Saukele by craftswoman from Astana in demand abroad | Silk way TV | Qazaqstan

The modern saukele, a Kazakh national wedding headdress, combines luxury and elegance. For centuries, it has served as a symbol of a girl’s transition from carefree youth to family life. Not all masters know the art of saukele sewing for which all details are important - from the mood of the needlewoman to her artistic skills. At the same time, it is important not to forget traditional beliefs which claim that the more richly decorated the headdress is, the happier and luckier the bride will be. Valentina Skiruk, a craftswoman from Astana, manages to consider all those peculiarities in her works. Her saukeles made in collaboration with the famous designer Anastassiya Romanova have been pleasing brides for many years. In general, Valentina has sewn over 200 pieces of headdresses.
“This is an ethnic saukele, which girls used to wear in past times. It has been slightly changed in accordance with modern realities. The zhaktau (long pendants attached to the saukele from the sides) used to be exactly like that. Now they have become more open, elegant, interesting and unique. In the past, the zhaktau was made in this way, and then it was decorated with turquoise, gold and silver coins. It was more expensive than the saukele. In general, the decoration depended on the bride’s financial status,” Skiruk said.
Valentina takes up to four days to make a saukele. A whole day is spent to make the shape, but the most delicate part of the work is decorating. To date, there is an increasing number of modern brides choosing ethnic clothes for the wedding, the needlewoman says.
“Probably 90 percent of brides choose Kazakh traditional wedding dress. Girls abroad who marry Kazakh men wear saukele, thus paying tribute to the traditions of the groom and his relatives. We have recently had a client from England. When she tried on a national wedding outfit, she was delighted, saying she looked like a Kazakh queen,” Skiruk added.
Valentina dreams of opening the House of Saukele in Astana so that more brides feel involved in the unique traditions of the Kazakh people.

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