Russian embroidery is almost an extinct art form these days. It is, therefore, all the more precious to see the impressive revival of the Krestetskaya Strochka manufacturer, which produces handmade tablecloths, napkins, bed linen and clothing accessories, using a unique traditional fishing technique developed in the late 18th century in northwest Russia and exclusive to the manufacturer. The embroiderers use the drawn thread technique of needlework, where the warp yarn and weft threads are manually removed from the canvas, thus creating a net on which the elaborate embroidery is made.

Some of the manufacturer's products are recognised as examples of Russian cultural heritage and are preserved in the collections of the State Hermitage Museum and other galleries. When the company’s current owner, entrepreneur Anton Georgiev, purchased the manufacturer in 2015, it employed only three embroiderers and a caretaker, and was a depressing sight, with the building in a devastating state. Within five years, the manufacturer had flourished into a grand-scale project, with more than 25 embroiderers, a heritage preservation programme and representation in Russia and beyond.