Traditional Seto patterns by Anna Kõivo
The exhibition "Traditional Seto patterns by Anna Kõivo" is open at the Seto Farm until the end of the 2026 summer season.
Anna Kõivo, known in Seto tradition as Kõivo Anne
(1928–2024), was a renowned craftswoman, leelo singer, and expert in
weaving and Seto folk costumes.
Anna was born to a farming family in the village
of Lutepää, Petseri County. She completed six years of schooling, but her
studies at Petseri High School were interrupted by the war. During those
difficult times, when food and clothing were scarce, the family survived by
making and trading handicrafts for necessities. It was from her mother and
grandmother that Anna then learned the skills of traditional handicraft.
In 1951, she married Stepan Kõivo. The couple had four children: three daughters and a son. When her husband passed away in 1971, Anna was left to raise and school the children alone. She began working as a weaver at the Värska Service Pavilion, where her skills were highly regarded. Anna continued her craftwork even after retiring. She found renewed inspiration in 2006 with the founding of the Värska Handicraft Society Kirävüü.
Kõivo Anne was widely known throughout Setomaa as
a skilled and knowledgeable woman. She has created an enormous number of Seto
woolen blankets, shawls, men’s trouser fabrics, women’s shirts, icon towels,
headbands, and warp-patterned belts. Her contribution to preserving traditional
Seto handicrafts is invaluable. The legacy of this exceptional master lives on
through the skills and creativity of her many students, children, and grandchildren.
At the age of 88, Kõivo Anne created the current exhibition of hammõkirät – the sleeve patterns of Seto women’s shirts. The shirt is one of the most striking garments in a Seto woman’s attire. In the middle of its wide sleeves lies a section of red woolen woven patterns, where the weaver’s creativity, skill, and sense of beauty are fully expressed. This exhibition offers a chance to see Kõivo Anne’s artistry with your own eyes.