Русский ремесленник

From the conversation.
Wife: "Again garbage!"
Grandson Makar: "Do not litter, but work."

Alexander Egorovich Ladonin - master-woodcarver. With Alexander a tree a long time on "You". However, he himself is like a tree. High, strong, wise and reliable, with strong roots and strong crown.

Alexander was born in the village Ladonin Shakhan Saratov region (where the chemical test site). Father - sergeant enlisted service - taught to mow, and her mother taught the son of gardening and caring for the cow. After school, Sasha joined the correspondence department of the Kiev Institute of the art industry. For the second year, Alexander went to serve in the Soviet army. He served under the Ussuri and two years in Primorye.
When Alexander the tree works, it does not cut it, but seemed to caress. And from these caresses his birth is a conic head, a bunch of grapes, and even intricate initial letter and be sure to solar sign.
When I asked when I first began working in wood, Alexander replied that since five years, he cut a child, with fifteen - the youthful, with twenty-five - an adult and as early as age 26 began working in the lab crafts .
His teacher, mentor and inspiration, Alexander believes Galina Makovsky, with whom he worked in the restoration workshops of the Tver Regional Museum. It Galina tactfully guided the creative energy of Alexander Ladonina, told him about the Tver traditional wood carving, especially on the wooden utensils in the form of bucket.
From stored in museums carved wooden utensils most different buckets. In Tver buckets had a peculiarity. They hollowed out from the root in the form of a rook. Spout bucket is elevated and, passing through a narrow neck, divided into two or three horse heads, as if growing from one trunk. Carved "stable boys" (so called these buckets) are very decorative. Wooden utensils and varied form, and finish, and sizes. Were pail buckets and a feast for the busy individual - small. For "grace-drink cups" intoxicating served in special spherical Bratina. Pancakes, fish, pies, nuts, cakes, sweets were served in round turned festive meals with high bumpers.
At ladles are often issued with various moral instructions. Here is one of them: "humane, so be humble in glory and the sadness of wisdom, in a high place to sit, not every bucket bottoms up, so you will not be mad, but to other men's wives in Kut do not go, they are not talking Yes you will not be dishonest. "
Buckets-Bratina are truly works of art. Bratina has a typical, slightly compressed, fairly deep boat form with a round bend. The bow of the vessel is raised up, completed two or three speakers carved horse heads - a traditional sculptural technique Tver masters. Hence the name of the bucket - the groom. Below is a broad surface of the bucket was sure to cut round-socket - an ancient symbol of the sun.
During his long and vibrant creative life, Alexander learned a lot, read, heard about the tree. I think that in this respect Alexander own philosophy.
Ancient Slavs believed the tree mediator between man and the sun. It was a symbol of prosperity and happiness, longevity and health.
Wood products have become part of our lives. On a variety of wood was unequaled. Because it was done almost everything necessary for life: home, furniture, utensils, cradles, toys, sleighs, carts, windmills, boats and much more. Musical instruments, too, made of wood. It was the balalaika, flute, hornpipe, horns.
Each master has performed a certain wood products, trying to make it beautiful, showing the natural beauty of wood and enhancing it. Carving was one of the earliest methods of ornaments made of wood.
True said: the best thing that came up with nature - a tree. From him going and life and beauty of the earth.
By the admission of Alexander, he did not cut down their lives for a single tree!
In 1985, Alexander worked as a gilder Ladonin when restoring Borisoglebskii monastery in Torzhok. Golden cross, balloon skirt, kokoshnik, valance. This work is very time-consuming, requires patience and accuracy. Teacher Alexander was good - Cupid Vadim (who was, like Alexander, wood carver). From him Alexander learned many interesting things about working with wood.
Alexander Egorovich many years been friends with the famous art critic, a connoisseur of traditional handicrafts Vasily Alekseevich Borodulin, who has done a lot for the development of handicrafts in Russia. With his participation, Alexander Ladonin a lot and worked hard at perfecting their skills, and became one of the best woodcarvers in Russia. The recommendation of Borodulina Alexander visited almost all famous festivals and exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Thus, in 1994, conquered his mastery Bulgaria, in 2004 - to Germany, in 2005 - South Africa and Bulgaria again, his works are exhibited in the best museums in the country. In the most difficult time of Alexander Ladonin did not change their traditions - cutting the famous Tver buckets stable boys and showed them to the "Slavonic Bazaar in Vitebsk on VDNH in Moscow at the exhibitions" Orthodox Russia "and" Rus craftsmen.
Alexander - a man of few words, but if you said something very vividly. For example, your creativity offered epigraph: "Cutting is not like a child - is from myself."
From the main hobbies - is interaction with people. People like Alexander, knows a lot of trades, a lot can do with my hands. Maybe stove fitter and blacksmith. "I want to do, to create a guild and join in her various people who are talented and sympathetic to the cause" - he said.
In conversation Alexander Yegorych admitted: "I really love the cut buckets Insanely. And I believe him. After all, if you take the hands of the bucket, it works, then it is not like a hand release.
And in this there is something magical. All that has been done by Alexander Ladonin - buckets, pots and pans for baths, dining hall cake boards and many others - made a sincere and loving, competent and professional in the highest degree, because he is a wizard ...

 Ludmila Kontsedaylo