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Belarusian crafts represent an integral part of the national culture.

Their products are represented by a wide variety of sewn items with traditional embroideries in cross, satin and drawn threads and decorative stitches. i.e. blouses, costumes, table and bed linen, children's clothes made of flax, cotton or silk.

Craftswomen of the Slutsk, Pinsk and other craftwork factories continue the traditions of their mothers and grand-mothers by weaving decorative clothes, towels, table linen and carpets using semi-woolen, flax and cotton yarns.

The unique craftwork of straw weaving and making of souvenir items of flax is flourishing nowadays. Extremely beautiful dolls, birds, horses are made of ordinary rye straw and flax at the Mogilev Craft Factory, while home items such as boxes, and cases, trays and breadboxes are made at the Gomel, Brest and Khoyniky factories.

Art incrustations and woodcarving are widely spread in Belarus, which is rich in forests. The Brest, Zhlobin and Pinsk craft factories produce wooden boxes, cases, trays, Easter eggs, dolls, Christmas-tree toys and other souvenir items incrustated with straw and having florist ornaments.

Decorative ornamentation in this kind of craftwork has been based on traditional ornamental culture of the Belarusian people.

Wooden sculptures of the aurochs, the relic inhabitant of the Belay Vezha Forest Reserve, are in great demand as souvenirs.

Willow wicker items are very frequently used at home.

The Polotsk, Gomel, and Mozyr craftwork factories produce original items made of whickers: baskets, trays, breadboxes, and cases. Craftwork factories cooperate with foreign firms and are competitive at international fairs, exporting table linen, blouses, colored wooden dolls, incrustated boxes and cases and other articles.    Professional art workers are united into creative unions of cinematographers, artists, designers, composers, architects, music and theater workers and writers.

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