Bogorodsk carved toy for children. Bogorodsk toy: the history of the development of folk craft

Bogorodskaya carving, Bogorodskaya toy - Russian folk craft, consisting in the manufacture of carved toys and sculptures from soft woods (linden, alder, aspen). Its center is the village of Bogorodskoye (Sergiev Posad district of the Moscow region).

Story

Origin

Sergiev Posad and its environs have long been considered the historical center of toy making in Russia. Sometimes it was called the "Russian toy capital" or "the capital of the toy kingdom." Toys were made in many surrounding villages. But the most famous was the village of Bogorodskoe, located about 29 kilometers from Sergiev Posad. The toy crafts of Sergiev Posad and the village of Bogorodsky are called by experts as two branches on one trunk. Indeed, crafts have common roots: the traditions of ancient pillar-like plastics and the school of three-dimensional, relief woodcarving at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, known since the 15th century.

According to folk legend, a long time ago a family lived in the village. The mother decided to amuse the little children. She cut out an “auka” figurine from a block of logs. The children were happy, played and threw the "auka" on the stove. Once the husband began to gather for the bazaar and said: “I’ll take the “auka” and show it to the traders in the bazaar.” "Auka" bought and ordered more. Since then, the carving of toys has appeared in Bogorodskoye. And she began to be called "Bogorodskaya".

It is rather difficult to determine the real date of the origin of the fishery. For a long time, most researchers believed that already since the 17th century Bogorodskoye had been engaged in volumetric woodcarving. The basis for such statements was the palace books of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, which speaks of buying toys for the royal children on the way to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery. Moreover, they usually refer not to the original source, but to the works of D. Vvedensky and N. Tseretelli, well-known researchers of Russian peasant toys in the 1930s, who also rely not on archival documents, but on the research of I. E. Zabelin. However, the latter made a mistake: the purchase of wooden toys is indicated in the book of expenses of Ekaterina Alekseevna, the wife of Peter I, in the entry of 1721. But, as I. Mamontova writes in her article: "However, the source unambiguously states that the purchase was made in Moscow ...".

It is believed that the earliest surviving works of the Bogorodsk craft (located in the State Historical Museum, the State Russian Museum, the Museum of Folk Art named after S. T. Morozov and the Art and Pedagogical Museum of Toys) date back to the beginning of the 19th century. Most likely, it would be legitimate to attribute the origin of the carved Bogorodsk toy to the 17th-18th centuries, and the formation of the craft by the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries.

At first, the craft was a typical peasant production. Products were made seasonally: from late autumn to early spring, that is, when there was a break in agricultural work. For a long time, Bogorodsk carvers were directly dependent on the Sergiev craft, working directly on orders from Sergiev buyers and producing mainly the so-called “gray” goods, which were finally finished and painted in Sergiev Posad.

At the same time, it was at the initial stage of the formation of the Bogorodsk craft that works began to appear that are considered masterpieces of folk art, including: “The Shepherd”, which has become a kind of Bogorodsk classic, lions with cubs, dogs with puppies.

The craft arose in a purely peasant environment, but developed under the strong influence of handicraft production with a different type of culture - township. This type of culture is a symbiosis of urban and peasant traditions, which has been influenced by porcelain sculpture, book illustrations, popular popular prints and works of professional painters.

Development

Already in the middle of the 19th century, the center of carving moved to Bogorodskoye, and the Bogorodsky craft gained independence. A great influence on the formation of the Bogorodsk style proper was exerted by the work of such masters as A. N. Zinin, and somewhat later by the activity of a professional artist, a native of Bogorodsk P. N. Ustratov. The period of the 1840s - 1870s, according to a number of experts, is the heyday of the Bogorodsk carved handicraft.

The next stage in the development of toy business in Bogorodskoye is associated with the activities of the Moscow Provincial Zemstvo in 1890-1900 in this area. In 1891, a training and demonstration workshop was organized in Sergiev Posad, which combined the functions of a research and educational institution, and also sold toys in Russia and abroad. A few years earlier, in Moscow, with the support of S. T. Morozov, the Moscow Handicraft Museum was opened. In fact, it was a whole movement, reviving and supporting the national basis in the dying folk art. Such zemstvo figures and artists as N. D. Bartram, V. I. Borutsky, I. I. Oveshkov played a significant role in the development of the Bogorodsk craft.

A professional artist, collector, and later the founder and first director of the State Toy Museum (now the Artistic and Pedagogical Toy Museum) N. D. Bartram was one of the first to try to preserve and revive ancient traditions. However, seeing that the old works did not captivate the handicraftsmen, he began to orient them towards the creation of works in the folk style, but following the models of professional artists. The opponent of this path was the artist and collector A. Benois, who considered this process an artificial rescue of the fishery.

You can talk a lot about what is more - harm or benefit brought by the intervention of professional artists in folk crafts, but the indisputable factor is that for several decades the products of the zemstvo period were a kind of standard for master carvers.

In 1913 an artel was organized in Bogorodskoye. This helped the people of Bogorodsk gain economic independence from the Sergius buyers. The initiators of the creation of the artel were already quite well-known at that time carvers A. Ya. Chushkin and F. S. Balaev. At the head of the artel was a kind of "artistic council", which consisted of the oldest and most experienced craftsmen. Newly joining the artel, the carvers were first assigned to the easiest work, if the young master coped with the manufacture of a simple toy, the task was complicated for him: the execution of animal figures, multi-figure compositions.

In the same 1913, an educational and demonstration workshop with an instructor class was opened in Bogorodskoye, and in 1914 a zemstvo school was opened on its basis, in which boys studied at full board.

In the first decade after the October Revolution, old zemstvo samples were preserved in Bogorodskoye, and the products of the trade were exported in large quantities. In 1923, the artel "Bogorodsky carver" was restored, in which the masters of the older generation continued their work, and the Bogorodsky craft occupies one of the leading places. The change in the social structure stimulated the craftsmen to search for new forms and artistic solutions. However, it was precisely at that time that the problem of “easel painting” that emerged back in the “zemstvo period” arose. In the 1930s, the so-called toy-sculpture appeared, which was distinguished by the novelty of the theme and its disclosure.

For the next two decades (1930s - 1950s), professional artists and art critics again intervene in the affairs of the craft - mainly employees of the Scientific Research Institute of the Art Industry (NIIKhP) created during this period. Not only in Bogorodskoye, but also in other fields, outright politicization begins. The masters were called themes that were alien to the peasant nature and the people's understanding of beauty. In Bogorodsky, the reaction to ideological pressure was the development of a fairy tale theme. The conventionality of Bogorodsk carving was the best way to express the unusual in a fairy tale, to create vivid and memorable images. The historical theme in these years has significantly narrowed, localized. First of all, it reflected the events of the Great Patriotic War.

One of the most tragic dates in the history of the Bogorodsk craft can be called 1960, when the artel organization of labor traditional for art crafts was liquidated and replaced by a factory one. This process is sometimes aptly referred to as the "manufacturing" of the fishery. From that time on, craft began to slowly die, and the concepts of “art industry”, “plan”, “val” and other completely alien concepts came to replace it. A decade and a half later, by an evil twist of fate, the village of Bogorodskoye with its peculiar landscape and the features of the Kunya River attracted the attention of power engineers. The situation in the field has worsened. Log houses with lace architraves were demolished, gardens were cut down, and traditional Bogorodsk gatherings and the simplicity of rural communication left with them. Master carvers moved to high-rise buildings on the upper floors, traditional crafts became more and more problematic. Back in 1984, G. L. Dine wrote in the journal “Decorative Art of the USSR”: “... the village seems small, miserable next to the new buildings advancing on it. Probably the security zone will not save her now either. Inevitably, the way of life of people, their spiritual and moral appearance will change, which means that Bogorodsk art will also be transformed.

In the 1970s - 1980s, about 200 carvers worked at the Bogorodsk Art Carving Factory. Among them were high-class masters who developed interesting samples, there were master performers. In connection with the turbulent events in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the situation in the fishery worsened even more. Currently, the Bogorodsk fishery is in an endless process of struggle for survival. Its position is unstable: traditional sales markets have been lost, raw materials have risen in price, high energy prices - all these factors are not conducive to improving the situation. The Bogorodsk art carving factory has changed its name so many times over the past decade that, according to the current chief artist of this organization, “we barely have time to change signs and stamps.”

In Bogorodskoye, two organizations were created that produced the same products. The best craftsmen leave the "official craft", but at home they continue to create high-class things, although not everyone can do this. Most of the young craftsmen follow the market, performing works that are either insignificant from the point of view of folk tradition, or completely far from it. You don't have to look far for an example. One of the leading craftsmen, still working in the field, S. Pautov, said with bitter irony: “The frosts killed the French near Moscow in 1812, the Germans in 1941, and will soon kill the Bogorodsk carvers.” The artist had in mind wooden carvings depicting Santa Claus - a favorite character of the New Year holidays, who replaced the notorious bear for homeworkers. On the opening days and on the shelves of shops, the worst of what is still being done in Bogorodskoye is most often found. Interest in the Bogorodsk toy and sculpture is declining due to the low quality of workmanship, low artistic level and rather high cost.

Modernity

At present, the situation in the field is difficult, but the factory continues to produce products. A difficult situation has developed in the Bogorodsk Art and Industrial College. This is a constant shortage of local youth; the influx of students from the subjects of the federation, on the one hand, promotes the popularization of Bogorodsk artistic carving, and on the other hand, nullifies the classical Bogorodsk tradition.

Among the Soviet masters of Bogorodsk carving are F. S. Balaev, A. G. Chushkin, V. S. Zinin, I. K. Stulov, M. A. Pronin, M. F. Barinov and others.

Fishing features

Bogorodsk carving is performed using a special "Bogorodsk" knife ("pike").

One of the distinguishing features of the craft has always been the manufacture of moving toys. The most famous toy is "Blacksmiths", usually depicting a man and a bear, who alternately hit the anvil. This toy, which, according to some sources, is more than 300 years old, has become a symbol of both the Bogorodsk industry and Bogorodsky itself, having entered the coat of arms of the village.

20.10.2010

The capital of the Bogorodsk toy

"Bogorodskaya toy" owes its birth to the village of Bogorodskoye, now located in the Sergiev Posad district of the Moscow region. In the 15th century, the famous Moscow boyar M.B. Pleshcheev, after whose death, the village, together with the peasants, was inherited by his eldest son Andrei, and then by his grandson Fedor.

From 1595, the village of Bogorodskoye became the property of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and the peasants became monastic serfs. It was the peasants who laid the foundations of woodcarving in the 16th-17th centuries, which glorified Bogorodskoye, the current "capital of the toy kingdom", to the whole world.

Legends of the village of Bogorodskoye

Which of the peasants carved the first wooden toy that laid the foundation for folk art craft, the inhabitants of the village of Bogorodskoye no longer remember, but for more than 300 years two interesting legends have been passed on from mouth to mouth about this event.

The first legend says: “A peasant family lived in the village of Bogorodskoye. So the mother conceived to amuse the children - she cut out a funny figure from a block of logs and called it "auka". The children played with the "auka" and threw it behind the stove. So the husband of a peasant woman went to the market, and he took with him an “auka” to show to the traders. “Auka” was immediately bought and more toys were ordered. They say that since then the carving of wooden toys began and they began to be called "Borogodsky".

The second legend tells how a resident of Sergiev Posad once carved a nine-inch doll from a lime churak. I went to the Lavra, where the merchant Erofeev traded, and sold it to him. The merchant decided to put a funny toy in the shop as a decoration. I didn’t have time to deliver, as the toy was immediately bought, but with a big profit for the merchant. The merchant found a peasant, and ordered him a whole batch of the same toys. Since then, the Bogorodsk toy has become famous.

The history of the development of folk art craft

According to historians, woodcarving in the 17th century was carried out by peasants in many villages, including those in Sergiev Posad and Bogorodskoye. So both of the above stories are true.

At first, the carvers of the village of Bogorodskoye were dependent on the buyers of Sergiev Posad, fulfilling their orders. The Sergievsky trade was based on the purchase from the peasants of the so-called "gray goods", which were then processed, dyed and sold. Approximately from the middle of the 19th century, the center of folk craft moved from Sergiev Posad to the village of Bogorodskoye, which by this time was “the personification of local traditions of woodcarving”. According to researchers, the Bogorodsk carving industry flourished at the end of the 19th century. A great merit in the formation of the "Bogorodsk style" of the toy belongs to such ancient masters as A.N. Zinin. However, the close cooperation between Sergiev Posad and Bogorodsk carvers also had a great influence on the formation of a unified system of images and plots of toys.

In 1913, on the initiative of the oldest carvers F.S. Balaev and A.Ya. Chushkin, an artel was organized in the village of Bogorodskoye, which gave the Bogorodsk craftsmen complete economic independence from the Sergiev Posad buyers. In 1923, due to the replenishment of the staff with new craftsmen, the previously created artel was transformed into the Bogorodsky Carver artel, at which a school began to work, teaching children, starting from the age of 7, the skill of woodcarving. In 1960, the artel "Bogorodsky carver" received the status of an art carving factory. This event was timed to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the birth of folk art craft in Bogorodskoye.

How is the Bogorodsk toy made?

Bogorodsk toys are traditionally made of soft wood - linden, aspen, alder, as soft wood is easier to work with. Harvested linden logs are dried using a special technology for at least 4 years, so linden harvesting is a continuous process. Dried logs are sawn and sent to the notch. The master marks the resulting blanks according to the pattern and then cuts out the toy with a special Bogorodsk knife. In the work of the carver, a chisel is also used. The finished parts of the toy are sent to the assembly shop, and at the final stage they are painted. Toys that are not subject to coloring are covered with a colorless varnish.

Features of the "Bogorodsk style" toys

Previously, it was in many kindergartens, and orders for manufacturing came even from above. Now the Bogorodskaya toy is very difficult. The state does not care about fishing. The craftsmen who work at the factory for a penny do not let her die completely. Even on private orders for wood, you can’t go far, they cheer you up more than business. Factory workers still remember how one day a new Russian came and asked to make a stupa for his mother-in-law as a gift. with a hint)

Today it is the Bogorodskaya toy factory.
The toy is about 350 years old. Then, under the control of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, woodworking began to develop in the nearby village of Bogorodskoye. They carved inocostas, platbands, wooden sculptures and toys. Later, a school of master carvers and a professional artel, the current factory, appeared.

A more romantic version tells of a peasant whose children got tired of playing with a wooden doll and abandoned it. The peasant took the doll to the fair, where he was lucky - the merchant saw the toy and ordered a batch. So the inhabitants of Bogorodsky began to engage in "toy business".

1. A toy is made from linden dried for 3-5 years. This soft wood is good for cutting.

2. After drying, the tree is sent to the notch. Process the future toy manually or on a lathe

3. The workpiece of the product is first cut down with an ax or cut out with a hacksaw according to a template

4. Then they are processed with tools - chisels and special very sharp Bogorodsk knives. Yes, the knives were local too. Once upon a time, while one part of the village was making toys, the second was preparing knives and chisels for their manufacture. Now masters use imported tools or make them themselves, only the name remains

5. An experienced worker takes 15-20 minutes to cut one workpiece. However, the working day of the master at the factory is short - until lunch. Then many go home for private work or to fulfill the order of the factory. We arrived just in time for dinner, and all the masters had already left. I had to show everything to the escort

6. In a month, according to the norm, it is necessary to hand over 130-140 products. Cuts and abrasions are common at work, but people are not discouraged

7. Work here. Smells like wood inside

9. After processing, the toy is assembled in parts

10. And these are the future Carlsons. Below will be colored

11. Although traditionally the toy was not painted, now this rule is sometimes deviated from. It turns out not worse)
Work with gouache, and then cover with harmless oil varnish

12. Previously, things were going well at the factory and several hundred people worked. Now there are fewer and fewer workers, some shops are even empty. They say that in 12 years the team has decreased by 2 times and has aged a lot

13. However, the toy is still wonderful. Look how cool Carlson

14. Kind and funny

15. Just class. The toy is held in his hands, the ball rotates - Carlson moves his hand and eats jam, a jar with which he has not yet been attached

16. But the spoon has already been given out

17. And he is happy)

18. There are toys with heroes of other fairy tales. Here the ball is spinning, and grandma and grandpa are baking a bun

19.

There are various moving plots - a cat catches fish, chickens peck grain. Such a toy develops imagination and hands

20. An unpainted toy often depicts the life of a peasant, “helped” by animals. However, there are many plots, and what the heroes will do depends on the imagination of the master. There are also mobile ones, like this - the most famous - "Blacksmiths"

21. Just like toys with animals

22. Mostly with bears

23. Or panel

24. In the museum at the factory, compositions on fairy-tale themes come across

25. Masters and unique things are carved, like these Northern War chess pieces. Peter and Charles XII with their queens

The big problem of the factory is new personnel. After graduating from a local art school, young people either leave or are engaged in private cutting. Otherwise, you won't survive. Here are the home workshops. It is also more profitable for many workers to work at home and receive a percentage from the order of the factory than to go to it for a ridiculous salary of several thousand.
Spoil the situation and "masters" selling fakes. There are many of them, according to the workers. Their quality is low, and the client can be easily deceived.
The factory is also assisted by the Zagorskaya PSP located in Bogorodskoye. The museum and part of the premises have been renovated, handicraft festivals are held, and traditions are not completely forgotten.

In addition to toys, the factory craftsmen make custom-made carved furniture, wooden wall panels with three-dimensional images of people and animals. There are no problems with raw materials. In the village, merchants sell linden from cars. Prices are affordable - one cubic meter costs several thousand, and it will last for a year of work.

Someone says that the fishing was ruined by the creation of a single factory. Making a toy is a creative matter, and putting the master in the office for a working day, demanding a monthly norm from him is a mockery. In such conditions, no one will remember about inspiration, you will have to work for the plan, and not for the soul. There is something true in this.

And I also remembered recently walking on the Internet Masha. It's a pity that such producers are now better off than good luck


Photo from the Internet

The Bogorodsk toy did not get into the symbols of the Olympics in Sochi, it was not called beautiful at the top, but in fact an empty set of television words like “pride of the region, with the help of which Russia continues to revive.” It is not given to foreigners at receptions. Today, the times of higher and mass orders are over. But the toy is alive. The remaining masters, mostly women, are fans of their craft.

The factory has a store. Prices - from several hundred rubles, there is a choice. In Moscow stores, it will certainly be more expensive. And in general, is it possible to buy this toy in Moscow?

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences L. REZANOV, teacher of technology at the Education Center No. 1828 "Saburovo" (Moscow).

From the history of the fishery

Science and life // Illustrations

Blacksmiths Mishka and Muzhik are a symbol of the Bogorodsk industry.

Balance ball toy.

The old building of the main educational building of the Bogorodsk vocational school. Photo taken in 1958.

Hereditary carver S. I. Balaev shows pupils of the Children's Academy of Russian Culture of the Saburovo Education Center how to make a pendulum toy.

The work of a master on a mobile toy is no longer likened to the art of a sculptor, but of a designer who assembles a composition from different parts.

Pupils of the Children's Academy of Russian Culture in the home workshop of the hereditary carver V. G. Eroshkin (sitting on the right).

Manual work on a toy takes quite a lot of time. First, the workpiece is cut down with an ax, then they begin processing with chisels and special Bogorodsk knives.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

The village of Bogorodskoye is located on the high bank of the Kunya River, not far from Sergiev Posad. Toy craft originated here in the 17th century under the influence of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery - at that time one of the largest centers of artistic crafts in Moscow Russia. Local craftsmen carved figures of people and animals from wood. Often such figurines had a symbolic meaning. The bear, the character of many folk tales, according to pagan beliefs, was a symbol of power. The goat personified good power, patronized the harvest. A ram and a cow symbolized fertility, a deer - abundance, a successful marriage.

The first figures of people, animals and birds were single and, as usual, unpainted. Beauty was suggested by patterned carving. From the second half of the 19th century, carvers began to make sculptural groups of several figures on a common basis: “Peasant Farming”, “Troika”, “Cavalry”, “Tea Party”, etc. The “Man and the Bear” in various plot productions became the symbol of the craft.

In 1911, local residents decided to organize training workshops. In 1913, the General Directorate of Agriculture and Land Management established an Educational and Demonstration Workshop with an instructor class in carving. The method of the educational process was first invented and introduced into the school by master Andrey Yakovlevich Chushkin. Children were taught drawing, woodworking technology and woodcarving.

At the same time, artisans founded an artel - a small joint production, where they jointly solved the problems of acquiring material, improving the quality of tools, marketing products, etc. A. Ya. Chushkin and F. S. Balaev are considered the creators of the artel. The enterprise was called so: “Handicraft-toy artel”. It included 19 talented carvers. They worked according to the charter approved by the Vladimir Governor-General I. N. Sazonov.

In 1914, a hostel for 10 students appeared at the Educational and Demonstrative Workshop, who were on a full government boarding school. In 1922, the workshop was renamed the Vocational School, which since 1990 became the Bogorodsk Art and Industrial School.

Artel in 1923 was named "Bogorodsky Carver". Since 1961, it has been the Bogorodsk Art Carving Factory. In 1993, the name "Bogorodsky carver" returned to the factory.

Many generations of glorious master carvers are inscribed in the annals of the craft: the Boblovkins, Barashkovs, Bardenkovs, Eroshkins, Zinins, Puchkovs, Stulovs, Ustratovs, Chushkins, Shishkins and others. These names are the embodiment of brilliant performing skills and creative thought.

Toy manufacturing technology

Before a toy hits the counter, it goes a long way. First you need to find a linden, such that there are fewer knots. Knots look bad on products, so they are either bypassed or cut out. You can remove the linden from the root only in winter, when all the juice goes into the ground and less moisture remains in the tree. And why are toys made from linden? Yes, because it is the softest for the carver, pliable, it is easier to work with it. After removing the bark, the linden is dried for two to three years in the air under a canopy. The bark is left only on the edges of the log in the form of rings so that the wood does not crack when it dries. The dried log is sawn into "churaks", that is, short trunks. And only after that the master proceeds to the planned work.

Bogorodsk products are made both manually and on lathes. Manual work is much more difficult. The workpiece is first cut down with an ax, a so-called notch is made, cuts are made with a hacksaw for wood. These operations give the product a general outline. Then proceed to processing with chisels. The finished unpainted toy is called "linen".

Dynamic, expressive, funny…

Bogorodsk toys are kind, funny, instructive, "alive". You will pull the smiling Twitch Bear by the rope, and he, greeting us, will spread his paws to the sides. Blacksmiths Mishka and Muzhik - the main characters of the Bogorodsk trade - hit the anvil with hammers if you move the bars one by one. According to the same principle, the toy "Soldiers on a Divorce" was made. You move the wooden planks apart - the soldiers diverge to the sides, you move the planks - they converge into slender lines. The Nutcracker cracks hazelnuts from touching the lever behind him. "Chickens in a circle" peck the grains thanks to the unwinding ball-balance. And there are toys that work on a spring mechanism hidden in a bedside table. When you press the button associated with the spring, the figures begin to move. The bear shakes the cradle, washes clothes, and can even iron them. To enliven genre scenes, carvers introduce into the composition images of trees with swaying leaves, mounted on thin wire springs.

Swing and spin, pull and push, push and slide - these universal elements of mobile mechanical toys serve to develop children's dexterity, develop fine motor skills of fingers. For kids, such fun is the best.

Excursion to the home workshop

Together with the pupils of the Children's Academy of Russian Culture of the Saburovo Education Center, I happened to visit Bogorodskoye more than once. Our last ethnographic expedition to these regions took place in February this year. Moscow schoolchildren watched the work and worked themselves in the home workshops of V. G. Eroshkin and S. I. Balaev.

On the facade of the house of Sergei Ivanovich Balaev, whose grandfather stood at the origins of the creation of the artel, there are carved figures of birds and animals painted in white. Passing by, you involuntarily look.

Sergei Ivanovich invited us to visit. Everything in his house reminds of the traditional way of life of a kind and strong peasant family. A large whitewashed stove, a red corner with icons, a high bed with numerous pillows, an old chest of drawers, black and white photographs on the walls. Of course, there is also a workbench. It is located near the window, where there is more natural light, so that the eyes are less strained. The tool is in the cells of a rag foldout bag, which is easily unfolded on a workbench and just as easily folded without taking up much space. The cutters in such a bag are not blunt and will not hurt anyone. On the front side of the workbench, a short thrust board is fixed, all pitted with incisors jumping off during work. Thanks to this board, which can be easily replaced with a new one, the workbench does not deteriorate. Above the workbench, the carpenter's tools necessary for the carver, cardboard templates of various products are hung. The template is applied to the workpiece and outlined with a pencil.

There must be a stump next to the workbench, on which the workpiece is hacked or cut with a hacksaw. Only after this does the processing of the product begin with chisels and sharp Bogorodsk knives. The cutter prepares the tool and material in advance. So that the wood does not dry out, in the winter it is stored in a plastic bag, and sometimes even wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a bag. Dried material is more difficult to cut.

Professionals do not have large waste of linden in their work. Appreciate every piece, use for all sorts of little things. And only shavings and knotty trimmings go into the oven.

Sergei Ivanovich showed us with pleasure how he makes a pendulum toy "A boy holding a Firebird by the tail", using the simplest tools - an ax, a knife, chisels and chisels.

How to become a toy maker

You can master the technique of carving and get the profession of a master artist of a unique Russian folk craft at the Bogorodsk Art and Industrial School. Entrance exams for applicants on the basis of grades 9-11 are held annually in August. Students for the period of study (four incomplete years) master academic drawing, sculpture, painting, design graphics.

Teachers develop observation, creative initiative in students and make a lot of effort so that students can participate in various competitions and exhibitions. Every year, students' works are exhibited at the Moscow Fair of Folk Art Crafts of Russia "Ladya", in the "City of Masters" at the All-Russian Exhibition Center, at the All-Russian Exhibition "Young Talents of Russia" and often win prizes.

Over the 95 years of its existence, the Bogorodsk School of Industrial Art has released hundreds of carvers from its walls, many of them have become high-class artists. The Museum of Samples and Diploma Works of School Graduates complements the huge collection of exhibits of the museum of the Bogorodsky Carver factory. Both collections keep the history and heritage of the Bogorodsk industry.

Products of Bogorodsk craftsmen are exhibited in the State Historical Museum, the All-Russian Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art, the Toy Museum and the Historical and Artistic State Museum-Reserve of Sergiev Posad and in many other cultural centers of the country. They are also known abroad. Bogorodsk toys and sculptures were widely presented this fall at the exhibition in the Stroganov Palace, one of the branches of the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg).

The article is illustrated with photographs provided by the teaching staff of the Bogorodsk Art and Industrial School.

We have already seen the famous Bogorodsk toy at the exhibition at the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts in Moscow. It's time to go to Bogorodskoe, near Moscow itself. There is a factory where these toys are made, and with it - a museum. It is quite easy to identify the factory: already above the gate there are carved figures.

Wooden sculpture meets us in the factory yard - you just have to look closely.

The museum is located in the factory complex itself. So feel free to go inside, where “entrance” is written on the door - they will already explain to you what and how.
They will explain, among other things, that the tradition of wooden carving in Bogorodskoye is very old. She has long been decorated with completely everyday things: yokes, spinning wheels and all that stuff.

When did toys appear here? Often referred to as the 17th century. However, the exact date, of course, is difficult to name. The museum at the factory - then still the artel "Bogorodsky carver" - arose more than a hundred years ago. Initially, as an assortment cabinet - that is, a collection of samples for internal use. But later it opened to the public. The works of Bogoda masters from the 19th century to the present day are collected here - in total, the collection contains over three thousand exhibits.

The Bogorodsk toy began with characters and plots of a domestic nature.

Of course, there are soldiers here too.

Early figurines are mostly small - the traditional toy was primarily aimed at children. And here the fact that the toy is moving stands out - although it is unlikely that its first authors could scientifically talk about the benefits of developing micromotor skills.

There are several technologies here. Here is a push-button toy - it comes into motion when you press a button or a key on a pedestal. Then the fox will try to grab Kolobok, and the bear will start chopping the log.

The second kinetic technique is balance. To bring such a toy into action, you need to swing the ball suspended from below. This is how the classic Bogorodsk "hens" pecking at the grain are arranged.

There are also a wide variety of characters and plots.

Finally, the most classic - "slats". This is how the famous "Man and the Bear" are arranged, which - if the bars are moved relative to each other - take turns hitting the anvil.

It is no coincidence that this toy has become the emblem of the Bogorodsk factory and flaunts on its facade. And in the museum, she is presented even in quite human growth - little visitors can feel like one of the heroes.

Here is another version of the "plank" toy.

And a variation of the same technique - here the planks move according to the principle of an accordion.

There are more rare ways to set toys in motion. Basically, these are already larger and more detailed compositions.

Here we are already moving on to a peculiar genre of “cabinet sculpture”. Initially, there were rural scenes, carriages, "tea parties". But sometimes historical characters.

But still, the main character of the Bogorodsk carving has long been a bear. Sometimes by itself, sometimes with the person.

But now we get to the shop windows of the Soviet period and see the plots are completely different.

A man and a bear present us with the Soviet coat of arms. And the next scene is "Land Decree".

In general, there are quite a lot of Lenin and in different variations and types. Although such things were not made in a large number of copies, they were mainly made to order as official gifts.

But these "three heroes" are in fact Frunze, Budyonny and Kotovsky. And other Chapaevs and carts are also present.

But the same epoch gives us fabulous and literary plots.

And here is the young Pushkin with Arina Rodionovna.

What's funny - sculptures depicting politicians are sometimes ordered from Bogorodsk masters even today. I was called, in particular, the names of Putin and Luzhkov. It is a pity, but their images are not presented in the museum exposition.

On the other hand, of course, there are not only children's toys still being produced in many places (where now a hare can appear not only with a drum, but also with a laptop), but also a cabinet sculpture. It's mostly animation now.

There are also interesting variants of high reliefs.

Moreover, such an office sculpture may well reach the size of a completely park - in full bearish growth.

Another recent innovation is the appearance of religious subjects (after all, Sergiev Posad is not far away).

And of course, the technology of manual carving is shown - of course, on the example of bears. The material is soft wood - mainly linden.

And here is the owner of the museum, Natalya Alexandrovna, who will tell you all these and many other details.

We go outside - and once again we consider the park sculptures installed there. The stories are mostly fictional. Well, or "bear".

But the trees on the road to Bogorodskoye were so frosty. Well, I don’t promise a similar spectacle at any time - it depends on the weather.

In principle, the museum at the Bogorodsk factory is regularly open on weekdays, until 17:00. However, firstly, you can book a tour and even a master class on Saturdays - you just need to do this in advance.

Secondly, in May here, on the territory of the factory, a traditional festival will be held - this is May 16-17-18, that is, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The festival is of course open to the public.

Well, and thirdly, the museum is seriously thinking about making Saturday, in principle, an open excursion day. We will wait for information on this.

Now how to get there.

First, to get one way or another in Sergiev Posad. It is possible by car (which is convenient, although it is fraught with traffic jams on the outskirts of Moscow). You can take the train (which, as it turned out, go in the direction of Sergiev Posad quite often - most likely, you won’t have to wait more than half an hour at any time of the day).

Further for motorists: having entered Sergiev Posad and moving along the main road, do not miss shortly after the Lavra left on the left, turn left to Uglich-Kalyazin. Further, according to the scheme presented on the museum's website (in other words, all the time straight, right up to the turn to the right at the huge sign "Zagorskaya PSP").

For those who travel by public transport: there is a bus station right in front of the railway station in Sergiev Posad. From where you can get to Bogorodskoye by bus or minibus with the same number 49. The minibus runs more often and goes faster. Bus - less often and on schedule (about once an hour). In general, it has an advantage, perhaps, only for regularly traveling local residents who have travel cards for it, but for a single trip, the minibus is still more convenient.

In any case, you must go to the final stop. From which to go forward a little in the direction of travel (landmark - a healthy red and white pipe). The official address of the factory is Bogorodskoye, 79 B (that's right, without the street).