In the beginning of August, “Art Studio ‘Lokhovskaia ARTel’” project of Maria Kislina, Institute of Philology and Journalism graduate student, won II All-Russia competition “Cultural Mosaic: National Grant Competition of Small Towns and Villages”.
“ARTel” is regional natural history fine arts studio where young villagers could creatively explore the rural space and learn about its history. The studio will be based at water mill in Lokh village, Saratov Region. For several years Maria Kislina has been managing the water mill reconstruction project.
The project includes lots of cultural and historic work. Local natural history expeditions and plain-airs are planned for September, 2015-April, 2016 period, exhibition space and modern fine arts studio are going to be created, and professional artists’ exhibitions are to be organized. Main event is a presentation of children works “There was Lokh: village history in pictures”. “Creating a new cultural object is an opportunity to make the village’s historical and cultural heritage popular and visible. We should just help our grateful listener, reader, viewer, visitor or local dweller to notice the richness of local culture and history”, says the project’s author.
Arts studio ‘Lokhovskaia ARTel’ is based on the idea to unite the elements of Lokh cultural heritage: natural history scientist A.N. Minkh’s drawings, frescos in the local church, landscapes by rural and urban artists, natural monument “Kudeyarov Cave” and XIX century water mill. The project was presented at the Day of Knowledge celebratory assembly at the local school on September, 1.
Maria Kislina learnt about the neglected water mill when travelling around Saratov Region in 2012. That is the starting date of the project: “We didn’t want to be just observers. Now my mother and sister live in the village, me and my father visit at every opportunity”, shares Maria.
Maria’s charity work is tied with her scientifiс interests. Her PhD thesis is on ‘robbers’ plot in Russian literature of 1820-1830s. “Robber Kudeyar whose hide-out was close to the water mill is closely connected to my scientific interests; my scientific work helps the work my family and other concerned people are doing”, says the graduate student.
A foundation supporting cultural and social projects “Small World” was founded in spring 2015; everyone could make a donation to help water mill reconstruction. Maria Kislina’s initiative received support from Saratov Region Governor V.V. Radaev who also made a donation. The works at the mill started last summer. V.V. Radaev visited the village on August, 4.
According to the Governor’s media office, he set a goal to reconstruct the building of the mill’s mechanisms before December, 1 so that next year it would start making flour.
Today the mill is the object of close attention. According to SSU graduate student, the project unites all the concerned forces – representatives of local administration, scientific community, villagers and volunteers. The parties have different opinions about the mill’s future. Maria would like the project to be educational. This way the mill would have not only industrial and recreational but cultural value as well.
