Why did they hang carpets on walls in the USSR?

Representatives of the older generation remember well the times when a carpet on the wall was a mandatory element of the interior of a Soviet home. Then the opinions of those around him changed, and he began to be perceived as a relic of the past and in bad taste. But designers are constantly looking for new solutions, and it is possible that these textile products will once again take their crowning place in the interior of modern apartments.

What a tradition

The tradition of hanging a carpet on a wall in the USSR migrated from Tsarist Russia. In the 18th-19th centuries, wealthy rich people and landowners could afford the luxury of a Turkish or Persian carpet, borrowing this custom from the East. It was especially chic to hang two Janissary sabers crosswise on top of the carpet. This was status and indicated the wealth of the owner of the home.

For a long time, Armenians used carpets exclusively to decorate walls, but in no case for floors. The rugs were completely different. Apparently, the carpet on the wall played the role of a talisman in the house.

A carpet dating back to the 5th century was found in the Altai Mountains. BC e. Steppe nomads used them to insulate not only the walls, but also the doors and half of the yurt.

Of course, unpretentious Soviet people could not afford expensive Persian products, but they still managed to get domestically produced carpets, having saved up some money and waited in a long line at the end of the month.

Why did they hang carpets on walls in the USSR?

Carpet, like many other things in the Soviet Union, was in short supply. Having obtained a textile product through connections or by appointment in a store, the owners of the apartment were unusually proud of their purchase, and, naturally, they wanted their guests to share their pride, so they hung the expensive item in the room in the most visible place.

But besides the envy of loved ones and acquaintances, the carpet also served practical functions. By hanging it on the wall, the family was killing several birds with one stone. Firstly, I saved on wallpaper, which was no less scarce at that time. After all, there was no need to glue them under the carpet. Old torn and faded wallpaper also could not be re-glued, but simply covered with a carpet.

If wallpaper for the walls could not be obtained, it was whitewashed, and this whitewash was used on hands and clothes. In this case, the carpet played the role of protection against whitewashing.

Now the builders are leveling the walls until they are perfectly smooth. And at that time it was necessary to complete the 5-year plan ahead of schedule, so they quickly sculpted houses, the walls and ceilings of which were horribly crooked. And just the carpet on one wall and the furniture wall on the other were designed to hide the flaws of the crooked builders.

Secondly, Khrushchev apartment buildings, which grew like mushrooms in the 70s and 80s of the last century, had very poor sound insulation, so the carpet on the wall shared with the neighbors slightly muffled the sounds of life from the neighboring apartment. Although the voices were audible, thanks to the carpet it was no longer possible to make out the words.

Thirdly, the carpet, hung on the wall in the bedroom near the bed, warmed her and allowed her to lean against the wall in the off-season, until the heating was turned on, and in the harsh cold winter it was useful.

What kind of carpets hung on the walls

It was extremely difficult to get a pile carpet in those not-so-distant times, so most had to be content with thin rugs with pictures of deer, swans or landscapes.

They were produced in all Soviet republics, but products from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia were most valued. And if someone was lucky enough to purchase a Turkish, Belgian or German carpet, it was extremely prestigious. Only the families of the highest echelon communists could dream of Persian, and not ordinary workers, peasants and the intelligentsia, who at that time were generally assigned the role of a stratum of society. And they cost an order of magnitude higher.

Why is this rare now?

To purchase a carpet in the USSR, you had to save money from your salary for a year. And if such a gift was presented by one of the guests at the wedding, then the joy of the newlyweds knew no bounds. Naturally, such an expensive item was hung in the most visible place, each time remembering the donor with warmth.

Only in the mid-90s did carpets go on sale for free, and the excitement somehow immediately died down. It was no longer possible to show off a carpet, and the fashion of hanging it on the wall gradually faded away.

Today, textiles on the wall can only be seen in the home of some 90-year-old grandmother, who is still nostalgic for the USSR, or rather, for her youth that is gone forever.

Can tradition come back into fashion?

Young people, spoiled by the abundance of essential goods in retail outlets, make fun of the old generation. They say they saved on groceries in order to buy a carpet at exorbitant prices, and now they are also shaking over an old faded rag, which attracts dust like a magnet.

But you shouldn’t be so categorical, because fashion is a fickle lady.And what seems ridiculous today may very well be the last word tomorrow. All it takes is for some famous model to arrange a half-naked photo shoot against the backdrop of fancy woolen patterns, and voila – carpets are once again rehabilitated and are hanging on walls everywhere. And the abundance of colors and patterns will add a special zest to any interior.

A bright spot of natural carpet fabric against the background of plain walls will immediately attract the attention of the person entering the room. And if you add small details to match the color of the carpet, you will get a room with exclusive decor.