“The idea is simple – everything is in our hands”

According to Nina Kroka, the project’s initiator, the Fourth Blacksmith Art Festival “Metal Heart of Ukraine” in Rivne brought together nearly 80 artists from 11     oblasts. As for foreigners, this year they have got only one of them – Dutchman Huub Sensen. He’s a traditional guest at the festival. In addition to conducting workshops, the master has presented an invention that would allow blacksmiths to work without “the Putin’s gas.” His design uses a bicycle connected to the furnace – to bring the device in action, one needs to pedal. Sensen is certain that many people in Europe think of Ukraine. “The West is with you!” the Dutchman insisted.

The theme of this year’s festival is patriotic. As blacksmiths are working in the forge outdoors, the display of their sculptures is open to the public. The sculptures tell about Ukraine and the struggle for peace. The visitors may vote for the sculpture that impressed the most. The authors used primarily national symbols – the shape of trident, the map of Ukraine. Huub Sensen presented a sculpture on faith and spirituality – it looks like a staircase, on every step of which someone’s silhouettes are depicted, and on top there is the crucifixion. It is the embodiment of the fact that every generation gets closer to God, says the blacksmith. On this project he was working during the previous festival. Also, the Dutch master said that he already has apprentices from Ukraine. Serhii Tortulia, a blacksmith from Rivne, has frequently been travelling for internship to Sensen, and now invites the Dutchman to conduct workshops for the students of this craft in the school of the local employment center.

The major sculpture of this year’s festival is the one of giant palms with a tree sprouting from them. The work is entitled “Life Values.” On the eve of the festival it has been set up in the valley of the sculptures. Blacksmiths from other cities will traditionally embellish the “Life Values” with their own artwork.

“Given the situation in the country, the main sculpture of this year is like this. The idea is simple – everything is in our hands. What we have is what we carry, and what we reap is what we saw. Hence the palms,” explains Artem Volsky, the sculpture’s author. “From them a symbolic tree grows, which represents seven core values: love, spirituality, peace, compassion, time (which is never enough), prosperity, and family. Festival participants will forge charms for each of these values. In the end, the charms will be attached to the tree.” On this sculpture Volsky had been working for more than six months. The artwork is four meters tall and weighs nearly three tons.