A story about a Dymkovo toy for preschoolers
"In a workshop Dymkovo toys»
Program content
Raise in children respect and interest in folk crafts
To consolidate ideas about the process of creating toys
Learn how to create an image using the skills and techniques of modeling.
To develop the ability to work with clay.
Cultivate accuracy, develop creative initiative.
Material for the lesson
Panel "Winter", illustrations "Folk toy", Dymkovo toys, clay, stacks, water, boards, brushes, napkins, modeling flow charts.
Technical support
Music Center.
Music
“Oh frost, frost”, “Lady”, “Chatushki” (folk)
Lesson progress
The song "Oh frost, frost" sounds. The children enter the room.
1st child
By the road, spruces sleep in hoarfrost
The trees are sleeping, the river is sleeping,
Icebound.
Softly falling snow
billowing blue smoke
As if in a haze all around,
blue gave
2nd child
And the native village people
"Dymkovo" was called.
They loved songs and dances.
Fairy tales were born in that village.
Evenings are long in winter
And sculpted there from clay
3rd child
All toys are difficult
And magically painted
Snow-white, like birches,
Circles, cells. Stripes.
4th child
Seemingly simple pattern.
And you can't look away.
And went about the haze of glory,
Deserve it right!
5th child
They talk about her everywhere.
We will bow to an amazing miracle more than once!
And about the Dymkovo toy
We are now telling a story.
caregiver
What are these toys - Dymkovo?
Girls in costumes "Lady" come out and perform
"Toys ditties" P. Sinyavsky
Our pretzel hands
Cheeks like apples.
Have known us for a long time
All the people at the fair.
We are painted toys
Vyatka laughers,
Slobodskie dandies,
Posad gossips.
Dymkovo ladies
more beautiful than everyone in the world,
and the hussars are minions
our gentlemen!
With ribbons and bows
We walk with dandies.
We walk in pairs
We swim with peahens.
We are noble toys
Complicated and fine.
We are famous everywhere.
We will love you too!
caregiver
Did you like funny ladies? And where can we get acquainted with other Dymkovo toys?
Children's answers
caregiver
I invite you to the museum of folk toys. Here we will see various toys made by the hands of craftsmen.
(children examine and name familiar toys)
caregiver
And now, to test your knowledge, we will play.
D / and "Choose a horse" (from the proposed images - Filimonovo, Kargopol, Gorodets, Dymkovo toys - choose the last one and justify the choice)
caregiver
Well done! You have completed the task. And now I suggest that you become masters for a while and invite you to the workshop.
The workshop is closed. To enter it, you must answer the questions.
What are Dymkovo toys made of?
What other materials are needed?
What tools are needed for the job?
The workshop opens. Children come in, put on aprons and sit down at their workplaces
caregiver
Check if everything is ready to go? (children answer) Note!
(on the posters - samples and modeling techniques). Choose what you want to mold.
caregiver
What should be a toy so that it is convenient to paint it? (survey)
caregiver
Now you get to work. Try to keep your work beautiful, neat. At good master The workplace is always clean and tidy. I hope that we will be able to dry, whiten and paint the toys made by your hands!
Children get to work, the educator monitors the work, advises, shows the methods of working on a piece of clay.
Physical education minute
I ask you to rise - this is the time.
The head turned - it's two.
Hands up, look ahead - that's three.
We spread our hands wider by four.
Squeeze your fingers with force, unclench them - this is five.
All the guys sit down quietly - it's six!
Children finish work, wash their hands.
SUMMARY
Educator.
Let's see how our masters coped with the work.
Are all toys okay?
Whose work do you like the most? Why?
What is the most accurate toy?
And who came up with and blinded something of their own?
Offer to choose toys that can be sent for firing and painting.
The Russian folk melody "Lady" sounds
caregiver
Who worked from the heart - now have fun, dance!
Children dance, at the end of the music they leave the hall.
Dymkovo fishing - a unique phenomenon of the Russian folk art that came to us from time immemorial. It is believed that it originated in the 15th-16th centuries in the settlement of Dymkovo on the low right bank of the Vyatka River near the city of Khlynova-Vyatka.
NHP "Dymkovo", Union of Artists of Russia, CC BY-SA 3.0In the settlement of Dymkovo, toys were made by whole families. This usually happened during the period when the field work ended, from late autumn to early spring.
They dug and kneaded clay, manually crushed and rubbed lump chalk with paint grinders, sculpted, dried and fired. And then they painted.
Guide to Russian Crafts, CC BY-SA 3.0 The toys were whitewashed with chalk diluted in skimmed cow's milk, painted with egg colors, decorated with large spots of golden sweat.
The fair "" was a continuation of the annual commemoration of the inhabitants of Khlynov and Veliky Ustyug, who died during the sad battle, which went down in the history of the city as the Khlynov massacre, when "you did not know your own."
In memory of this event, a memorial cross was erected near the Razderikhinsky ravine, and then a chapel. After that, a riotous merry holiday began, which lasted for three days, where Vyatka residents, young and old, whistled into clay whistles.
The oldest craftswoman of the Dymkovo toy E.I. Penkina recalled her childhood like this:
“... All the townspeople went to Svistunya with their children - for three days the guys whistled into whistles, pipes at home, on the street - and received all sorts of toys for the whole year. Father and mother also used to sell their clay toys - they would give us money for sweets - sweets, gingerbread, and the gingerbread was special - they brought them from Arkhangelsk - more from black dough with white sugar, figured ... ".
Now the holiday has lost its original form. An idea of it is given to us by the creative compositions of Dymkovo craftswomen of different generations, made during the 20th and early 21st centuries.
“The colorful multi-colored images of people, animals and birds stand out clearly on the white surface of the walls, preserving both in colors and in forms all the expressiveness of the primitive inherent in a Dymkovo toy.” This is how the Dymkovo relief was born, which firmly entered the arsenal of Dymkovo craftswomen of the second half of the 20th century.
The article uses photographs from the Tsaritsyn Museum of Folk and Applied Art of the Peoples of the USSR
Part of the information is taken with permission from the site: dymkatoy.ru - Kirov city branch of the All-Russian creative public organization "Union of Artists of Russia" - Folk art craft "Dymkovo toy"
Summary of the lesson "Dymkovo toy" for children 6-7 years old
Nersesyan Naira Igorevna, teacher of MBDOU " Kindergarten general developmental species No. 144", VoronezhLesson progress
Educator: Guys, you all have toys, but what are they made of?
Even the horses are in festive attire.
Educator: What do all these toys have in common?
Children: All toys have bright colors, all on a white background, covered with beautiful patterns.
Educator: And what do you think, what paint is first covered with a toy?
Children: White. On a white background, the patterns stand out well and beautifully..
Educator: Can you guess where the masters got the white color from?
Children: They took from the snow, from winter. Toys were sculpted in winter!!!
Educator: That's right. The masters took the white background from snow-covered fields, when in winter everything around is white and white. In those places, the winter is long, and there is a lot of snow. The craftsmen want to make the toy as clean and white as snow. Why are they bright?
(Children watch the video on the interactive whiteboard, the teacher talks in parallel).
A lot of work needs to be invested in order to make the toy so elegant. It is born three times. The first time it is born when it is molded from red clay. The traces of modeling are smoothed out to give the product a smooth and neat surface. The toy must be burned to make it durable. The toy heats up from strong heat, and when it cools down, the clay becomes ringing and strong. So the toy is born a second time. There is a trial by fire. And when is the third time born?
Children: The toy is born for the third time when it is whitewashed and painted with paints.
Educator: Then it is whitewashed with chalk, diluted milk, and painted. Sometimes pieces of gold leaf are stuck on top of the pattern, giving even more elegance to the toy. So it is born for the third time. Beautiful bright, elegant toys are sold at the fair. Making a toy, from modeling to painting, is a process unique and creative, never repeating. There are no and cannot be two absolutely identical products. Each toy is unique, one and only.
Dymkovo toy is one of the oldest art crafts in Russia. It has existed for over 400 years and still has not lost its popularity. On the contrary, it enjoys constant success both in our country and far beyond its borders.
The homeland of the trade is the city of Kirov (formerly Vyatka and Khlynov), or rather Dymkovskaya Sloboda, now part of the city
Legend
There is a legend that the origin of the craft is connected with the events of ancient times. One night, two friendly troops met near the city and, not recognizing each other in the dark, went into battle. Many people died in that random battle. Since then, the tradition has gone every spring to celebrate a feast for the dead.
Over time, this story has been forgotten. The celebration, having lost its tragic meaning, turned into mass festivities - a festival of whistling, or pandemonium, on which it was supposed to whistle and throw painted clay balls. Emergence of craft The annual demand for clay whistles and painted balls, as well as own deposits of clay suitable for ceramics, predetermined the fate of Dymkovskaya Sloboda. Gradually, special modeling and painting techniques developed, which made local toys recognizable and in demand.
In the 15th-16th centuries, when the Dymkovo folk toy appeared, the pagan ideas of the Slavs largely lost their significance. Toys of an earlier period were extremely simple in form, because their sacred meaning was considered decisive. With the rejection of pre-Christian rites and rituals, the forms of toys began to change, acquiring sophistication and beauty.
That Dymkovo toy, which is known today, reflects the Russian life of the XIX century. Images of ladies and gentlemen, flaunting in magnificent dresses, appeared at a later time. Nevertheless, the masters carefully preserve the traditions and techniques that developed during the period of the birth of this art. Dymkovo fishing in the Soviet period 
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Dymkovo fishery was practically lost. Only one hereditary craftswoman remained, who kept the traditions of making and painting toys - A. A. Mezrina. Thanks to her and the artist A. I. Denypin, the first researcher of Dymkovo art, the craft was revived in the early 1930s. A group of enthusiasts gathered around Denypin and Mezrina, most of whom were connected by family ties. Through their efforts, the Dymkovo toy has regained its former glory. Crafts live not only thanks to the preservation of traditions, but also under the condition of the appearance of new plots. This is called natural development.
Craftswomen of the 20-30s of the 20th century significantly enriched the set of images of the Dymkovo toy. A. A. Mezrina quite strictly observed the traditional rules of modeling and painting. E. A. Koshkina made group compositions popular. Especially famous is her work "Sale of Dymkovo Toys", made for an international exhibition in Paris in 1937. E. I. Penkina switched her attention to the depiction of everyday prose subjects, and O. I. Konovalova (daughter of the craftswoman Mezrina) is known for her love for the depiction of animals.
Dymkovo toy: history, images and plots
For all its outward simplicity, the Dymkovo toy is very imaginative and expressive. History keeps images of the first products of Dymkovo craftswomen, which were more conditional than decorative. Modern toys are more varied and artistic. Adherents of craft love to repeat that there are no two identical figures. However, the whole variety of their species can be divided into five main groups (See table in PDF).
Form features
All Dymkovo toys are monolithic and even monumental. They always expand downwards: ladies due to puffy skirts, gentlemen are always on horseback, animals have short and stable legs. Such forms are due to manufacturing technology. It is almost impossible to sculpt figures on thin long legs, because it is necessary to make sure that they do not settle under the weight of the body during drying. 
Stages of making a Dymkovo toy
The manufacturing technology is quite simple. The Dymkovo toy is made in stages. Main stages: modeling, drying and firing, whitewashing and painting. Let's dwell on each of them in more detail.
Modeling Dymkovo toys
Sculpt Dymkovo toys in parts. First, balls of various sizes are rolled from washed, greasy clay diluted with sand. Then they are flattened to obtain flat cakes, from which the body of the toy is made. Smaller parts (arms, heads, tails) are attached to the body. The places where the parts are fastened are abundantly moistened with water, then the joints are smoothed with a damp cloth. Align the figure with wet fingers. For example, the manufacture of a lady begins with the modeling of a cone-shaped skirt. A torso with a slightly elongated neck is attached to it. A ball depicting a head is fixed on the neck. A little lower is a sausage, from which arms folded at the waist are made with gentle movements. After that, it's time to dress up the toy. She is given a hairdo of twisted curls, a hat or a kokoshnik, a patterned scarf is thrown over her shoulders, or a jacket with a puffy collar and sleeves is made. And, finally, a handbag, a dog or a child are given into the hands of a woman. The Dymkovo toy horse consists of the following parts: a cylindrical body, four short cone-shaped legs, a curved neck, turning into an elongated muzzle. After the base of the toy is ready, it is supplemented with a mane, tail and small ears.
Drying and firing
Each Dymkovo toy must go through a drying stage before firing, the duration of which depends on the size of the figurine, as well as on the characteristics of the room (humidity, air temperature, etc.). On average, this stage takes from 2-3 days to 2-3 weeks. After that, it's time for the roasting. Previously, it was made in a Russian oven on an iron pan placed directly above the firewood. The toys were heated red-hot and then left to cool in the same oven. Now special electrical equipment is used for firing, which made the process less time-consuming and dangerous.
Whitewash
After firing in the oven, the toy becomes red-brown, so it is bleached before applying the patterns. For this, a special solution is prepared from chalk powder and milk. When milk is soured, this solution hardens, forming a uniform casein layer on the surface of the toy. Numerous attempts to change the composition and method of applying whitewash did not give positive results. The hue turned out to be yellowish, and the texture was uneven, so whitewashing is still done in the way that was used several centuries ago. This technology is abandoned only in some cases, for example, in children's creativity, when crafts are made junior group. Dymkovo toy in this case is painted with ordinary gouache.
painting
After the whitewash dries, the stage of painting begins - the application of simple patterns with bright colors. The choice of colors is small: blue, orange, green, brown, yellow, crimson. Additional colors can be obtained by diluting the main ones with chalk. So, bleached blue and crimson give blue and pink, respectively. Instead of brushes, in the old days they used wooden sticks wrapped in linen. Therefore, the ornament was extremely simple: straight or wavy lines, circles, rhombuses, etc. At present, craftswomen use brushes from a column or a ferret. By the way, a raw egg is added to the paint. This allows you to make the colors more saturated and gives the figure a shine. Lastly, the toy is decorated with gold leaf. Geometric figures cut out of it are glued to the hats and collars of ladies, ears or horns of animals. From this, the Dymkovo toy acquires a special festiveness.
Painting, as a rule, is applied according to a certain pattern. The faces of the humans are pretty much the same. Cheeks and mouth are outlined with raspberry paint, arches of eyebrows and round eyes are drawn with black. Hair is dyed predominantly in a dark color: black or brown. Shirts and headdresses are made monophonic, and ladies' skirts and animal skins are ornamented over white.
Ornament
All toys are decorated with a strict ornament from geometric shapes: circles, stripes, cells, rhombuses and zigzags. Craftswomen do not think over the pattern in advance. It is born in the process of painting, depending on the shape and size of the figurine. Therefore, it is generally accepted that the connection between the decor and the base is inseparable, and it is impossible to find two identical toys.
Drawing a Dymkovo toy
Despite the deliberate simplicity of the ornament, it is very symbolic and depicts important concepts for a Russian person. So, a wavy line is associated with a river or water in a broad sense, cells formed by intersecting lines resemble a log house or a well, and a circle with a dot in the center is a symbol of the sun and other heavenly bodies.
The figurines themselves and the painting covering them reflect the life and beliefs of the Russian people.
The current state of the fishery
The Dymkovo field still does not have serial production. Each toy is handmade, made according to all the canons that have evolved over the centuries. Each craftswoman has her own recognizable handwriting, each product is unique and unrepeatable. Thanks to this, the craft does not lose its popularity. The pandemonium holiday has not been celebrated for a long time, so Dymkovo toys have lost their ritual significance. Now they serve as bright souvenirs and a reminder of the rich history and culture of the Russian people. Today, not only individual enthusiasts, but also entire organizations - commercial, state, public - are in favor of the preservation and development of the fishery.
So, in 2010, in the center of Kirov (formerly Vyatka), with the participation of Megafon, a monument to the Dymkovo toy was erected. It is a sculptural group called "Family", which includes a lady with a baby in her arms, a gentleman playing the harmonica, a child and pets. Dymkovo folk toy
In 2014, at the opening of the Olympics in Sochi, among other assets of Russian art, a Dymkovo toy was also presented.
Dymkovo toys - along with other art crafts - speak of the richness and originality of Russian culture
Sloboda Dymkovo
Dymkovo craft is a unique phenomenon of Russian folk art that has come to us from time immemorial. It is believed that it originated in the 15th-16th centuries in the settlement of Dymkovo on the low right bank of the Vyatka River near the city of Khlynova-Vyatka. It was there that the hereditary tradition of making clay toys along the female line, passed down from mother to daughter, developed and developed. Gradually, dynasties of craftswomen of the Dymkovo toy took shape: the Nikulins, the Penkins, the Koshkins... Each of them had its own characteristics of products in shape and proportions, coloring and ornaments. Here, in the settlement, in the 19th century, from 30 to 50 families of toy-makers lived and worked.
"Whistle"
In the past, whole families made toys in the Dymkovo settlement, dug and kneaded clay, manually crushed and rubbed lump chalk with paint grinders, sculpted, dried and fired from autumn to spring. Closer to the startfairs "Whistles-whistles"
, which took place on the fourth Saturday after Easter, the toys were whitewashed with chalk diluted in skimmed cow's milk, painted with egg paints, decorated with large spots of golden sweat. And then on boats they brought bright original goods to the city of Vyatka for a holiday, delighting children and adults with their art. The fair was a continuation of the annual commemoration of the inhabitants of Khlynov and Veliky Ustyug, who died during the sad battle that went down in the history of the city asKhlynov massacre
when "you don't know your own". In memory of this event, a memorial cross was erected near the Razderikhinsky ravine, and then a chapel. After that, a riotous merry holiday began, which lasted for three days, where Vyatka residents, young and old, whistled into clay whistles.
Here is how General Khitrovo, who saw this holiday in 1811, describes it: “The inhabitants of the city of Vyatka gather in crowds this day to a small wooden chapel, where they sing memorial services for the repose of the souls of their compatriots and relatives killed that day ... The whole morning is devoted to prayer, and the rest this remarkable day - a walk and amusements. The people gather with small whistles and whistle all day long, walking along the streets, and, standing on the rampart, throwing clay balls into the ditch. In honor of the widows left after the battle, clay dolls, painted and gilded, are sold in those places. This holiday is called in this region "pandemonium".
Being an eyewitness, the Vyatka writer V.V. Lebedev wrote in Vyatka Notes: “When you get to the square and walk among the whistling crowd, it seems that you are walking on air. Everyone has laughing and some kind of daring faces. Walking people carefully hold in front of their faces a small clay toy, worth three or five kopecks, depicting a two-headed beast or a ram with gold spots on the sides. In the tail of this ram they whistle ... ".
The oldest craftswoman of the Dymkovo toy E.I. Penkina recalled her childhood in this way: “... All the townspeople went to Svistunya with their children - for three days the guys whistled into whistles, pipes at home, on the street - and received all sorts of toys for the whole year. My father and mother also used to sell their clay toys - they would give us money for sweets - sweets, gingerbread, and the gingerbread was special - they brought them from Arkhangelsk - mostly from black dough with white sugar, curly ... ". Unfortunately, now this holiday, which existed before the 1920s, has been lost, but the creative compositions of Dymkovo craftswomen of different generations, made during the 20th and early 21st centuries, give us an idea of it.
It is known that the Dymkovo toy, which has ancient roots, is mentioned in chronicles in the 15th-16th centuries. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century, it was a single independent figures of people, animals, birds, whistles, carrying ancient images - people's ideas about the world.
Keepers of the trade: Anna Mezrina and Alexey Denshin
It was then, a hundred years ago, that a serious threat arose to the existence of the ancient Dymkovo craft. The production of Dymkovo toys gradually declined, “did not feed”, as before, and many craftswomen from hereditary families stopped working, left in search of another craft. In the Dymkovo settlement itself, in contrast to the clay toy, workshops for the manufacture of plaster products flourished, which are in great demand among the local population and at fairs in other large cities. Some craftswomen moonlighted "on gypsum", doing their coloring. Only one craftswoman continued to sculpt toys from clay in the old fashioned way. It was Anna Afanasievna Mezrina (1853–1938), whose work has become a connecting thread between the past and the future of the Dymkovo craft, a classic for modern craftswomen.
She taught this art to her two daughters. Alexander Ivanovna Mezrin (1874–1934) and Olga Ivanovna Konovalova (1886–1979).
At that moment, the Vyatka landscape painter, an ascetic and an expert on the Dymkovo craft Alexey Ivanovich Denshin (1893–1948). From the age of 15, he became interested in the work of illiterate craftswomen, sketched their toys, studied the process of work, and managed to discern real art in their works. He had a special love for the work of A.A. Mezrina.
A. I. Denshin’s interest in folk art arose after attending Sunday courses in drawing and painting, organized on the initiative of the Zemstvo in 1908 at the Vyatka Technical School. Drawing teacher I. F. Fedorov, a graduate of the Stroganov School of Applied Arts in Moscow, carried away his students with endless conversations about Russian art and Russian artists, about folk art and craftsmen. He gave the first foundations of knowledge on the history of the styles of Russian art and folk art, especially Vyatka, samples of which he collected and collected. This love for folk art, instilled in him, resulted in A.I. Denshin into serious work “on collecting and sketching samples of Vyatka folk art products” throughout his life, which he combined with a passion for painting.
After the revolution of 1917 A.I. Denshin was actively engaged in the study and promotion of the Dymkovo fishery. Fearing his death and trying to draw the attention of the new authorities to this problem, the artist creates hand-made albums “Vyatka clay toy in drawings” (1917), “Vyatka clay toy. Elegant dolls” (1919), “Vyatka ancient clay toys” (1926), published in Vyatka and Moscow in small editions, immediately becoming a bibliographic rarity. A valuable part of the publications was not only textual materials on the history of the fishery, but most of all attracted sketches of Dymkovo toys, made by the artist on lithographic stones, followed by hand-painting with egg colors, exactly copied from the originals. They subsequently became an indispensable material for studying the traditions of craftsmen of all generations.
In addition, the artist also collected and took to the museums of Moscow and St. Petersburg the first collections of Dymkovo toys. So the general public learned about the Vyatka Dymkovo fishery. This activity soon bore fruit. The craft survived in the most difficult times, and in 1934 the oldest craftswoman A. A. Mezrina was even granted a personal pension. In the 1930s, the popularity of the Dymkovo toy increased (publications, orders from metropolitan museums for toy collections, participation in the World Exhibitions in Paris and New York). Denshin attracted back to the craft not only old experienced craftswomen (E. A. Koshkina (1871–1953), E. I. Penkina (1882–1948)), but also interested young people in this art.
The oldest craftswomen
In the 1920s and 30s, the Dymkovo fishery developed in the old fashioned way as a typical domestic folk craft. There were no artels here, as in other crafts of that time. Since 1934, the craftswomen handed over their toys as homeworkers, first to the gypsum products factory in the Dymkovo settlement itself, and then transported them to the city to the Kirov Artist partnership.
In the 1920s and 30s, the attention of the Soviet state to art crafts increased. This intervention in their traditional structure of images led to an expansion of the subject, a change in color and ornamental order. At this time, the first compositions appeared, consisting of several figures, connected in meaning and united by a solid base (“pancake”). This technique made it possible to reflect themes with maximum liveliness. real life in genre scenes. Hereditary craftswomen A. A. Mezrina, E. A. Koshkina, E. I. Penkina were the first to embark on a new path in creativity.
Elizaveta Alexandrovna Koshkina she sculpted traditional free-standing figures more, but in the 1930s and 1940s she turned, together with everyone else, to the creation of multi-figured compositions. She sculpted scenes of two or three characters on the basis, often in collaboration with her daughter Zinovia Fedorovna Bezdenezhnykh(1901–1964), who did the painting. So, the composition “Collective Farm Yard” appeared, where, along with the traditional images of people, domestic animals and birds, an architectural motif arose - a collective farm barn.
1960s
Elizaveta Ivanovna Penkina in the 1940s, she actively developed a fairy-tale theme (since 1938, craftswomen helped her in painting L. N. Nikulina (1906-1961) and E. I. Koss-Denshina (1901-1979)). A significant role here was played by the 100th anniversary of A.S. Pushkin, who suggested folk craftsmen of various crafts, fairy-tale images close to every Russian person. So, E. I. Penkina appeared the compositions “At the Lukomorye”, “Baba Yaga”, where a fabulous hut on chicken legs arose.
In 1939, a team of craftswomen consisting of E. A. Koshkina, E. I. Penkina, O. I. Konovalova and Z. F. Bezdenezhnykh under the leadership of A.I. Denshina participated in the design of the hall of the Kirov region in the Leningrad-North-East pavilion at the opening of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition in Moscow.
The press in those years wrote: "The colorful multi-color images of people, animals and birds stand out clearly on the white surface of the walls, preserving both in colors and in forms all the expressiveness of the primitive inherent in the Dymkovo toy." This is how the Dymkovo relief was born, which firmly entered the arsenal of Dymkovo craftswomen of the second half of the 20th century.
During the war years and after
The outbreak of the Great Patriotic War dealt a big blow to the resurgent Dymkovo industry. The craftsmen were out of work. At first, it seemed that in such a difficult time for the whole country, clay toys were not needed. But soon the optimistic Dymkovo toy again became a success, there was a great demand for it. In 1942, the production of toys was resumed. Alexey Denshin wrote in the newspaper: “The Dymkovo toy was then proof of the invincibility of the Russian folk spirit, which was also manifested in the field of folk art. As a cheerful, warlike song that raises the spirit of a fighter in the great struggle against a bloodthirsty enemy, so the Dymkovo toy these days played the role of some kind of bright, cheerful factor of the perennial creative forces of the people, their genius.
In 1943 the decision was made to resume the apprenticeship. And in February 1944, the Presidium of the All-Union Cooperative Association "Artist" decided: "Indicate to the board of the Kirov Association that the main type of production of the Partnership is the Dymkovo stucco toy as a product of folk art, intended for export. The partnership is obliged to focus all its attention on the quality of the toy, on the development of artistic and creative initiative among the toy masters to create original samples and on the further involvement of new personnel in this type of creativity.
After the Victory over fascism, reborn from the ashes, the country again turned to the joyful creativity of the Dymkovo craftswomen. Funds were allocated to improve their working conditions, to train young people. But organizational difficulties did not allow to solve this problem on the ground. In addition, the older generation of craftswomen (E. I. Penkina, E. A. Koshkina) and A. I. Denshin are dying. In 1955, labor agreements were concluded for the training of young craftswomen. In 1956, there were already eight craftswomen of the Dymkovo toy, among whom were young E. Z. Koshkina (1914–1993) and Z. V. Penkina (1897–1988), daughters-in-law E. A. Koshkina and E. I. Penkina. Their names will soon become famous.
Since the late 1950s, a revival of art crafts began in the country, interest was shown in ancient national roots, and the problem of traditions and their development was studied. The Dymkovo craftswomen begin their creative take-off, the search for new solutions. The demand for a toy increased, it began to be divided into two categories: more traditional (“mass”) and exhibition. The last group of products was more often made for numerous art exhibitions - regional, zonal, republican, all-Union, international and even personal. Publications in the capital and local press, the attention of specialists, museum workers make the names of craftswomen famous.
The first generations of students
In 1955, well-known craftswomen E. A. Smirnova, Z. I. Kazakova, A. V. Kuzminykh came to the craft as students in the future. In 1958, Z.V. Penkin and E.Z. Koshkin were also accepted for their joint training with Z.F. Bezdenezhnykh and L. N. Nikulina another "star" group of students: L. S. Falaleev, L. A. Ivanov, A. P. Pechenkin, A. F. Popyvanov, V. P. Plemyannikov, N. P. Trukhin , A. I. Vorozhtsov, N. N. Sukhanov, G. I. Baranov.
E. Z. Koshkina Z. F. Bezdenezhnykh LA Ivanova
“They changed in turn - one taught for a month, and then another. This was done in order for us to understand the difference in the "hand", i.e. modeling, painting, craftsmanship, the character of the teacher in his work on the toy. So from Evdokia Zakharovna we learned to sculpt hens, ladies in caps, boatmen, horsemen, whistles. Subsequently, these toys were called "cats". All of them are very similar to teachers - the same portly, full of health, smooth and round - the very soul of Koshkin, ”recalled years later one of the students, Valentina Petrovna Plemyannikova. And in the memory of Lydia Sergeevna Falaleeva there were words - parting words of Zoya Vasilievna Penkina: “Girls, because clay is such a material, tear it off and drop it, if there is a lot. If it's not enough, take it and add more."
At first, all the young craftswomen sat in one room in the Artist's House (Svoboda St., 65). Artistic director of the craft at the time Evgenia Alekseevna Okisheva (1927-2007) took novice craftswomen to local museums, where they sketched the works of the oldest ones - A. A. Mezrina, E. A. Koshkina, E. I. Penkina and others in whole albums. Many craftswomen worked in the art studio at the House of Artists.
About the work of the Laureates
In 1967, a group of craftswomen (Z. V. Penkina, E. Z. Koshkina, E. I. Koss-Denshina, O. I. Konovalova) received the title of Laureates of the State Prize of the RSFSR named after I.E. Repin "for creating samples of Dymkovo toys that develop the traditions of Russian folk art." In addition, they were awarded numerous diplomas, certificates of honor and medals. For a long time they were members of the artistic council of the trade together, they accepted and evaluated the toy of all the craftswomen. They say that a toy born in the hands of a craftswoman, passed through her heart, miraculously resembles her appearance and character. This idea is proved by the work of craftswomen.
Yes, work Evdokia Zakharovna Koshkina (1914–1993), who, according to the recollections of everyone, was a kind, calm, neat, balanced woman, filled with strength and strength of form, quality of performance.
She prefers traditional plots (animals, birds, ladies, nannies, peasants), in the image of which she always looks for characteristic features from life, interpreting in her own way. Creating her compositions, E. Z. Koshkina used a laconic language, discarding unnecessary details - embellishments, striving for symmetry, balance, carefully finishing each toy in molding and ornamentation. The color scheme characteristic of Koshkina is also calm and slightly whitened. Monumentality with an average size, frontality and symmetry are inherent in the craftswoman's toy.
Zoya Vasilievna Penkina (1898-1988) She began working independently in 1935. In the 1950s, the circle of plots and images in the craftswoman's work expanded. And its full co-author, the daughter of V.V. Kiseleva for more than twenty years in each work of her mother revealed the main thing in the theme and plot with precisely matched color. An amazing imagination allowed Z. V. Penkina to create her own image of an elegant lady with a high hairdo, “dressed” in various hats with decorations, in dresses with many frills, arranged in tiers, with flounces and bows.
In 1961, Zoya Vasilievna Penkina had her true masterpiece - the figure of "Mother of Many Children". Here the theme of motherhood, traditional in a clay toy, was developed. Before us appears the image of a nanny-nurse in a high kokoshnik, in a jacket with puffy sleeves, to the base-skirt of which are attached children's figures "small small less". In her arms she holds two more swaddled babies. Monumentality and tranquility fill this composition with its amazing rhythm in the placement of figures, the ratio of masses, as well as in the repeated repetition of rounded lines formed by the heads of children, in the edge of the kokoshnik and apron.
The 1960s–1970s were the heyday of the talent of Z. V. Penkina. She boldly took on many new topics, developed from options. Zoya Vasilievna worked a lot, quickly, “telling” in modeling with her hands and at the same time commenting aloud on her compositions. The cheerful, naive character of Penkina, her feelings were reflected in the living quivering clay, leaving traces of the master's fingers.
In her work, the fairy-tale theme, begun by her mother-in-law E. I. Penkina, continues to develop. The craftswoman became the author of a number of multi-figured compositions and compositions-sets from 4 to 80 works, united by a common plot. Such are the compositions "Teremok", "Little Red Riding Hood", "Mitten", "Goat and Seven Kids", "Geese-Swans". “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila” and “The Tale of the Priest and His Worker Balda”, inspired by the images of the great poet A. S. Pushkin, she loved, stand out for their design. In addition to the main characters and showing the main events, a golden-domed city appears here, reminiscent of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow with domes. Designed for a circular walk, it surprises with a variety of shapes, stucco details and ornaments on a white background. The abundant use of gold leaf enhances the sense of fabulousness. For the first time, an architectural motif of such a large size appeared, which is part of a large composition and at the same time can exist independently.
Olga Ivanovna Konovalova (1886–1979) — hereditary craftswoman, daughter of A. A. Mezrina.
She adopted from her mother the main circle of traditional images of ladies, riders, couples, birds. The craftswoman especially loved to convey the diversity of character in the modeling of animals (deer, cows, hares, bears), whistles. Among the plot household and fairy-tale compositions, one can distinguish “Boating”, “Wedding of Animals”, “Riding from the Mountain”, “Turnip”, “Old Man with a Basket”. She was the first to start sculpting "The Lady on Legs". OI Konovalova's Dymkovo toy is characterized by small size, the desire to convey movement in plastic, and a variety of ornaments.
Ekaterina Iosifovna Koss-Denshina (1902–1979), the wife of A. I. Denshin, in the 1940s began to work independently. Her creative searches brought a lot of new things to the development of the Dymkovo craft. The craftswoman created many plots and compositions that have already become traditional. While working on the toy, I thought over the image immediately from the point of view of modeling and painting. She is the author of many ornaments from traditional elements: circles and dots, straight and wavy lines, a cage. In addition, after the death of her husband in 1948, E. I. Koss-Denshina for many years carried out, in fact, the artistic direction of the craft.
The creative path of the oldest craftswomen, the works they created, which are stored in museums, and all their complex but interesting lives are a very valuable and important stage in the preservation and development of the traditions of the Dymkovo craft. Each of them is a legend that cannot be forgotten due to the significance of their contribution to the common cause. A modern craftswoman, mastering an ancient craft, will never pass by their work, but will definitely look into the face of each toy. Only then can you understand the essence of the Dymkovo toy if you treat the past, the fate and creations of each predecessor with deep respect. And it will always be so, as long as this ancient Vyatka craft is alive.
Success time
The 1960s-80s became the time of new creative searches for the Dymkovo craftswomen. In addition to the older generation, young people are actively involved in creativity. The range of subjects and themes has expanded even more. At this time, there was an unusual rise in interest in the art of craftswomen. The fishing team consisted of about 60 people. The toy was exported in large quantities. It was then in 1981 that a new building was built for the fishery in the center of the city of Kirov on the street. Svoboda, d. 67 with large workshops, in which he continues to work to this day.
Vyatka artist, painter V. G. Kharlov in 1981 creates a monumental painting "Dymkovo craft", showing in it not only the originality of the natural and historical landscape of the city and the settlement of Dymkovo, but also portraits of Vyatka artists and the oldest craftswomen, generations of young people who came to the craft , connection of times through the Dymkovo toy.
The history of the Dymkovo craft was preserved in toys collected at that time in the collections of museums in Kirov, Moscow, Sergiev Posad, St. Petersburg and many others in our country. In addition, in 1958, the works of craftswomen, among 60 works, were transferred to the fund of the International Academy of Ceramics in Geneva. A huge number of exhibitions of Dymkovo toys were organized in the 20th century both in Russia and abroad (Italy, Germany, France, Japan, Denmark, Switzerland, England, USA, Austria, Holland, Belgium, Poland, etc.).
The history of the Dymkovo fishery and its present day are still of interest to different categories of people, both researchers, collectors, and just spectators. And each of them asks himself the question: “What is the secret of the Dymkovo toy?”.
Tradition and modernity
Dymkovo toy at the beginning of the 21st century is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Thematic diversity, narrative language, brightness in color, careful study of details and ornaments are characteristic of the works of modern craftswomen. This toy is connected with the products of the craftswomen of the past by the so-called tradition, which, having preserved the main thing, has constantly changed and developed throughout the 20th century.
The very concept of "tradition" is of Latin origin and means "delivery, transmission, tradition, teaching", that is, that which is transmitted over time from generation to generation. Here we can include the main plots and images, technology, modeling and painting techniques, forms and ornamental elements. In folk art, tradition is influenced by many external and internal, objective and subjective factors.
The main technological chain in the creation of a Dymkovo toy - clay preparation, modeling, drying, firing, whitewashing, painting, decoration with gold leaf - remained basically unchanged. But progress made significant adjustments during the 20th century.
The modern craftswoman does not dig the clay, does not knead it and does not clean it of impurities. All this is done by machines at one of the local ceramic factories under the guidance of a technologist, and the clay is delivered to the Dymkovo mine ready for work, packed in polyethylene in 5-10 kilogram briquettes. In addition, the composition of the whitewash has changed. Until the middle of the 20th century, Dymkovo craftswomen used chalk diluted with skimmed milk, where the whole toy was dipped. Today, a complex chemical composition is used to whiten the Dymkovo toy, which is applied with a brush. Also, over the course of a century, paints for painting changed more than once: from home-made (pigment with egg and water) to factory ones (casein-oil and PVA tempera, gouache), which still added an egg. With the advent not so long ago of new acrylic paints, bright in color and persistent, many craftswomen replaced the fragile traditional magenta (crimson) and pink paints with them, and some took other colors into their palette. In addition, during the 20th century, gold leaf (an alloy of copper and zinc) was replaced more than once with gold leaf. Now both of these materials are in the arsenal of craftswomen. All these innovations each time required a general adjustment of the color scheme on the toy of each craftswoman, its texture changed. Modern factory brushes of different sizes and quality of hair allowed the craftswoman to complicate the traditional ornament with the smallest details (dots, strokes, straight and wavy lines), sometimes playing a negative role in its oversaturation and grinding.
There have been some changes in the form of organization of production. This is still an individual art production, where each toy is handmade by one master from beginning to end, being unique. But the difference is that the modern craftswoman is freed from all non-creative processes performed by other people (clay processing, whitewashing, firing), devoting all her time directly to the art of creating a Dymkovo toy - creativity.
The subject of modern Dymkovo toys is very extensive. In addition to ancient images (a whistle, a female figure, a bird, an animal), each new generation of craftswomen brought their own understanding to the reflection of a specific reality, and also turned to the past. It is possible to single out the main themes common in the Dymkovo toy: historical, everyday (provincial town and village), fairytale-epic, literary, musical-folklore (fairy tales, epics, songs, ditties), architecture, landscape. All this thematic and plot diversity is expressed not only in round plastic, but also in relief.
The market, its requirements, conditions and tastes of society played a huge role in changing the tradition in the Dymkovo toy. In the twentieth century, the demand for a toy has experienced powerful ups and downs more than once. The cataclysms of the last century (wars, political and economic transformations), destroying old ties, had an effect here. Modern viewer, buyer, very different in its level understanding of folk art requires a different toy. The range of these requirements is wide: from the simple uncomplicated taste of the layman to the intellectual connoisseur, sometimes the collector, immersed in the history of craft and tradition, able to appreciate the artistic merits and demerits of the craftswoman's work.
So, a modern craftswoman is, in fact, an artist. The birth of an exhibition toy, especially a composition, in the Dymkovo craft is now very reminiscent of the birth of an easel work (painting, graphics, sculpture, tapestry, painting on fabric, etc.). The craftswoman embodies her idea in sketches made on paper or in clay. Then comes the search for options for solving the theme in color, ornament, accessories. The goal pursued by the craftswoman is the creation of an artistic image that most fully expresses the artist's intention. To implement her idea, she studies the traditions of craft in museum collections (sketches, copying).
Craft is a collective matter, where everyone is a creative individual and contributes to the common cause of its preservation and development. About the works of each of them can be told separately.
In 2003 the craftswoman L. D. Vereshchagin (b. 1950) finished her creative work of 120 figures "Feast of the Transfiguration" which is based on real historical facts and descriptions of the Vyatka Convent of the Transfiguration.
Having arranged the composition in three tiers, the author singled out the main thing: temples, a bell tower, a religious procession. Scenes of monastic life became an intermediate link: prayer, a bakery, haymaking, needlework, a cattle and poultry yard, etc. Around the monastery, the everyday life of a provincial town and its inhabitants is shown. The craftswoman managed to recreate at the same time a whole picture of the world of the past, elements of the present and a dream of the future. Having depicted a specific feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the temple feast of this monastery, she managed to put into the composition a deeper meaning: the transformation of every person who found the way to the temple, and therefore the transformation of life itself.
Decision time
These successes in the work of the entire team and in the work of individual craftswomen might not have happened if in 1993, during the crisis in the country, the fate of this organization had not been decided. At that time, the system of the Art Fund with its proven practice of orders and sales was collapsing, which for several decades included the section of the Dymkovo toy. A difficult period began for the craftswomen, which lasted for several years: there were no orders and salaries. There were no exhibitions. The Dymkovo fishery, together with the whole country, tried to survive and adapt to new conditions. They had to decide their own fate, and, therefore, the fate of the industry. The only right decision was made: to remain in the structure of the All-Russian creative public organization "Union of Artists of Russia". Some of the craftswomen left the craft for "free bread", the rest remained, taking on their shoulders the entire burden of responsibility for its fate. At that time, a well-known craftswoman, Honored Artist of Russia, stood at the head of the craft N. P. Trukhina (b. 1935). The Charter of the new organization was created, and a slow revival of the fishery began. There was no easy life. Everything had to be done anew: to establish new contacts in sales and orders, exhibition work, learn how to manage the organization.
All this was done. Today's generation of Dymkovo craftswomen (about 30 people) work in their organization - "The Union of Artists of Russia -" Folk Art "Dymkovo Toy", located in the center of Kirov. Among them there are three honored artists of Russia (L.S. Falaleeva, N.P. Trukhina, A.V. Kuzminykh), the rest are almost all members of the VTOO "Union of Artists of Russia". The fishing is headed by the Board chosen by him at the general meeting, which decides economic, artistic and exhibition issues. The chairman of the board, also an elected person, manages the affairs of the fishery. For several years this duty has been performed by a craftswoman. S. G. Zhitlukhina (b. 1953). Every month, the artistic council, consisting of experienced craftswomen and art critics, reviews the toys made during the month, evaluating each of them for their imagery, traditionalism, creativity and quality of workmanship. Sales are carried out in the craft store, and throughout Russia. The museum has been preserved and is developing. In the last two years, there is not enough toy, the volume of orders far exceeds the number of toys being created. The sore problem of succession, recruitment and training of a new generation of craftswomen who will continue the work of their predecessors from Dymkovskaya Sloboda arises again ...
(text from the book by N. N. Menchikova "Vyatka folk arts and crafts: history and modernity", "O-short", Kirov, 2010)
From the history of the organization
The Kirov city branch of the Union of Artists of Russia - Folk Art Craft "Dymkovo Toy" - continues the good traditions in preserving the ancient Vyatka craft. This organization has its own history, which is closely intertwined with the history of our country.
In 1939, the Union of Artists of the USSR was created, and in 1944, the public organization "Artistic Fund of the USSR" was created under it, which is the creative, industrial, economic, financial and economic base of the Union. In 1957, at the First All-Union Congress of Artists, the charter of the Union of Artists of the USSR was adopted, as well as a new edition of the charter of the Art Fund of the USSR. Across the country, branches of the Union of Artists of the USSR and the Art Fund of the USSR, then the RSFSR, began to open.
In March 1957, the Kirov branch of the USSR Art Fund handed over to the selection committee a three-story brick building with a basement floor of the House of Artists at the address: Kirov, st. Freedom, 65a. Since 1977, a decision has been made to build a 4-storey building attached to the House of Artists (Svoboda St. 67), which was commissioned in September 1981.
© 2011-2018, Union of Artists of Russia — Folk art craft "Dymkovo toy"
