Carpets from Racha

Anna Jeladze - "Rugs from Racha"

"Rugs from Racha" stands out as the victorious project from the 2021 social innovation ideas competition. This social enterprise, spearheaded by the young entrepreneur Ana Jeladze, is based in Racha, Oni. Ana's workshop is the hub where these exquisite rugs are intricately woven, and interested individuals can witness this craft firsthand.

Completing her studies at the Faculty of Textile Design at the Art Academy, coinciding with the onset of the pandemic, prompted Ana to return to Ghari village in Oni Municipality. Making the most of this period, she engaged in various online training sessions and seminars focused on business development. Her business idea, conceived during her student days - establishing a workshop - gained even more strength. To secure funding, she actively participated in grant competitions and emerged victorious, receiving her first grant. Anna wisely utilized this grant to acquire loom frames of different sizes and yarn.

Today, Anna's workshop specializes in crafting unique natural wool rugs, featuring traditional Georgian/Rachuli ornaments alongside modernist sketches. The workshop utilizes natural wool yarn from the "Tusheti" wool processing enterprise in the Akhmeta district, blended with specially crafted non-toxic dyes. The maximum size of the rugs is 120cm x 60cm. In addition to rug weaving, Anna possesses exceptional skills in felting and hot batik techniques, creating wall panels of various sizes.

Products from "Rugs from Racha" can be purchased online or on-site at the workshop. The workshop welcomes individual orders, offering a diverse selection of designs to choose from.

Why Rug Weaving?

At the age of 10, Anna began attending the Oni art school, where she mastered various painting and needlework techniques. She attended this school for almost 8 years continuously, which had a significant impact on her future decision. In 2016, she continued her studies at the Tbilisi State Art Academy in the direction of textile design. After returning to Oni, she started working as a teacher in her native art school.

For Anna, rug weaving is not just a craft; it is a philosophy that comes to life in colors and ornaments. Rug weaving represents an ancient Georgian technology of textile production, and, as in all highland regions, in Racha, carpet weaving was a traditional direction of women's craft. Carpets woven with ancient technology endure time and seem to make their creator immortal. The process is so time-consuming that even the creator herself doubts; she is not sure if she will receive such a work as she has depicted in her mind. In the end, the master, filled with a sense of surprise, joy, and pride, realizes that her patience, perseverance, many nights spent at the easel, and many months spent were appreciated. It fills one with joy and a sense of pride when knowing that they are preserving the tradition of a once-popular folk craft, the master of which is no longer in the area.

The work begins with creating a sketch—searching for old ornaments, studying the color gamut, observing the regularity of the arrangement of ornaments. Then the weaving process begins, and one never knows when it will end. The memories of the joy and pride felt at the completion of the previous work linger, and motivation increases—this too will be finished, this too will be unique, and they will be proud of this too.

Anna's workshop is open to anyone interested in this direction of traditional crafts. The master generously shares her knowledge, sketches, materials, time, and space with them free of charge. According to Anna, today her philosophy has seven followers, and she knows exactly why she chose to weave rugs.