Let’s start from the beginning. My mother was raised during World War 2 in an orphanage with her three elder brothers.
Poverty, hunger, and illness were a constant part of her life. She once said that during her five years of schooling, she only had one pair of shoes. Given her experiences, it’s no surprise that she cried when I was born in 1967. She believed that being born as a female would be a disadvantage in her country (Georgian SSR).
Little did she know that the level of equality in our society today would have been absolutely different then it was back in 1967 Soviet Union.
I was born in the Republic of Georgia (in Europe), but at the time, Georgia was still within the borders of the USSR.
I don’t like to dwell on this topic, but if I’m to introduce you to Kravelli and the first spindle I saw, I must also briefly mention the USSR.
I understand that there may be someone who has no idea what the Soviet Union was, but I believe those individuals will not be reading this blog anyway.
For those who have been following my journey in spreading the yarn-spinning culture, I know you have mixed feelings and knowledge about the USSR. The Soviet Union was often referred to as a “voluntary union of various nations,” but in reality, it was a collection of nations occupied by the Russian armed forces through blood and tears.
Truth has a strange quality; when everyone agrees that black is white, white becomes black and only a few can see its true color. This was the Soviet Union: a lie created by Kremlin propagandists and believed to be true by the masses.
Nowadays, when I watch or read the news, I often find myself unable to hold back my frustration, especially when I read about Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In contrast, during the USSR, there was no such thing as “bad news.” At least, we were not aware of it. News programs only broadcasted the successes of Soviet workers, culture, and sports, hiding all information about exiled people, protests, corruption, lack of human rights, and women’s rights, as well as the collective terror of children in Soviet schools and the absence of a free judiciary system, among other things.
All these issues resulted in a need for civil society in all Soviet republics except the Russian Federation, which was content with the status quo.
However, every coin has two sides. In the next chapter of this blog, I will explore the other side of this story, which I will call the “nonsense.” But until then…“
Part 1: The beginning:
One year after working on Kravelli, I realized that I am a writer and decided to create a blog that will grow alongside Kravelli and its yarn-spinning spindles. I must warn you, English is not my first language so you may find some mistakes as you read along.