Valenki
Valenki are said to exist for almost two thousand years.
(But we think for two and a half. Couldn’t be less.)
They say that Peter the Great advised "to put valenki on bare feet and swallow a bowl of hot cabbage soup if one suffers from a headache in the morning because of hangover."They say that Slavic used to put on valenki even under crinolines with gorgeous attire.They say that valenki are good even in the summer time!People talk a lot about valenki. And only the most good - not a bad word pronounced!Valenki are sung in songs, and composed in couplets, and have various fashion shootings in glossy magazines. A great many poems are devoted to them. We like this one, for example:
But what is VALENKI?
Valenki, or valenuhi, or valezhki, or valeny, or valenza are warm felt boots made of ship wool, often solid, but can be also soft and comfy. Valenki is a traditional Russian footwear which is worn for walking on dry snow. Valenki are often filed with leather or other durable material, or worn with gummy galoshes. Traditionally valenki are brown, black, grey and white, but in the last few years they have become a fashionable must-have for cold weather and are available in various colours like red, blue, purple, green, yellow, orange, etc. Recently many fashion designers have created different valenki styles appreciated by true fashionistas all over the world.
