Peter the Great provided a new impetus for evolution of lacemaking. When he brought European clothes into vogue, demand for linen and silky lace emerged across the population. Then, Peter the Great ordered from Brabant monasteries (the Netherlands) craftswomen who taught Russian girls in lacemaking arts.
Firstly, girls adopted not only weaving experience, but also the European craft traditions. For example, they created French and Venetian laces, which were almost impossible to distinguish from the original. Such items were dubbed as "Russian Valenciennes". Valenciennes is a type of fine French weaving so named after the city, where lace products were made.
Gradually, Russian craftswomen began to create original national products distinguished by the predominance of floral motifs and use of background as an element of pattern.
The craft mushroomed up across Russia and 17 lace centers - in Moscow, Ryazan, Vyatka, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Vologda, Tula and other governorates -- were already found in the 19th century in the country.
