Vologda has always been considered one of the largest and important Russian lace schools. This craft started developing since the second half of 16th century when North Sea route was discovered. At that time the city was actively involved in trading, foreign merchants arrived in Vologda with some goods including lace. It was then that local needlewomen started following western European models and creating their own Vologda items. RTG TV presenter Nadezhda Lebedeva had firsthand knowledge on how it is hard to sort out bobbins and weave intricate patterns.