processing industry. In domestic consumption, flax in Russia was then ranked first after bread.

Flax growing reached an even greater scope with the development of capitalism in Russia. Flax was grown over a vast territory of the country, and in large quantities not only fiber, rope, ropes, but also seeds and oil were exported abroad, receiving over 30% of all export earnings.

Several times the appearance of new, easier processed fibers (cotton, viscose and synthetic) seemed to put flax production on the brink of disaster. But the production of linen fabrics has been preserved, and the combination of flax with new fibers made it possible to ensure high consumer properties of fabrics.

A variety of natural factors within the vast cultural area has created sharply different types of flax: from tall single-stemmed fibers of the north, often reaching 125 cm in height, to dwarf bushy flax forms of mountain Abyssinia, barely rising to 25-30 cm in height; from extremely early ripening (the extreme north and high mountain regions) to extremely late forms of flax grown on the irrigated lands of Asia. The differences between them in the duration of the growing season are so great that some only bloom when others are already ripe.

There are different types of flax - spinning and oilseeds. The former are collectively called fiber, and the latter, curls. As transitional between these two main types - intermediate forms of flax, the so-called mezheumki. In total, about 300 types of flax are known, in the CIS - over 40.

Fiber flax (spinning flax) is cultivated in the fields as a spring crop, sometimes it is found (as an admixture) in other crops, as well as along the edges of roads, near dwellings. It grows mainly on sandy loam and loamy soils, in a humid and warm climate.

It is recognized that Russia is the birthplace of fiber flax. This is one of the most labor intensive crops. To isolate the fiber, the stems are subjected to primary processing - soaking or steaming, wrinkling and scutching. Linen fiber (20 -28% in the stems) is used to make fabrics, from fires (crushed stems) - sound and thermal insulation plates, which are used to decorate the cabins of buses and planes.

The sowing of fiber flax in the world is insignificant and is decreasing from year to year, but the harvest remains approximately at the same level - almost 600 thousand tons per year - due to an increase in yield. Traditionally, it is grown by a certain circle of countries (no more than 20), located mainly in central Europe - from the Urals to the Atlantic.

Curly flax (oilseed), or "stag" - a plant that is more thermophilic and less demanding on moisture than fiber flax. Oil flax seeds contain up to 52% oil, which is consumed in food. It is used (like seeds) in medicine. This oil belongs to the category of drying oils that harden in the air, therefore it (like fiber flax oil) is especially valuable for the production of drying oil, varnishes, paints and enamels. Meanwhile, it is increasingly being replaced by synthetic oils, so its production is declining.

Oilcake is a good feed for dairy cattle. Pigs are fed with linseed chaff obtained by crushing bolls. Short curly fiber (10 -15% in the stems) is suitable for the production of burlap, tarpaulin and other waterproof fabrics, oilcloths, twine. The main areas for growing curly flax in the former USSR are Kazakhstan, Western Siberia, the Volga region, the steppe zone of Ukraine.

How to crumple flax to get fabric

Linen is the very first type of fabric that people learned to make. The history of flax goes back many centuries. Scientists have never been able to establish where it was first produced. In ancient Greece, only priests had the right to wear linen clothes, and in Egypt it was the privilege of the aristocracy, and the Egyptians often used fabric as a currency.

Interesting! Egyptian weavers mastered the spinning technique, which made it possible to make such a transparent fabric that the body was visible through its five layers, and the outfit itself easily passed through a small ring.

Flax fibers are extracted from the skin of plant stems. It is difficult to extract the fibers, because they are not located in a box, like in cotton, but in the stem, while they are firmly glued to each other and the stem itself. Growers are forced to leave cut plants in the field so that the natural growth of bacteria under the influence of weather conditions accelerates the process of fiber release. Therefore, for many centuries the processing of flax has remained traditional. The chemical composition of the linen fabric: 80% cellulose, 20% impurities (fatty, coloring, mineral wax and lignin (a product of cell lignification, which makes flax fibers stiff).

Interesting! Linguists draw attention to the fact that the ancient Slavs did not call every fabric a "canvas". In all Slavic languages, this word meant only linen material.

The history of flax in Russia begins from the second millennium BC. Clothes made of linen were considered not only smart and festive, but also ritually clean. Linen was appreciated by all Russian monarchs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several linen factories worked only for the royal court. They supplied the last Romanov dynasty with their goods.

Interesting! In Russia, linen was expensive, which made it an elite material and an inaccessible fabric for the common people. It is not for nothing that it was often called the northern silk. Linen skirts and linen shirts were luxuries for poor women and men. They could not even dream of such kind of outfits. And, unfortunately, the peasants had the only way to get linen - to steal! Therefore, Prince Yaroslav introduced a special paragraph in the church charter: "On punishments for the theft of flax and linen clothes."

The whole world has long understood that environmentally friendly linen clothing is good for human health. Studies have shown that high hygiene, strength, comfort of linen products contribute to more intense blood circulation, stimulate the body and reduce its fatigue. And doctors are sure that flax helps to reduce colds. Although the history of the origin of flax is silent about the original creator of this fabric, clothing made from natural fibers has become the most popular and fashionable among our generation.

Blue, blue, lilac, sometimes pink and white flowers on long stems, evenly covering the fields - the fantastic beauty of the gentlest play of flowering flax can be seen only until noon, under the hot sun the flowers fold or crumble. Flax blooms for only a few days. But the beauty that people learned to create out of it turned out to be extremely durable, reliable and durable!

The history of flax cultivation is more than ten thousand years old. Clothes made of linen were worn by Egyptian priests, the mummies of the pharaohs were wrapped in the finest linen fabrics that have survived to this day. In the 7th century BC, the "Linen Book" of the ancient Etruscans was written on this fabric.

“How different the Thracian men were in the rule of their Fast ships, so different were their wives Were in weaving: their goddess Athena herself taught all handicrafts, revealing to them a lot of tricks ...”, - Homer sang weaving, who dressed young men in linen clothes and the virgins of the Iliad. There is a version that the very campaign of the Argonauts for the "golden fleece" was a campaign for the secret of creating the finest yarn from flax, which was worth its weight in gold.

In the future, mankind was carried away by the industrial production of artificial and synthetic fabrics - in pursuit of cheapness and speed of manufacture, missing out on the most valuable qualities of natural materials that preserve human health, and not thinking about the colossal harm to the Earth that is caused by the extraction of raw materials, their processing and disposal of such products.

Our generation is already very clear about the results of this trend. Therefore, we are again interested in the original and eternal purpose of flax - its contact with our body. Today, scientists are seriously studying flax, finding out more and more amazing properties of it.

No fabric - no wool, no silk, no cotton (not to mention artificial) can compete with linen. The advantages of linen products are determined by the peculiarities of the chemical composition and structure of flax fiber and provide excellent hygienic and consumer properties of fabrics: high hygroscopicity, easy washable, low electrification, resistance to aging (light weather), resistance to friction and repeated bending, which determine its durability (linen products are transferred by inheritance to grandchildren and great-grandchildren!).

Modern research confirms that linen fiber products also have a number of unique medico-biological properties.

ABILITY TO SUPPRESS MICROFLORA LIFE

Studies carried out in Russia have shown that pure tissue is capable of completely inhibiting the growth and reproduction of colonies of bacteria and fungi. In addition to the viability of microflora on the surface of linen fabric, the antimicrobial activity of dressings based on flax fiber was also assessed - it turned out that it was almost twice as high as that of cotton.

COMPATIBILITY WITH LIVING BIOLOGICAL OBJECTS

Biological studies on animals and extensive clinical trials (more than 700 surgical interventions, including on the heart) have shown that the purebred surgical thread, after healing of the suture, is absorbed and absorbed by the body within 2-3 months without any allergic consequences. This is especially important in intracavitary operations, since even proteinaceous surgical sutures (silk) are encapsulated and require removal after the suture has healed.

ABILITY TO STOP BLEEDING.
It was actively used at the beginning of the last century in front-line hospitals, where linen dressings were used to stop bleeding. Modern clinical trials have confirmed that linen dressings stop blood faster, do not adhere to the wound surface, and there are no festerings under them, i.e. development of microflora.

ANTI-BEDROOM EFFECT
A bedsore is an ulcerative-necrotic process that develops in weakened patients on those areas of the body that are exposed to pressure. When a pressure sore comes into contact with a linen tissue, the surface is dried, the products of necrotic decomposition are pulled back, the effort when removing the linen tissue from the surface of the bedsore is reduced - thus, the healing time of pressure sores and the appearance of fresh epithelium are halved.

FAVORABLE INFLUENCE ON THE THERMAL REGULATORY MECHANISM OF THE BODY
When working with medium severity, air humidity under a person's clothing after 10 minutes. rises to 100%, body temperature rises 1.5-3 C. At such loads, profuse sweating occurs. Air permeability and high thermal conductivity of linen materials create optimal thermal conditions for the body, cardiovascular activity (heart rate decreases by 20-40 beats per minute!) And respiration. In hot climates, people with fast walking in linen clothes lose 50-100 g of sweat in 1 hour than in cotton clothes, and the skin temperature is 3-4 ° C lower.

POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON THE STATE OF THE HUMAN MUSCULAR SYSTEM
"Muscles" are machines that convert chemical energy into mechanical work and heat. The figure shows the curves for measuring the frequency of contraction of the hand muscles of a person in linen and chemical fiber clothing. As you can see, in the first case, the state of the muscles is relaxed, and in the second, muscle fatigue is observed.

POSITIVE EFFECTS ON HUMAN IMMUNITY AND SKIN
The requirements that buyers and manufacturers have made of material for clothing until recently are well known: it must be fashionable, keep its shape, be pleasant to wear, easy to care for and, if possible, inexpensive. How harmful it is to humans, they thought about it last or not at all. But such a danger exists. And the point here is not only in the nature of the material, but also in the fact that under the influence of an unfavorable environmental situation, human immunity decreases. The results of modern research indicate a decrease in the negative environmental impact when using linen as bed linen - an increase in the content of immunoglobulin has been recorded. Currently, about 5% of the European population suffers from neurodermatitis, from 15 to 25% - from atopic skin diathesis. Patients with neurodermatitis are allergic to wool, cotton, synthetic fibers. The irritant is not only the material itself, but also the chemicals that were used in its production and decoration. And here flax turns out to be the safest material.

THE ABILITY OF ABSORBING FREE RADICALS IS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF AROMATIC NATURE LIGNIN IN LINEN FIBER
It is known that free radicals are usually formed as a result of exposure to ionizing radiation and cause premature aging and neoplastic diseases. The use of lignin-containing materials in the home to protect against ultraviolet radiation (especially in areas of ozone holes) contributes to the preservation of human health.

ABSORPTION OF SOFT IONIZING RADIATION
A completely unique property of textile linen-containing materials. It is due to the presence of a lignin-carbohydrate complex (2.5-5.5%) in flax fiber and impurities of rare metal salts. As studies in this direction have shown, a cloth made of coarse linen fiber is capable of weakening the intensity of weak ionizing radiation by 10-15%, and after special treatments, it can almost completely suppress electromagnetic radiation. The reduction in static electricity has been verified by tests at the Russian Antarctic Station Vostok. When using linen fabrics in the interior, a decrease in the potential of static electricity by 3-4 times was recorded.

These are the unique properties of flax. We have listed only a part of them, but that's enough to look at your wardrobe and fabric economy. Now this is happening, the world is experiencing another flax boom, its popularity, despite the fact that flax is not cheap - it is quite difficult to grow and process it - is growing rapidly. And among the people there is a belief - if a person is tired, they need to put on linen and clothes made of linen, and strength will be restored, the mood will improve. Let's try !?

Flax in Russia has long been considered the subject of national craft and trade. Along with furs, honey, wax, products made from it were sold at the auction, sold abroad. The first linen products appeared on the territory of the Volga region, and then spread everywhere. Flax is cultivated in the Leningrad, Ivanovo, Kirov, Vologda and other regions of Russia, including Udmurtia. Flax is an ancient, noble and beautiful culture. During flowering, a gentle blue blue develops across the field.

In Russia, two main varieties are grown - fiber flax and curl. In Udmurtia, more preference is given to spinning fiber flax. In 2007, Udmurtia became the leader in Russia in terms of flax sowing areas. The flax harvester simultaneously pulls the flax and separates its heads, and then spreads the straw itself. The seeds ripen in the inflorescences, which are widely used for various needs. In the historical chronicles of 1849, it is mentioned that "Vyatsky flax" was considered one of the best in Russia. Vyatka flax fiber, seeds and canvas, were sold to different provinces and cities of Russia

Flax seeds are used to make the most valuable linseed oil. They are used to produce high-quality drying oils and varnishes. Fibers for the manufacture of fabrics are obtained from the stem of a plant, such fibers are called bast fibers. The length of the stem reaches cm.

Various types of clothing are made from linen fabrics. Linen fabrics are strongly wrinkled, but this factor is not a disadvantage, since wrinkled linen products are a fashionable attribute today. Linen fabrics are strongly wrinkled, but this factor is not a disadvantage, since wrinkled linen products are a fashionable attribute today.

Under the motto "Linen Rhapsody" in 2009, a collection of clothing models made by students of the group of garment workers PU 12 took part in the XVII International Competition of Designers and Fashion Designers "Textile Salon" with the participation of M. Razina's model agency "Business Woman Club" artist of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation Academician Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev.

Laboratory and practical work If the sail turns white over a silvery wave, If a girl in a cambric dress, If the ship's tackle does not break in a storm, This is flax, these are our gifts to you for good luck. If airplanes are rushing like an arrow in the sky, If you see a tablecloth of the finest work, If there are delicious sweets in the hostess's house: This is flax, these are our gifts for your happiness.

Choose the correct answer 1) To obtain linen fabrics use fibers: 1) To obtain linen fabrics use fibers: a) animal origin a) animal origin b) vegetable origin. b) vegetable origin. 2) For the production of linen fabric use: 2) For the production of linen fabric use: a) stem, a) stem, b) fruit, b) fruit, c) root. c) root. 3) Which of the following qualities does linen not have? 3) Which of the following qualities does linen not have? a) absorbs moisture well a) absorbs moisture well b) retains heat well b) retains heat well c) holds its shape well c) keeps its shape well d) moisture evaporates quickly from the fabric d) moisture quickly evaporates from the fabric e) resists decay e) resists decay f) durable f) durable g) cool g) cool h) little crushing h) little crushing 4) Oil, drying oil, varnishes are made from: 4) Oil, drying oil, varnishes are made from: a) stem, a) stem, b) seed part, b) seed part, c) root part. c) the root part. 5) In primary processing, for what purpose is linseed straw first wetted, and then dried and crumpled? 5) In primary processing, for what purpose is linseed straw first wetted, and then dried and crumpled? a) so that the color changes a) so that the color changes b) so that the adhesive substances collapse b) so that the adhesive substances collapse c) so that the fiber is better separated from the wood. c) so that the fiber is better separated from the wood .. Why are flax fibers called bast, and not seed ?. Why are flax fibers called bast fibers, and not seed? 7. What properties does linen fabric have, if it is recommended to make tablecloths, towels, napkins from it to a greater extent. Linen fabric washes well and keeps its shape, absorbs moisture. 7. What properties does linen fabric have, if it is recommended to make tablecloths, towels, napkins from it to a greater extent. Linen fabric washes well and keeps its shape, absorbs moisture. 8. Is it considered the homeland of flax? India 8. Is it considered the homeland of flax? India 9. In which regions of Russia is flax grown? Leningrad, Kirov, Vologda, Udmurtia, etc., 9. In which regions of Russia is flax grown? Leningrad, Kirov, Vologda, Udmurtia, etc.,

Linen has a very rich and ancient history, and linen is considered the oldest! It's not a secret for anybody what are the healthiest and at the same time the most wearable ones? From time immemorial, flax has been one of the most beloved cultures in Russia. With regard to the climate, it is unpretentious and only needs a long day of light, and our latitudes are fully provided for it.

Even at the time of the emergence of Russia, flax was cultivated in the Pskov region, and later - in Novgorod, Suzdal, Vologda and surrounding lands. But already in the middle of the last century, it was bred almost everywhere in the country, and linen exports firmly occupied the first place in the list of exported goods. And this despite the fact that half of the flax grown was settled in the village: for centuries peasants made homespun clothes from it.
In Russia, flax earned a reverent attitude towards itself and was considered a pure, healing and mysterious material.
Folk omens associated with flax have also survived: if a grain of flax is put in a shoe, the shoes will last much longer, and if a few flax seeds are sewn into clothes, they will protect from damage and the evil eye.

In Russia, newlyweds were laid on linen, newborns were taken in linen, and the wounds of warriors were tied up with linen bandages for a speedy recovery.

The "Seven Virgins" holiday was even dedicated to the sowing of flax, the people say
whether "they sow flax at the seven Alyon."
The people said:

Dew from Fedor - to the harvest of flax and hemp.
Rowan blossoms well - to the flax harvest.
Long droplets - long flax.

The cuckoo has baked - it's time to sow flax.
All work in the field was also regulated and furnished with rituals.
In pagan times, there was a custom: when sowing flax, women would strip naked so that the flax, looking at them, would take pity on them and be better born. True, after the introduction of Christianity, this was no longer encouraged. At Ivan Kupala's holiday, the girls, throwing a branch into the fire, said: "Let my flax be as tall as this branch!"

With the strengthening of Christianity in Kievan Rus, the cultivation of culture practically enters a new stage. The chronicler Nestor in his "Tale of Bygone Years" tells in detail not only about the cultivation of flax and the production of fabrics, but also about the receipt and use of oil by the Pechora monks. The healers - as the Slavs called their healers - actively used flaxseed oil for the treatment of various diseases.
Flax growing and linen clothes are so widespread in Russia that an article on punishments for theft of flax and linen clothes was included in the judicial codes of Yaroslav the Wise. Often, the family's income depended on the harvest of this agricultural crop, so it was not in vain that they said: "You sow flax, you reap gold." There was also another expression, just as short and figurative: "If flax will succeed, then silk will fail, so click."
If in pagan times the peoples living in the northwestern regions had their own gods and goddesses who patronized flax growing, then with the introduction of Christianity, only one goddess remained - Saint Parascovia. It was to her at the end of the flax harvest - October 28 - that the holiday was dedicated. The patroness of flax growing was called differently: grubby (because October is the month of rains and mud), but more often affectionately - flax. On the day of Parascovia the linen, it was customary to crush flax and bring it to church. The famous bland lace was created from linen threads. Girls flaunted them on holidays, demonstrating their skills, and guys, looking at the products, could choose a bride. It was believed that in lean years, a lace maker would be able to feed the family and save from hunger.

Years go by, times and morals change, but the unique and useful properties of flax remain unchanged.
We like to preserve and develop the linseed culture today and use all the unique properties of this noble material.