Narva cobbler closes Kreenholm workshop after 35 years
Aleksandr Eryazov, a cobbler in Narva, Estonia, is closing his small workshop by the Kreenholm gates after 35 years. It will operate only until the end of October.
A 69-year-old cobbler, Aleksandr Eryazov, is closing his small shoe repair workshop at the Kreenholm gates in Narva, an Estonian city on the border with Russia, after 35 years in business. The workshop will stay open only until the end of October, and he is currently finishing his last orders. The story was reported by the Russian-language news service of Estonian public broadcaster ERR, citing the programme "Narvskaya studiya. Narodu vazhno" (ETV+).
Why the workshop is closing
Eryazov cites fewer customers, waning strength and changing habits: people now wear leather shoes less often. In the past, he said, customers mostly bought quality leather shoes with thick soles that could be refreshed for years by replacing heel tips and adding new soling. Now, he said, mostly patching is left. "I'm tired already. Times are different now," he said.
His equipment is also starting to fail, with one part or another breaking and needing to be welded or repaired. He took one of the latest breakdowns as a sign that it was time to stop. A small metal part of his sewing machine, through which the thin thread passes, suddenly cracked in half. "I was sewing on the machine, and suddenly it broke off! Why in the middle? My hair stood on end," Eryazov said.
A reputation for honesty
Customers tried to talk the cobbler out of retiring. His friend Vladimir recalls that Eryazov sewed, cut patterns and worked with fabrics and fur. Vladimir names honesty as his main quality: the cobbler never raised prices and said frankly when repairing a pair of shoes made no sense. Customers always thanked him, and the work was cheap.
The road to Estonia
Eryazov's Estonian career began in the 1980s. He came from his native Baku to attend the wedding of his wife's sister, was amazed by the abundance of food in a shop and decided to stay. In retirement he plans to fish on the river, as he has a garage and a boat.
