Winner of the contest “Minsk Master” Natalia Litvinkova: a true professional learns all her life

The winner of the city competition “Minsk Master” Natalia Litvinkova has been giving a second life to bags and shoes for more than 27 years, returning the original appearance to the citizens’ favorite things. About the intricacies of the profession, the interlocutor told the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency.

Route rebuilt

We meet Natalia at her workplace. Among the racks with a variety of shoes, a table was hidden, behind which the master has been working for 27 years. It is surrounded by coils of thread, special sponges and skin cuts - all necessary for the client to leave with an updated pair of favorite boots satisfied.

In her youth, she dreamed of a career as a pastry chef. The shoe top collector and leather goods worker became an accident. On the day of submission of documents to the desired place of study, the girl did not even reach – she decided to support her friend and enroll with her in vocational school No. 12 (now Minsk State College of Service and Technology). Later it turned out that the childhood dream of confectionery masterpieces would still not be fulfilled because of strict physical standards.

- After a while I learned: for professional work with the test, you need a weight of at least 60 kg, or even more. It is heavy, you have to knead manually in large volumes. And I had only 44 kg in me at the time - I wouldn't have taken it. So I left to study to be a shoe cutter. And you know, not a drop of regret, admitted Natalia.

In school, the girl mastered many subtleties of the craft: from what threads and glue to use in work, to the features of each type of seams. When she came to work in a well-known network of workshops, she was able not only to repair shoes and bags, but also to sew them from scratch. Now the specialist is engaged exclusively in the repair of products, but says that you should not be bored: in this profession there is always room for growth and acquisition of new skills.

Aerobatics

Most of the clients who turn to the master for help are young people. Boys and girls most often bring sneakers in which the ass is wiped and asked to restore it. There are several options for repair: sew a semi-oval of leather or install a new mesh so that the shoes look the same as on the day of purchase.

Minsk residents often ask to replace pockets and lightning.

Perhaps, aerobatics in the profession is to narrow the shin of the boot under the individual parameters of the leg. Natalia notes that this is not only the most difficult and painstaking part of the work, but also the most beloved – it is her specialist who performs with the greatest pleasure.

- Most often, boots are asked after losing weight. The task is not easy: you need to properly form the rear seam so that there are no folds and irregularities. First, we make accurate measurements on the client's leg, then we disassemble shoes, remove excess material, sew. After that, we put the boot on the shoe, carefully beat off with a hammer and only then invite you to try it on. If the updated thing sits flawlessly, the customer leaves satisfied. And this is the main sign of quality, – said the interlocutor.

The easiest and fastest thing the master considers the replacement of lightning. Distributed, put a new one, restored the seam - for this usual occupation, she even manages to relax a little soul.

The most difficult and at the same time favorite task of the master is to narrow the shin of the boot. This is a real engineering: shoes are dismantled, reshaped according to individual standards, sewn, put on a shoe and thoroughly beaten with a hammer.

Jewelry

The complexity of the repair depends largely on the material. The easiest to process is considered natural suede - it is soft and malleable. But it has an insidious feature: if you accidentally smear with glue, it is impossible to clean without a trace. Here, the specialist requires jewelry accuracy. Lacquer, on the contrary, the material is tough - you also need to be able to handle it.

Natalia has a special love for leather goods. If the customer comes with a torn bag, the master selects the material of exactly the same texture and shade, makes the elements for replacement, carefully sews them and, if necessary, changes the handles. Here, according to the interlocutor, you can show imagination. Each product turns into a small field for creativity, because even on the same things, repairs are performed differently. But the skin is not as simple as it seems, it does not forgive mistakes.

- If you do not hit the firmware with a needle exactly in the old holes, ugly traces will remain on the surface, which will spoil the appearance of the product. Customers are waiting for the perfect result. That is why it is necessary to painstakingly conduct a new seam strictly according to factory punctures, which requires great patience and accuracy. Not every person is able to sit on one detail for a long time, the Minsk master believes. In our profession, we cannot do without healthy perfectionism. Phlegmatics and melancholics are best at such tasks: they are persevering, focused and always maintain inner peace. Maybe it's because of my temperament that I like it so much.

Natalia is sure that there is no place for hasty people in this profession. The best masters are phlegmatics and melancholic.

Minute of glory

Participation in the city competition “Minsk Master” was a serious challenge for Natalia. But professional interest took over: I really wanted to see how colleagues from other studios work, learn from their experience and communicate in such an environment. The honorary title of the winner was only a pleasant bonus.

Of course there was excitement. I thought, what if the sewing machine fails? Great support was provided by colleagues who confidently predicted my victory, as well as family. The husband jokingly gave the order: “Without the main prize, do not come home!” Getting such recognition over the years in one place is invaluable. But the main thing I learned from the competition was new ideas and life hacks. It turned out that many routine tasks are solved by colleagues easier and faster - I have adopted some techniques. After all, a true professional learns all his life.

Photo by Sergei Mitsevich