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Valenki (; sg
Singular

Singular may refer to:* A grammatical number denoting a unit quantity * SINGULAR, a computer algebra system* gravitational singularity* technological singularity...
 valenok ) are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boot
Boot

A boot is a type of shoe that covers at least the foot and the ankle and sometimes extends up to the knee or even the hip. Most have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s. Its very name, valenki literally means, "made by felt
Felt

Felt is a non-weave cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials....
ing". Valenki are made of wool
Wool

Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells, called follicles, of animals in the Caprinae family, principally domestic sheep, but the hair of certain species of other Mammalia such as cashmere goat, llamas, rabbits and keeshonds may also be called wool....
 felt. They are not water-resistant, therefore they are often worn with galoshes
Galoshes

Galoshes , also known as gumshoes, dickersons, or overshoes, are a type of rubber boot that is slipped over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet....
 to protect the felt.






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Valenki
Valenki (; sg
Singular

Singular may refer to:* A grammatical number denoting a unit quantity * SINGULAR, a computer algebra system* gravitational singularity* technological singularity...
 valenok ) are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boot
Boot

A boot is a type of shoe that covers at least the foot and the ankle and sometimes extends up to the knee or even the hip. Most have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s. Its very name, valenki literally means, "made by felt
Felt

Felt is a non-weave cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials....
ing". Valenki are made of wool
Wool

Wool is the fiber derived from the specialized skin cells, called follicles, of animals in the Caprinae family, principally domestic sheep, but the hair of certain species of other Mammalia such as cashmere goat, llamas, rabbits and keeshonds may also be called wool....
 felt. They are not water-resistant, therefore they are often worn with galoshes
Galoshes

Galoshes , also known as gumshoes, dickersons, or overshoes, are a type of rubber boot that is slipped over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet....
 to protect the felt. Galoshes also protect the valenki soles from wear and tear. As such, valenki were the footwear of choice for many Russians. Since the second half of the 20th century, valenki have lost most of their appeal in cities, due to their association with rustic style of dress. In the 20th century, an improvement in technology allowed manufacturers to vulcanize rubber overshoe-style protection right onto valenki to provide better water and piercing protection while retaining the advantages of the felt.

In many Russian towns, like Myshkin
Myshkin

Myshkin is a types of inhabited localities in Russia in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, located on the steep left bank of Volga River. Population: 6,076 ; 6,340 ....
, valenki are an important craft worthy of display in a museum.

See also

  • Telogreika
    Telogreika

    Telogreika is the name of a type of winter uniform first issued by the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War. Telogreikas continued to be issued until the late 1960's....
  • Ushanka
    Ushanka

    An ushanka is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears from the cold....
  • Afghanka
    Afghanka

    Afghanka is the name of a type of field uniform developed and issued by the Soviet Army in the early 1980s. The uniform is still in use today in many different variants....


Sources

  • Stalin's War: Soviet Uniforms and Militaria 1941-45 by Laszlo Bekesi
  • The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War, 1941-45 by Stephen J Zaloga
  • One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
    One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

    One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is a novel written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, first published in November 1962 in the Soviet Union literary magazine Novy Mir ....
     by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was a Russians novelist, dramatist and historian. Through his writings, he made the world aware of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labour camp system, and for these efforts Solzhenitsyn was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1974....