Then, the process of weaving takes place using an ancient ‘krosna’ – a horizontal loom. The last step is to treat the fabric with water in a ‘valylo’ – a special structure on a mountain stream.

There are two types of hunias. Simple, felted ones with a natural pile and kots ones with a long woven woolen strand let out, so that neither rain nor snow soaks them completely. Hunia ‘kotsovania‘ is woven in the same way as felted boots, but woolen threads are woven in.

Today, only a few mountain villages in Zakarpattia produce hunias by hand. This craft is best preserved in the village of Richka in the Pylypets community. It is here that craftswomen live who still master the ancient art of making hunias. They sew them using authentic raw materials produced in their region.
The weaving of hunias distinguishes the village from others and makes it attractive to tourists, which in turn contributes to the development of green tourism, increases the economic capacity of the community and creates new financial opportunities for the local population.

The original type of weaving that has been preserved in Richka is closely related to the Transcarpathian traditions of making handicrafts and is, in fact, one of them. At the same time, the production of hunias organically fits into the economic way of life of the local population. The wool used to make them is the wool that the locals get from their own sheep. This is how they support sheep farming in the region.

The preservation of this unique craft has become an important factor in promoting increased interest in this village, and the tradition itself has transformed into a kind of business card for the Richka.