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| Ukraine village finds wedded bliss at centre of huge dress industry | Ukraine village finds wedded bliss at centre of huge dress industry |
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| The former Soviet Union was known for its monotowns, settlements dominated by a single industry like car tyres or cement or agricultural equipment. | The former Soviet Union was known for its monotowns, settlements dominated by a single industry like car tyres or cement or agricultural equipment. |
| For many it was the road to ruin, as market forces rapidly buried the centrally planned economy after 1991. But one small Ukrainian settlement has emerged as perhaps its country's richest village as a result of a single niche product: wedding dresses. | For many it was the road to ruin, as market forces rapidly buried the centrally planned economy after 1991. But one small Ukrainian settlement has emerged as perhaps its country's richest village as a result of a single niche product: wedding dresses. |
| Voloka is the post-Soviet capital of nuptials. Every third building is a wedding shop, and buyers come from the other side of the world, attracted by the high quality and low prices of the garments. "Recently one American came to us, choosing dresses for the boutique which he plans to open in the US," says Kateryna Yeremitsa inside her home which is illuminated by a fairy-tale scene of magical frocks embroidered with crystals. | Voloka is the post-Soviet capital of nuptials. Every third building is a wedding shop, and buyers come from the other side of the world, attracted by the high quality and low prices of the garments. "Recently one American came to us, choosing dresses for the boutique which he plans to open in the US," says Kateryna Yeremitsa inside her home which is illuminated by a fairy-tale scene of magical frocks embroidered with crystals. |
| Voloka's wedding tradition goes back to the 1980s, when housewife Brandusha Popovych earned local repute for the first communion dresses she handstitched. Later she switched to wedding dresses. Neighbours quickly cottoned on to the cottage industry, and the business sustained them through the economic collapse of the 1990s. Now every Monday morning, a succession of full buses carry young women from the nearby city, Chernivtsi, to jobs at the sewing workshops. They can earn the equivalent of about €400 (£320) a month, a high salary by local rates. | |
| Dresses are distributed at the huge 35-hectare Kalynivsky bazaar in Chernivtsi, one of Ukraine's largest markets. Villagers, most of whom live in plush villas, became so wealthy that they even paid for the construction of a new road to get their wares to market. Gradually the local industry spread throughout the region. | Dresses are distributed at the huge 35-hectare Kalynivsky bazaar in Chernivtsi, one of Ukraine's largest markets. Villagers, most of whom live in plush villas, became so wealthy that they even paid for the construction of a new road to get their wares to market. Gradually the local industry spread throughout the region. |
| At one of the stalls Olena Karcha shows off her wares, which she offers for only €40-€120 a dress. "Bolero is all the rage this year," she said, showing synthetic fur creations. Karcha personally sews and decorates the dresses at a small home workshop, but in autumn, the main wedding time in Ukraine, all the family including children participate in dress production. | |
| Her usual customers are brides from Ukraine, Romania and Moldova as well as wholesalers, who ship dresses for resale in Hungary, Slovakia, and sometimes in western Europe and former Soviet Union countries. "Germans like restrained dresses, while the Italians prefer the catchy staff, just like the Ukrainians," Karcha said. "Kazakhs and Uzbeks choose the covered attires but with lots of stones." | Her usual customers are brides from Ukraine, Romania and Moldova as well as wholesalers, who ship dresses for resale in Hungary, Slovakia, and sometimes in western Europe and former Soviet Union countries. "Germans like restrained dresses, while the Italians prefer the catchy staff, just like the Ukrainians," Karcha said. "Kazakhs and Uzbeks choose the covered attires but with lots of stones." |
| At another stall, Tetiana Kolesnichenko said her customers are mainly from Baltic countries. She showed white bonnets and silk gloves especially loved by Catholics. Her prices are a little higher than in neighbouring boutiques, from €120 to €400 a dress. Kolesnichenko started her business 16 years ago by reselling dresses from Syria, but later decided to sew them herself. Now she only designs dresses, which are sewed by her two employees. | |
| She admitted that business has become tougher because of competition. "The children of those who started sewing dresses 20 years ago have grown up and begun doing the same," she said. More often than not, her bulk buyers come from Russia, Belarus and central Asia. | She admitted that business has become tougher because of competition. "The children of those who started sewing dresses 20 years ago have grown up and begun doing the same," she said. More often than not, her bulk buyers come from Russia, Belarus and central Asia. |
| Dinara Amirova, who owns wedding shops in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, said that the lion's share of wedding garments in her country came from Ukraine. "I myself got married in a wedding dress from Ukraine," she said, and she regards Ukrainian merchandise as best value for money. To fill the shops Amirova's mother regularly makes trips of almost 2,500 miles, initially by plane from Astana to Kiev, and then by bus or taxi to Chernivtsi. | Dinara Amirova, who owns wedding shops in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, said that the lion's share of wedding garments in her country came from Ukraine. "I myself got married in a wedding dress from Ukraine," she said, and she regards Ukrainian merchandise as best value for money. To fill the shops Amirova's mother regularly makes trips of almost 2,500 miles, initially by plane from Astana to Kiev, and then by bus or taxi to Chernivtsi. |
| But the hardest thing is not finding dresses to buy, but shipping them out of Ukraine. Thousands of small-scale entrepreneurs travelling to the country often attempt to omit the customs requirements. Ukraine's customs service reported numerous cases of dresses being smuggled to Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan in 2011. A customs officer in Chernivtsi was recently detained on suspicion of taking bribes from business people seeking to export wedding accessories. | |
| It is difficult to assess how big the industry is. Much of it is still carried out away from the eyes of the taxman. The residents of Voloka are reluctant to divulge details about revenues or customers. Yeremitsa said people were just fearful for their business. "Who knows if you are really a journalist?" she asked the Guardian. "They think, maybe you are from the tax service or a spy of business rivals, who may steal the designs of the dresses." | It is difficult to assess how big the industry is. Much of it is still carried out away from the eyes of the taxman. The residents of Voloka are reluctant to divulge details about revenues or customers. Yeremitsa said people were just fearful for their business. "Who knows if you are really a journalist?" she asked the Guardian. "They think, maybe you are from the tax service or a spy of business rivals, who may steal the designs of the dresses." |