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Cultural monuments/ethnography


Folk Costumes

   Concerning the Vidzeme complex of costumes, we can distinguish 6 local areas - Northern Vidzeme, Piebalga, Western Vidzeme, Lielvārde, Krustpils and Eastern Vidzeme.
   In Northern Vidzeme - territories of the Valmiera, Valka, Gulbene districts - the common traditions of woman folk costumes became apparent in making crowns, wearing cardigans, plaids, hair - string, binding belts.
   The Gulbene district is situated in the north - east of Latvia. Our neighbouring districts are those of Alūksne, Valka, Cēsis, Madona in Vidzeme, and Balvu in Latgale. We are called to be the citizens of Vidzeme Maliena, though three villages of the district - Lizums, Ranka, Druviena - belong to the etnographic area of Piebalga.

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Women Folk Costumes

   Chemises. Chemises were sewed from a thin, bleached, woven linen. They are cut out according to tunic form chemise type, with epaulettes. In Gulbene, we come across two types of chemises: the oldest one - with a steep collar - and the youngest one - with cuffs and an unbendable collar. Chemises were decorated with hem stiches. Collars and outer edges were trimmed with little knots, balls or rhombs. Chemises were pinned together with silver brooches.
   Skirts. In the Gulbene district, skirts were woven striped and checked. Checked skirts mostly were red and black, also red and grey. In the second half of the 19th century, women prefered a striped skirt. It was woven of woolen or wool - mixture material. It was sewed of a 2 - 5 metres long piece of material. One edge of it was gathered and was added by a belt of the same material. The length of a skirt was as long as ankles.
   Belts. The women of Gulbene wove figured, flowered, striped belts. They were tied up around the waist by gathering about herself twice and using a simple knot.
   Cardigans. A cardigan was sewed of the same material as a skirt. Sometimes a one - colour wool material was used. Women wore sleeveless bodices, which were of the same cut as cardigans. A neck cut was quadrangle.
   Head - dresses. Girls wore 4 - 10 centimetres wide soft crowns of red or black cloth. They were embroidered with coloured glass beads, white or black glass straws. Women wore a tower like hat with a tulle lace on its brim. A hat was sewed from a thin, white linen. The material used for sewing was 30 centimetres wide and 48 - 50 centimetres long. It was folded up in two parts. Two parts of the same brim were sewed together with a flat seam. Hats were also decorated with lace.
   Plaids. The 11th century Galgauska plaids and the 12th century Stāmeriena plaids were considered to be the most luxuriant. They were decorated by metal rings with a peculiar ornament of crosses and roofs. In the 19th century, this ornament was used only for belts. For festivities rectangular plaids with fringes were used. Most often, plaids were white. There were also figured, one - colour plaids with colourful stripes along the four brims. The most ancient plaids were rectangular, with warp fringes. Those of more recent times were square, with fringes. Brooches were not used for plaids. Linen covers with fringes and figured shawls were also worn.
   Socks and Footwear. In winter, women wore white and grey woolen socks, in summer - linen or cotton socks. More luxuriant socks are decorated with various colourful ornaments. Women wore black, smooth shoes with low heels and wide toe-caps. Pastalas were also widely spread.
   Aprons. In the middle of the 19th century, the wearing of an apron as a full dress, was not obligatory. It was mostly worn by affluent mistresses and maids. Aprons usually had belts of white or striped linen or cotton.

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Man Folk Costumes

Vīriešu tautastērps   The man folk costume of the Gulbene district belongs to the Vidzeme folk costume type and includes the clothes spread in the whole territory of Latvia: a shirt, trousers, coat (short, half-long, long), fur coat, socks, boats, shoes, belt, hat, tie, mittens.
   Shirts. Comparing the cut of chemises and the cut of shirts, there is no great difference. We can find the same
epaulettes, unbendable collar and narrow cuffs. The difference lies in the fact that shirts were always sewed of similar material, and they were not so long as chemises. They were sewed of a qualitative, rather rough linen, without decoration. Only for full dress, some additional embroidery was done.
   Trousers. Trousers were sewed of the same material as coats - one - coloured, checked or striped material was used.
In summer, at work men wore linen trousers of white or blue colour. Legs of trousers were rather narrow, without creases. They were as long as ankles.
   Coats. Coats were of three kinds: short, half - long, long. The only difference was in trimming. For full dress, long coats were used. They were sewed of a light grey material. It had light green cuffs with red ornaments.
   Fur Coats. Fur coats had big collars and a widened lower edge. They were girded with woven belts.
   Belts. Usually belts were woven striped.
   Hats. Hats were black, with rather high bottoms, straight or with turned up brims. In summer, men wore hats which were plaited of straws, but in winter - sheepskin or hare - skin hats.
   Footwear. The most widely spread footwear was pastalas. They were of every day usage. In the 18th century, they also belonged to full dress. In the middle of the 19th century, boats were used for full dress. In Gulbene, yellow top-boots were also worn.

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