Although the arts and crafts in the Soviet Union were often co-opted for political purposes, one of the underlying themes in Sofia Petrovna is the timeless importance of, and consolation in, domestic creativity. Sofia and Natasha, who is "clever with her hands", listen to operas and concerts on the radio while Natasha, who can also "knit beautifully", works on her embroidery. This is the Sun Chariot, a traditional northern Russian counted thread embroidery motif.