An excellent yarn: Russia’s Insta-grannies take knitting expertise online
Elderly women across Russia tend to be seen selling their hand-knitted wares along pavement corners for a few roubles to supplement meagre pensions.
Now a fresh Instagram project aims to improve the general public perception of their homely expertise by marketing “granny chic” and help the women sell off their knitted mittens, socks and other items online.
Grandmother and participant Nina Lozhkova said she’d long wished to sell her knits.
“But it’s somewhat humiliating to market things by the metro. Below, I feel like I am a creator rather than an unhealthy person,” the 58-year-old explained of the Instagram initiative, Granny’s.
Lozhkova, who has a six-year-old grandson, is among around 40 retirees to possess up to now joined Granny’s, which is situated in the northwestern metropolis of Saint Petersburg.
More than 5,000 people follow the project’s Instagram bank account, @russiangrannies, which displays a sleek selection of stylish photographs of adults and kids in knitted clothing.
“By investing in our wares you are supporting someone’s grandmother,” it says, revealing, too, some heart-warming information regarding the knitters themselves, their lives, families and past careers.
Aged between 55 and 87, its enterprising pensioners can receive between US$450 and US$1,000 (RM1,843 and RM4,097) per month. An average regular monthly pension in Russia is about US$200 (RM819).
Behind the Instagram bank account is Yulia Aliyeva, a 27-year-old who recently quit a job working for the town administration to launch Granny’s.
“Of course, the actual fact that grandmothers can earn a living online smashes stereotypes,” said Aliyeva, whose 85-year-good old grandmother is one of the knitters.
“All of them state that if it had been not for the project, they would not be able to do this independently,” she told AFP.
Keeping afloat
Many Russians need to work at night state pension age to afford living costs, or count on personal help from their children.
Last year, President Vladimir Putin sparked a huge outburst of general public anger by opting to steadily improve the state pension age by five years, to 60 for women and 65 for men.
Yelena Tretyakova, the first pensioner to become listed on Granny’s, is already retired therefore the state pension age adjustments won't affect her. But she explained that the knitting job was still imperative to keeping her afloat.
“If you are retired it is nearly impossible to discover a job,” said the 56-year-old, who helps her daughter raise a 14-year-old disabled son.
“And my situation is a lot more complicated - I can only work from home,” said Tretyakova, whose regular monthly pension is just about €150 (RM705).
By using Instagram, she said she earns up to 70,000 roubles (RM4,279) a month, a “huge” amount for her, by knitting jumpers and other often costly items.
‘Sacred role’ of grannies
As word spreads, new ladies have joined the job from regions as far away as the Urals and northern Russia.
The site offers a variety of clothing and accessories, some priced as little as a few us dollars, while other more luxurious items sell for up to around US$180 (RM737).
The most expensive usually are made of merino or Peruvian wool.
Sometimes the women utilize the online site to directly offer the knitwear they have created, charging a cost they themselves have set.
Others knit the specific orders placed by buyers, in which case Aliyeva sets the purchase price, buys the required wool and calls for 10% commission.
Besides helping older people women, Aliyeva said she wished to draw public focus on the “sacred position of the Russian grandmother.”
“Traditionally in Russia, grandmothers play an important role - they babysit grandchildren, make tasty food and knit socks,” she said.
“But their pensions are little, their post-work social life is pretty much over and it is extremely hard for them to discover a job.” - AFP
Source: www.thestar.com.my
