The Underground

2023 · 50x53 cm, linocut A/p

This is the last linocut of the cycle, it completes the storyline, showing how this story ended. The characters are in a completely different interior: they have a small table, they are sitting on tree stumps, the window is boarded up. Apparently, the pub was taken away from the brewers. But despite all the difficulties and obstacles, the alewifes secretly continue their business. We see how happy the characters are: at a cramped table, a laughing widow clinks mugs with cheerful visitors, and the angry silhouette of a girl rises above them, sternly shushing the noisy company. The girl holds a broom in her hands, which is a hint of the connection between ancient brewers and the modern image of a witch from pop culture. The young successor is wearing a brewer's hat, because she has ceased to be just an assistant and has become a full-fledged alewife, and her mentor has handed over the management of the pub to her. This symbolizes the continuation of the history of women's brewing against all odds. The profession of an alewife ceased to exist. Women were completely prohibited from working in pubs or were only allowed to work as barmaids. The millennia-old tradition of women's brewing has ended. But now women can brew beer again thanks to progress and the fight for women's rights. This story is very instructive. We must learn from the mistakes of the past, avoid chauvinism and not blame for our sins people who’re deprived of rights.