Karelian Cluster: the new group using Russian folk crafts to kickstart creativity

A new cooperative harnessing local handicrafts in a bid to boost the economy has launched in the Russian region of Karelia.

The Karelian Handicraft Cluster hopes to invigorate local creative industries by supporting the area’s unique heritage and traditional art.

The group’s founder, Svetlana Kolchurina, said that it would focus on helping local businesses and artists to work more efficiently.

“I realised that there were enough startups to unite them into one cluster”, she said. It’s the most effective way to cooperate and manage those businesses.”

The group is now launching a three-year development plan to kickstart the production of local Karelian goods and souvenirs. An educational program is also in the works in a bid to build a more sustainable creative economy in the region.