06.03.2014 20:10
The chimney sweep is one of the most beloved heroes of Western European fairy tales and legends. A black man smeared with soot, a chance meeting with whom promises good luck. The presence of a chimney sweep at a wedding promises a happy family life to the young. A representative of a difficult, dangerous, but very necessary profession.
The first mention of people serving chimneys refers to Italy in the 14th century. It is not surprising, because it was there that stone pipes were first built not only in castles, but also in ordinary residential buildings. The first medieval artels of chimney sweeps were itinerant and consisted mainly of the inhabitants of the Apennines.
The mass transition from traditional wooden and clay chimneys (they were easier to replace than to clean) occurred in Western Europe in the 17th century. At the same time, cities faced the problem of fire safety: the ignition of the accumulated soot in uncleaned chimneys caused serious fires.
The first known document obliging homeowners and tenants to regularly maintain and clean chimneys was adopted by the authorities of Wroclaw in 1578. By the middle of the 17th century, almost all major cities had acquired their own guilds of chimney sweeps, whose activities were regulated by local rules. In 1731, the position of chief royal chimney sweep was approved in the Kingdom of Denmark. In fact, this is the prototype of the modern controlling unit of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
In pre-Petrine Russia, chimney cleaning services were not in demand. Unlike Western Europe, where stoves and fireplaces were heated with what God sent (often with coal), in our area there has never been a shortage of high-quality birch firewood, during the combustion of which almost no soot is formed. Large cities, including Moscow, had urban development. In one-two-story houses, the chimney could be serviced independently, or cleaned using traditional methods without climbing onto the roof. The first professional Russian chimney sweeps appeared in St. Petersburg along with the first palaces and high-rise dense urban buildings of the European type. In the absence of their own specialists, Finnish masters were invited.
Chimney sweeps often worked in small teams. An experienced master supervised the work, he also wielded a heavy tool: weights of various weights and shapes, a sledgehammer, large steel brushes. It is not easy to handle massive loads lowered on a rigid wire into the chimney, balancing on the roof ridge. The chimney sweep cylinder replaced his current construction helmet. When a brick fell from above, the headgear cushioned the blow. Children worked as assistants to the master. Only a child is able to penetrate the narrow chimney and thoroughly clean the inner surface of the masonry. The legislation of that time allowed the use of boys and even girls in such work, starting from the age of eight. Needless to say, what harm was done to the health of the child.
With the humanization of society, an understanding came about the inadmissibility of involving children in such work. The UK was the first to ban chimney sweepers in 1840. During the 19th century, mechanical brushes for cleaning chimneys were created and improved. By the end of the century, devices were developed that made it possible to greatly facilitate the work of a chimney sweep.
The 20th century was marked by a massive transition to centralized heating. Today, in developed countries, chimneys are rarely used for their intended purpose. In cities, stove heating was completely abandoned. In a country house, a fireplace is stoked, rather, to create a cozy atmosphere than for heating. In addition, resinous firewood and coal are almost never used, and modern steel and ceramic pipes are not prone to soot accumulation.
However, the profession of a chimney sweep did not disappear. She has taken on a new dimension. The need for chimney maintenance in the third millennium is not as high as in the previous one. Mostly, these are historical buildings. There is even a specialty of a chimney sweep-restorer. Nevertheless, the safety and draft of chimneys, even "clean" gas boilers, periodically have to be monitored. Not to mention devices for solid and liquid fuels. Today, the emphasis is on providing a comfortable microclimate. An important condition for this is the availability of effective natural or artificial ventilation. Chimney sweeps of the 21st century took care of keeping the ventilation ducts clean.
The arsenal of modern chimney sweeps includes not only various mechanical brushes and weights. Specialists use video cameras equipped with lighting systems. Measuring devices record the speed of air flows, the presence of pollution, and analyze the air. In addition to mechanical, complex electrical devices, remote-controlled devices and even autonomous robots are used to work in hard-to-reach channels. Today's chimney sweeps use all modern advances in the field of security and are not at all like the heroes of Andersen's fairy tales.
Officially homeland chimney sweeps consider Denmark. It was here that the oldest mention of them in history was found: in 1639, the Lithuanian Gudmand Olsen was hired to clean the fireplace chimneys in the royal castle in Copenhagen. For the time being, the services of chimney sweeps were rarely used. Until in 1728, almost half of the Danish capital burned down during a grand fire.
Then it became clear that the maintenance of chimneys should be taken under state control. Thus, in 1731, the first official professional chimney sweep- master Andreas Nieschke is from Silesia. And almost half a century later, on February 11, 1778, by decree of King Christian VII, a craft shop for Danish chimney sweeps was established.
In fairness, it should be noted that many countries where stove and fireplace heating were used can claim to be the homeland of chimney sweeps. There just hasn't been any evidence to back it up yet. In a word, the history of the chimney sweep is rich and entertaining.
For a long time, the attitude towards representatives of this profession was, to put it mildly, not very respectful. You see, their craft is dirty! (In our country, even now, many people think so. Especially journalists, we only hear from them: how did you decide to become chimney sweeps, because the work is dirty).
Chimney sweeps had to fight for their civil rights for a very long time. They were not allowed to walk on the sidewalks, approach the "clean" public...
In England, the practice was generally legalized to use as a ruff or brush for chimney cleaning little children. More often they were vagrants or orphans (orphanages thus arranged the future of their pets) at the age of about 4 years. Getting into an apprenticeship with a chimney sweep, theoretically a child could rise to the rank of assistant, but this happened extremely rarely. Growing "out of the pipes", they were more often forced to look for other work, if they did not die earlier. After all, their work was associated with a serious risk. They climbed through the fireplace into the chimney, and small chimney sweeps (officially they did not have such a title) cleaned the inner walls of the chimneys with scrapers and brushes. The child is small, the chimney is dark, it's scary ... And to make the work go well, big uncles kindled a fire in the fireplace. Children worked without special protective equipment. And, of course, they often fell down, suffocated from the dust, and died right in the chimney.
Although the owner was obliged to his apprentice to feed, clothe, teach, provide housing, few people cared about these unfortunate children. They fed them badly - the thinner the teenager, the easier it will climb into the pipe, they slept in basements and in attics. Hygiene issues were practically not solved. Soot has been eaten into the skin for years, into the lungs - as a result of tuberculosis, cancer of the scrotum and lungs.
True, under London law, the children of chimney sweeps were not allowed to work more than six days a week. Sunday was a day off and was reserved for Bible study in Sunday schools. That's the kind of child care!
When Princess Charlotte (the wife of King George III) found out about this use of children, she decided to give out an award for inventing a way to clean the chimney without the use of child labor, especially in such a terrible way. In this regard, the Society for the Replacement of Child Chimney Sweeps was established in 1803, the main task of which was to realize the wishes of the princess (and, of course, to receive an award). In the end, a method for cleaning chimneys was invented, which is still in effect today: lower a weight with a brush (brush) into the chimney. Now this method seems to us so simple and affordable, but it turns out that the health and lives of many children paid for it. The invention of chimney brushes did not stop the use of children for this purpose: child labor was cheaper, fines were very small. And only on August 7, 1840, the English Parliament decided to ban the use of children to clean chimneys. And after a significant increase in fines in 1864, the exploitation of children began to decline.
Since ancient times, it was believed that luck accompanies him, because he works on the roofs, does not use insurance, and nothing happens to him. And you need to touch luck, then you will be lucky. Therefore, many signs are associated with this character: I saw in a dream - always for something good; meet a chimney sweep - good luck; touch, or even better tear off, a button from the uniform of a chimney sweep suit and make a wish - it will come true; pulling a hair out of the brush - "for good luck." Well, if by chance such a person appeared on the path of the wedding procession - this is to "advice and love" for the newlyweds. And, of course, he must be real and stained with soot, in a black suit.
Many of these signs are associated with beliefs. Previously, brooms and ruffs were made of birch, and birch has been a symbol of fertility since ancient times. Soot symbolizes fire and warmth. Everything that is connected with warmth and fertility brings happiness.
This is related to the following incident. King George III was riding in a carriage with his young bride, when suddenly the horses began to run. The whole retinue was confused. His Majesty and the young chosen one would certainly have died, when suddenly a chimney sweep who had come from nowhere rushed across the horses and stopped the carriage. When the king came to his senses, the hero was gone. No matter how George the Third tried to find a savior, all attempts were in vain. Then His Majesty announced that from now on all representatives of this craft in the country should enjoy respect and people's love, as they bring good luck. Since then, it is believed that if the bride meets a chimney sweep at the wedding, then the marriage will be strong and happy.
To Russia chimney-sweeping craft 
came through Finland and the Baltic states. In Tallinn, for example, the first chimney sweepers appeared 270 years ago. Then the Petersburgers wanted to keep their pipes in order. The first chimney sweep appeared in St. Petersburg on April 21, 1721. The mayor of the northern capital was ordered to have a "chimney sweeper" in every quarter, only that they were not with the fire brigade, but with the police department. On this day, at the police stations, the positions of a city chimney sweep and his assistant were established, who were entrusted with the duties of cleaning pipes from soot, training, explaining the features of the building home ovens. However, the Russians were reluctant to master this craft, even those who had almost nothing to live on, did not want to "jump over the roofs." According to the 1869 census, more than half of the representatives of this profession in St. Petersburg came from Finland.
Nowadays, the scope of chimney-cleaning activities is most developed in Germany. The corporation of chimney sweeps, protected by laws and having privileges, has existed since ancient times. And today, every resident of Germany knows that his address must be indicated not only in the registers of local authorities and tax authorities, but also on the chimney sweep lists of the quarter and district. The federal territory is divided not only into 16 states-regions, but also into 7888 chimney-cleaning districts.
Certified chimney sweeps and their firms are only authorized to operate in a particular county. In big cities like Berlin, districts are part of big neighborhoods.
In 1935, Hitler introduced authoritarian changes in the chimney business. The first was that only a full-blooded German of Aryan origin could do this work. The second is that chimney sweeps were allowed to enter the house at any time, night and day, to clean the fireplaces and check the boilers. The Reich Main Security Office wanted to turn them into informers.
After the war, this police function was abolished. But twice a year, having warned in advance by a letter of his arrival, the chimney sweep appears in every house where there is a fireplace, stove or boiler.
In law chimney cleaning is a mandatory matter and could previously only be performed by German specialists, whose guild had a monopoly on these services. The law was changed in 1969 when Nobel Peace Prize winner Willy Brandt became chancellor, and since then, people who are not German by nationality have been able to join Germany's 8,000-strong chimney-sweeping army.
Representatives of this profession are currently very popular in the United States. After all, a significant part of the population lives there in suburban cottages. 
villages. The United States has a National Guild of Chimney Sweeps that licenses their operation.
When they hear about our profession, almost everyone asks the question: “Do you have a top hat?” Now the cylinder has become an indispensable headdress for dress suit . It is unthinkable to work on the roof, except at the request of television journalists. For some reason, this has a special charm for them. Once upon a time, the cylinder was used both as a helmet - a good protection against accidentally falling bricks on the head, and as a tool box for every little thing (pencils, small tools and everything that fits there), and even as a container for soot raked out of the furnace or a fireplace.
chimney sweep- why not a fairy-tale hero: all in black, mysterious, works at night (which means he communicates with the stars), a chimney sweep costume - a black uniform with gold buttons, a ladder, a broom and, finally, an aristocratic top hat!
This is a brief history of the profession we have chosen. Or maybe she chose us?
Matvienko Nikolay
02.02.2014, 23:56
In Moscow, the Russian Academy of Crafts opens courses for chimney sweeps.
In January 2014, we launched the 30th anniversary group of stove-makers. And in March we plan to launch the first group of chimney sweeps. In the Moscow region There is an acute shortage of young chimney sweeps in Moscow firms specializing in chimney cleaning. Now in Moscow and the region there are about 20 chimney sweeping companies, but they do not have specialist chimney sweepers.
03.02.2014, 11:30
Now in Moscow and the region there are about 20 chimney sweeping companies, but they do not have specialist chimney sweepers.
At least read what you write - there are firms, but there are no specialists.
Who works there then - Central Asian gastro workers ???
Matvienko Nikolay
03.02.2014, 11:53
Valery. You didn't guess. Blacks and Puerto Ricans work there. For a guest worker, this is too smart a job. Staff turnover is high. They do not hold up and are blown away.
07.02.2014, 01:10
Now there are about 20 chimney sweep companies in Moscow and the region, but they do not have chimney sweep specialists. Where does this information come from? The info is completely wrong.
There is an acute shortage of young chimney sweeps in Moscow firms specializing in chimney cleaning. Well, there are not many of them in the Moscow Region, but there is no extreme need in Moscow.
The staff turnover is high. Where do you get such lime? You are not an informant, but a provocateur. There are several training facilities in Moscow where chimney sweeps are trained and re-certified. And what is characteristic, at the annual recertification I see the same faces for many years. There is turnover, but minimal. By the way, training at the plant is cheap, recertification is even less. And you?
They do not hold up and are blown away. Can't stand the high salary? ;)
Opening chimney sweep courses.
In January 2014, we launched the 30th anniversary group of stove-makers. Quickly rivet ... It seems to me that the goal is not so much to educate as to earn.
07.02.2014, 19:54
07.02.2014, 21:47
:D
Oto.
It’s still clear with stove-makers, they really don’t teach anywhere (in Nerezinovoy and its environs), at least some kind of justification. But chimney sweeps are taught and not bad ...
Tell me, what do you think it means to "really train to be a stove-maker"? Again: "But they teach chimney sweeps and not badly ..." By what criteria can one determine the quality of training for both?
Matvienko Nikolay
23.02.2014, 18:37
The criteria are determined by the market. If there is a demand, people will come. Interesting courses - the queue is lining up. You can open master classes NORTH, MERANIK, SELIVAN. Open oven courses, or chimneymen. The law does not prohibit. The main thing is to recruit people. And people are picky these days. They won't pay for show-offs.
Matvienko Nikolay
23.02.2014, 18:56
Matvienko Nikolay
28.04.2014, 15:45
28.04.2014, 21:30
NTV in the program "own game" filmed our chimney sweeps PAP and asked questions. Type.
In 1639, chimneys were cleaned in the king's castle for the first time, and a century later, the first professional chimney sweep appeared in this Scandinavian kingdom. Country?
During mechanical cleaning of the chimney, a weight is tied to a long cable and another item that is well known to any hostess. Which subject?
In 1840, in Great Britain, such people were banned from working as chimney sweeps, whose work was very widely used before the ban. What are these people?
To meet a chimney sweep is good luck, especially a wedding procession. But the chimney sweep must certainly be like that. What?
In the USSR, a trade union of chimney sweeps existed in this capital. Even now there are houses with stove heating in the Old Town. Name the capital.
This traditional headdress of a chimney sweep often protected from something heavy falling from above. What is this headdress?
It is very flammable, and therefore it is necessary to clean the chimneys from it. What's this?
1 perhaps Denmark?
2 met. brush
3 probably for children
4dirty
5estonia? Tallinn?
6 cylinder
7 soot
The venerable old profession of the chimney sweep supposedly originated in Germany. But Denmark is considered the "official" country of appearance. The reason is simple - the castle of King Christian IV was the first building in Copenhagen, where the chimneys were cleaned. It happened back in 1639, and the first chimney sweep was a certain Gudmand Olsen, a Lithuanian. As the work of chimney sweeps grew, it was not until 1728, when a great fire reduced much of Copenhagen to ashes, that the task of clean chimneys was equated with vitality.
Three years later, in 1731, the Silesian craftsman Andreas Nieschke was awarded the title of the first professional chimney sweeper in the Kingdom of Denmark. But it took almost half a century for the profession to become officially recognized. On February 11, 1778, the Danish King Christian VII issued a decree on the establishment of a craft shop for chimney sweeps, and February 11 is the professional holiday of all the followers of this glorious cause.
A chimney sweep's business card is a tall black top hat. Chimney sweeps began to wear a top hat as a joke - the headdress of the aristocracy on a chimney sweep looked like a mockery. However, the cylinder had useful qualities; pencils and small tools were placed there. At the same time, when debris falls in the pipe, the cylinder serves as a shock absorber. Although, instead of a top hat, many rooftop chimney sweeps prefer to wear a kepsel - a tight-fitting hat.
There is a belief that meeting with a chimney sweep is good luck. This sign has several interpretations. Firstly, the profession of a chimney sweep is dangerous, and since he is still alive and well, he is accompanied by good luck and luck. Secondly, work is connected with fire, and therefore with heat. Thirdly, the first representatives of the profession had birch brooms - a symbol of fertility. For many peoples, warmth and fertility are the equivalent of happiness. You can get your share of luck by touching the chimney sweep button. It is believed that the custom came from Norway, where chimney sweeps had shiny buttons on their uniforms. Moreover, different buttons are "responsible" for different types of luck!
There are other ways to get some luck from the grubby workers. For example, try to pull out one of the hairs of his huge brush, touch the cylinder, or even kiss the surprised fighter with soot.
There is also a tradition of inviting a chimney sweep to a wedding. She hails from England. According to legend, the horses carried the carriage in which King George III rode with his bride. Some brave chimney sweep rushed across the horses and His
Majesty with the bride miraculously escaped death. Having made his courageous act, the hero disappeared, and no matter how the king tried to find him, this did not work. Then, as a reciprocal step, George III issued a decree that all chimney sweeps in England bring good luck, which means they are worthy of respect. It was from there that the sign went that marriage is doomed to success if the bride meets a chimney sweep during the wedding ceremony. And in order for this to happen, the chimney sweep is officially invited to a "meeting".
Few professions use the same skills and tools for such a long time. But the chimney sweep is the keeper of traditions and customs. And although today's chimney sweeps use modern technology to monitor the state of emissions, photographic equipment to monitor the state of the chimney, the good old ruff invariably accompanies them in the difficult task of restoring cleanliness and order.
Brief chronology
