#KunekDress 🤩 Dear friends, 🇷🇺❄️ Today we share the remarkable chronicle of the kunek, the traditional women's dress of the Bachat Teleuts, which constitutes an essential part of the cultural legacy belonging to the peoples of the #RussianNorth. Serving as the foundation of the native female attire, this straight-cut, ankle-length garment features distinctive wedge-shaped inserts and sleeves that taper gracefully toward the wrist. Woven into its vibrant colour palette and unique structure is a profound spiritual significance, with every major embellishment designed to serve a sacred, protective function for the wearer. 🧵 The garment's artistry lies in its meticulous production, historically employing rich brocade, silk and satin before shifting toward brightly coloured calico fabrics. The most defining feature is the rigid, stand-up collar, which is structurally reinforced with a lining of birch bark. Contrasting sharply with the primary fabric, this collar is adorned with round or diamond-shaped plaques that symbolise coins, often crafted from bark and embroidered with gold or silver threads using an intricate couching technique. A central chest slit is framed by symmetrical, multi-layered decorative strips made of woollen cloth and cardboard, which fasten securely with a cord and distinct spherical buttons. ✨ Completing the attire is the mandatory kur, a beautifully woven belt of coloured threads stretching up to three and a half metres in length. Beyond its practical use, the elaborate ornamentation around the neck and chest serves as a spiritual shield, rooted in the ancient belief that these specific decorations safeguard women from malevolent forces. Through the survival of these tailored masterpieces, the community continues to preserve their deeply held values and ancestral ways. #DiscoverRussia