Russian leather today

First published in the Jan/Feb 2018 edition of ILM. The leather industry is one of the oldest in Russia. According to historians, the tanning trade appeared in ancient Russia as early as in 6th–7th centuries. Russian tanners are mentioned in chronicles of 992, and the annals of 1240 read that “Drochilo Nezdylova, son of tanner” fell in the battle with the Swedes. References to the guild of tanners testify that at that time leather working was a special craft, and a respectable one.