Women, Jewelry, and Social Life in Russia

Olga Boukina

"Knowledge and understanding other cultures is an important step towards world peace," declared Olga Boukina, wife of the Russian ambassador to Beirut, in the lecture hosted by the Women's League on November 5 in West Hall. Her talk, entitled "Women, Jewelry, and Social Life in Russia," attracted a flood of women to celebrate the League's 88th anniversary.

Boukina began by attributing the "imperial glamor" of Russia to a "woman of unique history: Helga, who was the first Christian woman and whose husband was the son of the first Russian ruler. She founded the state administrative structure and became a spiritual icon for which magnificent decorative churches were built.

"Katherine the Great, who contributed with the passage of twelve bills in improvements of the country's administration, was influential as well," said Boukina. According to her, Katherine had her own collection of paintings, jewelry, and porcelain, as well as a "big celebration hall" that distinguished her castle.

Russian aristocrats used to exchange costly gifts, among which the Imperial Easter Eggs were the most prized. One of the wonders of the Russian throne, said Boukina, was its massive collection of malachite objects. These included a "malachite room" containing eight mosaic columns and an "amber room" that was destroyed in World War II and replicated two years ago.

Boukina emphasized women's role in Russian society. Despite the differences in orientation of the generations, the grandmother or "baboushka" is still very important. "In hard times, statements like 'Your motherland calls you' are always shouted out," said Boukina, "and a grandmother gives her grandchildren so much more of lasting value than mere jewelry."