Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
By Ludmila KORINA
The rural lands bear many talents. President Nazarbayev emphasised many times that rural residents are carefully preserving traditions, rites, and eternal wisdom, and the famous artists usually come from the auls. This truth found one more confirmation in Burlin district of the WKO.
For a long time, artist and decorator, Nikolay Nyudilchiyev has held the idea of creating an arts school in a rural area. He found support when he shared his ideas with some employees from KPO. The foreign companies developing Karachaganak are conducting a complex programme for the development of the villages near the field. A considerable role has been given to the sponsorship support of schools, and finding and supporting young talent fit this programme smoothly. A tender was held, and an optimal method for teaching children the basics of applied arts and crafts was presented by Mr. Nyudilchiyev. During the spring of last year, the Levsha mobile arts school was born.
The classes are held twice a week at each village. The school has just 4 teachers, but the rural children have a wide choice. These are sculpture, souvenir making, etching, embroidery, knitting and needlework. Anyone can find what he likes. The period for the children to choose has been completed. In the Priuraln’e village, where my first meeting with Levsha took place, an exhibition was organised. It showed that in less than one year children have learnt a lot. So many colours were displayed on the pictures, and among these portraits, were included some works that were so good, that one would doubt that they were drawn by children. Hand-made dolls, lace, embroideries and so many other things were displayed. Children had invested so much of their fantasy and effort.
During a lesson given by Makhambet Nukayev, the children learned the rules for using light and shadows in drawing geometrical figures. Perhaps this was not the most interesting subject, but the children like it none-the-less. No one forced them to do any particular thing at the school, as talent can only be discovered when a person enjoys the results of his labour.
Some lessons also exist where the boys and girls study separately. The girls can work with beads and needles, for instance, and the work has to be completed in full. The children require patience and strong will. The girls said that they like to give the ornaments to friends, mothers and relatives as gifts.
The school is revives the crafts of knitting, embroidery, souvenir making and needlework. The girls will need these skills when they grow up. Perhaps it will be their profession. The children are now preparing for a competition, which is a kind of fashion show. The young designers, sewers and models will demonstrate their dresses.
“When we see children looking forward to our visits, we are happy, teacher Alya Bergaliyeva said. The participation in the national seminar in Almaty helped me. The heads of schools like ours shared their experiences and defined urgent problems. I especially liked the master-class by capital cit teachers. I think that organisations such as mobile art schools have a future. In our country, more and more attention is being paid to the development of the rural areas. The wood carving class enjoyed the largest number of students. This art also requires skills and special knowledge. Teacher Sergey Mitrofanenko stops at every student, gives advice.
We also talked to School Director, Nikolay Nyudilchiyev, who called Levsha his dream come true. Teaching in order to experience beauty and develop talent, what could be more important? Naturally, not all of these children will go on to art schools or universities. Although Nikolay does not doubt that some of them will become famous, perhaps some will be so even beyond this region. He has one more goal, however.
“I want every boy to become a good man, Nikolay says. The rural people are accustomed to labour, but one has to know how to deal with electrical instruments, with timber, in carpentry. The children are always busy, and their parents thank us and KPO. We wrote a thank you letter to the KPO General Director, Paolo Campelli. The children have asked us to not only hold classes during the school year, but in the summer as well.
According to the KPO Community Relations Section Head, Elena Rasmukhambetova, the mobile art school is one of the most successful social projects on the part of the company. The investors fund its operation fully, and pay for all equipment, instruments, materials, and salaries. The company also funds the renovation of schools, the purchase of furniture, and equipment of classes. KPO refers to these expenses as investments into the future. The best example is the school in Priuraln’e.
Its Director, Zhanar Zhaksygaliyeva said that all of the furniture had been replaced with the help of money sent from KPO, including a TV and VCR, karaoke, skis, sports equipment, and new books for the library. Over 40 children from this village attend the Levsha Shool, and this number is growing. It is becoming more and more prestigious to attend the school. Last year in Aksai, the first exhibition on the works done by the Levsha students took place. Following this, Mr. Nyudilchiyev was offered a job in the centre of the oblast. He refused, because he knew that a new contract is being prepared. The work of the art school has been extended for another three years.
