The Guild of Smiths of the Donbas has started preparations for the traditional festival of smith mastery which is held in September. But taking into account the events that started in the Donbas in spring this year, the smiths from other cities, who will hardly arrive themselves, are invited to take part at a distance. The organizers of the festival ask to send forged doves, birds of peace, executed in full size. So, in September an international joint composition “Doves of Peace” is supposed to appear in the Donetsk Forged Figures Park in September.
Viktor BURDUK, head of the Guild of Smiths of the Donbas, the author and leader of the project of the Forged Figures Park, a Merited Worker of Art of Ukraine, commented: “Time tells that smiths should somehow respond to the current situation. Our 16th festival, which is supposed to take place in September, will be probably very small, because out of understandable reasons no one will be able to come. But the Guild of Smiths of the Donbas plans to go out and forge. We thought we should ask for peace in such a time – that was how the idea to forge doves was born. It is not clear so far how it will be realized. But we have gotten a feedback: many people ask how to send, especially from abroad. For this is a long-term project: if some dove will reach the country in half a year, this will be good, too. Most likely, on the whole it will be a separate composition with many doves – so more significant it will look.
“We have been building the Forged Figures Park since 2001, in spite of the fact that people were destroying it bit by bit. This is our cross, and we don’t care that there is a possibility of destruction. We are used to creating, and we cannot do without it. We are used to creating, not breaking, no matter what.”
