Author:
Evelina Buchele, Jana Bahmane, Lolita Muižniece
Social practices, rituals and festive events
Traditional craft skills
Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
Name
Puzzles and their handling in Jelgava
Puzuri
Cats, cysts, helicopters, crises, crises, flaps, blasts, buzzers.
Puzuri is the most popular name of decorative creations. Other names sometimes represent a particular type of puzzle with a specific constructive solution.
Puzuri, blazers – occur throughout Latvia. A puzzle consists of several combined shapes based on the shape of four, six or eight-corner crystals. Each crystal is formed by the opening of the cane or straw, by hanging bouquets from coloured veins, feathers, shavings, egg shell (blow eggs).
The sun, the swirl, the buzzle, the ball, the bladder, the simplest puzzle, the middle of which consists of a potato, a turnip, or another round-shaped garden. Vidzeme used to smash the straw with the beans at the ends, the scales pinned in Kurzeme, the caves of goose feathers.
Lamp: lamps Saver after the lamp is prepared. The flashlight reflects the world as a continuous wave of crystalline grids. Latgale was prepared from painted canes and paper bouquets. In the wedding, the candles burned in such a lamp.
They are made up of plaited straw plates attached to each other. The first plate is the largest, each next plate at another level is smaller than the previous one until the latter is quite tiny.
Geography
Jelgava
The preparation of puzzles is an individual work, but it is important that the preservation work involves not only those who do so, but also all the stakeholders who are important to convey this unique cultural heritage to future generations. However, the leaders and participants of the People's Applied Art Studies, the Latvian Habitats and the Co-ordinators, are principally engaged with the puzura business.
The puzurus is made by participants from the People's applied art studios: “Darddze” (Jelgava), “rezeda” (Riga), “Course” (Liepaja), “Bauska” (Bauska), “Durbe” (Tukums), “Source” (Dobele), “kamene” (Riga), “Vīkale” (Ventspils).
A significant contribution to the research has been given by the artist and designer, the semiotic researcher Valdis strain, but in the puzzle business, the People's beauty mastery, the jelgwriter dawn feather, who is one of the most active and experience-rich puzzles in Latvia.
Art school teachers who provide knowledge of puzura (such as the Talsi Art School) are also involved in the puzzle business.
Importance in Community Life
Nowadays, the puzzles, mostly known as Christmas decorations, were originally prepared from autumn to spring and also used in many other honours (wedding, baptism, funeral). They helped to survive both the dark seasons and the rooms, because there was no other decoration. Today, the situation has changed and the offer of room decorations is very wide ranging from coloured plastic bombs, burning lamps to shiny and visualizing serpentins. In spite of the big choice, today we also have people who want to rotate rooms with their own ornaments, whose raw material is derived from natural devils. When preparing a puzzle, the thoughts of the artist itself are arranged, imagination is radicated, as the peculiar geometric shape of the puzzles can be interpreted and intellectually. Every puzzle has his own view and his own purpose, why he makes it. Every generation redetects the long-known, interpret it, inserts its own experience, creating its own times, its world understanding, so the shape of the puzzles is so diverse. They tend to make very painful and complex puzzles, but the preparation of simple puzzles is also in the hands of children.
The mere preparation of the puzzles, as the feathers of the dawn emphasizes, includes not only the skills of the business but also the knowledge (such as the understanding of the geometric relationships) and the customs related to nature and the universe (knowledge of the collection, preparation of the puzzle). Building further features such as patience, precision, imagination. In children, it favours motorics, attention, mathematics. If the business itself can serve as a mind sharpening and a sort of meditation, the result of the work itself is surprising.
Activities and Functions
Traditional puzurus are made from cane, rye, oats, barley straw. The process of manufacture, working with different materials, is identical. The most difficult and most labour-intensive puzzle is the supply of materials. Raw materials are harvested at the end of the summer, at the beginning of the autumn. One of the most appropriate is the straw of cereals. The straw is cut as low as possible to get more material. The cultivated cereals do not belong to the puzzles because the straw is broken. The straw is tied and dried. If they are immediately cut into pieces, the steps in the ends will be shaken. The dried straw is cleaned from the curved leaves before use. Some puzzles are cutting dry straw, others in sauce. If you want a particularly bright puzzle, the straw is dipped in a bowl of water (10 l water dissolves approximately teaspoon citric acid) for a day or a day. The straw is then removed from the length of the required length (at least 12 straws are required for each size). When you cut wet straw, the ends are not cracked. The finished stage is rapidly dried and then the puzzle is made. A long needle, wool or Lin thread, scissors, coloured yarn, dry flowers, feathers, etc. are required to prepare the puzzles. The straw is opened on the thread in shape. The base can be a rectangle or triangle, then open the straw and form the desired shape. In the corners of the puzura it is possible to pinch the smudge bouquets, the dry flowers, the ornaments from the coloured yarn. The puzzles hang in a long thread so that there is enough room for the puzzle to turn.
Beliefs, rituals, unwritten rules
12
Inheritance and Transmission
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History
1.2. “Swedbank” as a gift for Jelgava Spidola for State Gymnasia (2019. Part of the large puzzle is displayed in the school premises, but most of the targeted material is in a study in the study where pupils themselves can learn the spinning skills of the puzzle);
1.3. Feathers of dawn on the international Christmas tradition in THE US Georgian town of Atlanta (end of 2020);
1.4. Exhibition “festival ornaments — puzuri” in the Limbaži Museum (December 2020);
1.5. Big format puzura exhibition “Puzurs – world model and universe symbol” in Turaida museum reserve (December 2020).
Additional Information
2. Transfer:
Master Singers
2.1. In collaboration with “Swedbank” video - “Making a puzzle mastery”;
2.2. Regular participation of dawn feathers in various masterworkshops throughout Latvia;
2.3. Puzura workshop in the National Library of Latvia (December 2019);
2.4. International puzzle and straw art festival event - puzura business seminar “signs and sound” and exhibition “puzzles and puzuri” in Jelgava Culture House (summer of 2020).
The exhibition “puzzles and puzuri” in Jelgava, which had been seen in the cultural house for a half years, gathered around 3000 different generations. This project was proof of what the People's applied art, skill-handed, could be contemporary and today's man. The project organisers received much positive feedback on the extensive and diverse exposure. On the other hand, the puzzle workshops were visited by stakeholders from all three Baltic States, including both the masters and other stakeholders, whose everyday life is not related to the People's applied art. The interest in both measures was great. Similarly, the other activities mentioned above have raised the tradition of puzzles, confirming that the puzurus is still topical and can be successfully integrated into today's life and work spaces.
A successful collaboration between the Jelgava municipal authority “culture” and the Latvian National Cultural Centre has been successful in the preservation and development of the puzzle tradition. The “zīmes and sound” of the project “Puzuru seminar” “the total costs of the Latvian national cultural centre, the“ culture ”of the municipality of Jelgava and the financing of Zemgale cultural programme amounted to 9181.52 euros.
Institutions and Organizations
In drawing up this application for the list of elements of intangible cultural heritage, the institution “culture” had the opportunity to become acquainted with the Latvian National History Museum Storage and the Latvian National Institute of Latvia's Latvian History Institute. In turn, the most important traditions and ambassadors are the people of the People's Office, where we particularly want to highlight the feathers of the people, whose promotion of this ancient skill and tradition has covered not only Latvia but also beyond its borders.
Preparation of the application for puzura in the list of elements of intangible cultural heritage is one of the most important steps in maintaining this skills and ensuring sustainable development. Similarly, an international puzzle and straw art festival is planned in Jelgava, which will be the most ambitious event dedicated to the puzzle business in Latvia, which will gather masters from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, becoming a platform for cooperation and creation, as well as a place where every lead will be able to know the diversity and philosophy of this intangible cultural heritage. The work of workshops and masters is planned to be memorised in photo and video materials, placing them in the “culture” website and social networks of the institution with the aim of educating stakeholders about the tradition of puzzling in the Baltic States and offering a digital tool for the acquisition of puzzles.
The various masterworkshops and seminars on the decoration of puzzles and other traditional premises are planned to continue, with particular emphasis on the transfer of knowledge and skills as well as transforming them into a contemporary format. It is essential to preserve the ideology of these traditions, but to find a modern interpretation of what a modern man can associate with.
Most important activities planned:
Strengthening the Tradition
1. In Jelgava (September 2021), the Latvian National Cultural Centre is organized by the Latvian National Cultural Centre in cooperation with the Jelgava State Institution “Culture”.
2. International puzzle and straw art festival in Jelgava (planned in 2022, organized by Latvian National Cultural Centre in cooperation with the Jelgava municipal authority “culture”);
3. Demonstration of the video material “as a top puzura” for visitors of Zemgale restoration centre;
4. In the framework of the event-cycle “anniversary” of the activities of the puzura business workshops in Jelgava, the old city street 2, the life news and the trade area (the second half of 2022).
The objectives of the above-mentioned activities and initiatives are to promote the sustainability of the tradition of puzzling: its preservation and development by adapting to a contemporary format but without losing the authentic message.
Currently, the skill of puzura is mainly maintained with the initiative and financial support of various institutions and members of the People's applied art studies. However, a common strategy for development and protection of the element would be necessary. If you do not regularly organize masters, workshops, created exhibitions where you can see puzzles, you might be threatened with further inheritance of this tradition. It is important to convey not only puzzle-making skills but also a deeper understanding of their symbolic significance. If this is not done, the puzzle will only be an interesting decorative ornament without deeper meaning and understanding. Therefore, the masters and handlers of these puzzles, who provide stakeholders with their knowledge of the ornament of the room in various seminars, workshops, thematic events, are a major role. As the generations change, the transfer of traditions to families is endangered, as time has become more dynamic, the style of life has changed, thus more often families meet together, evening, joint activities (including the transfer of traditional skills). The family is the place where the awareness of personality is formed, which further develops belonging to the People's traditions.
Municipality of Jelgava Municipality “Culture”, tail No. 90001282471
A puzzle.
Karku civil parish, “Priednieki”, Krišberga Ella (b. 1897). Photo was taken in 1958, from THE LU Latvian History Institute's ethnographic material storage funds.
A kid. In 1867 and in 2020.
Photo Collage: Evelina Buchele, place: Latvian National History Museum Krajums, 2021 and Jelgava Cultural House, 2020.
Preparation of materials.
Photo: Dagnia Jakobsone, Jelgava, 2016.
Puzura workshop in the National Library of Latvia.
Photo: Dagnia Jakobsone, Riga, 2019.
Continuity/Development
The creative workshop at Jelgava City festival in 2015 at Valdekas Palace.
Photo: Sanita Berzins, Jelgava, 2015.
A book about Latvia builders from the Japanese guests at the dawn feathers where the puzura is being made. One of the sections of the book reflected the skill of these positions.
Photo: Dagnia Jakobsone, Jelgava, 2019.
The exhibition “puzzles and puzuri” in the Jelgava Culture House in 2020.
Photo: Jelgava City Municipal Archives, 2020.
The exhibition “puzzles and puzuri” in the Jelgava Culture House in 2020.
Photo: Jelgava municipality archive, Jelgava, 2020.
Threats to the Tradition
The exhibition “puzzles and puzuri” in the Jelgava Culture House in 2020.
Applicant
Photo: Jelgava municipality archive, Jelgava, 2020.
Gallery
Video Material
Text Resources
Publications
Annex 1
Annex No 2
Talsi television video
Websites
Central daugava television video Swedbank Latvia Video
The Central Danube television video “Turku parish people do traditional Christmas decorations – puzurus”. - type of puzzles, meaning. Puzzle-making and decoration.
Swedbank Latvia video video “Puzura Building Masters”. - a puzzle guide.