The Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy inaugurated in Moscow

Moscow now has a calligraphy museum. Its exposition presents written masterpieces of Slavonic, west European and oriental calligraphy, as well as calligraphy pictures and rare manuscripts. On a separate stand one may see the old writing utensils, feathers and brushes. Now there are around a hundred exhibits in the museum, but in the beginning of the autumn the exposition will be broadened. By that time the Museum will added by a handwritten Constitution of the Russian Federation. Details by the “Culture news”.

Soon master Chen Wen-Fu, member of the Chinese Scientific Union of Antithetical Couplets will be teaching calligraphy in Russia. In autumn, we anticipate the opening of Russia’s first calligraphy school where everyone can study how to write correctly and beautifully. Perhaps, one day the most diligent students will be able to imitate the autographs of the 17th century Chinese emperors.

Master Chen Wen-Fu started his first lesson with the following words: “Calligraphy is a state of soul. Relax, clear your mind and then start writing. Don’t hurry”.

Within the next half hour teacher Chen completed an ancient Chinese aphorism, “A lazy man will not cognize the universe, for he is lazy in calligraphy.” Chen Wen-Fu complains, “Chinese people are becoming lazy. Using their computers they forgot how to write with a ballpoint pen, to say nothing of a calligraphic brush!”

“Simplified writing will lead to simplified thinking”, thinks Pyotr Chobitko, acting associate professor at the Chair of Easel and Book Graphic Art under the Stieglitz Art and Industry Academy. Pyotr Chobitko is one of the few artists who currently promote calligraphy in Russia.

A few years ago, Mr. Chobitko opened the first in Russia calligraphy school, and he is now sure that to calligraphy all ages owe submission. Recently he wrote a book where he told about how calligraphy helps make our lives better.

Pyotr Chobitko, “Just fifteen minutes of doing calligraphy everyday restores blood pressure and harmonizes the mind. Calligraphy today is a ‘panacea for all ills’, a man simply cannot live without calligraphy. I myself have been doing calligraphy for about forty years.”

Calligraphy in Russia flowered in the 1600-s though it was born in the “prepress” period. Peter the Great was a connoisseur of art and a man of keen aesthetic sense so he made his scribes write laws and orders in a calligraphic style. By the way, Voltaire wrote letters to Catherine the Great in a very neat hand too.

Pyotr Chobitko, “When I first saw the notes by Mozart, I thought they were almost like calligraphy signs. He wrote not printed music, but calligraphy.”

This is how the artist saw Mozart’s music and Pushkin’s verses. According to maestro, a calligraphically written alphabet reminds him of a big painted landscape. Of course, calligraphy has not only aesthetic and therapeutic aspects. This fingertip gymnastic stirs imagination and creative thinking, but – what is most important – it preserves the link of time. In his book, Pyotr Chobitko proved that calligraphy is the basis for any culture. He says the computer era has proved to be a disaster, as writing has been substituted by senseless typing. The artist sighs: “It’s really hard for an art or a culture to persevere in this country? However, finding exhibits for the museum was easy.”

Alexey Shaburov, Director of the Contemporary Museum of Calligraphy: “We appealed to calligraphy masters and the news spread fast.” That’s how we collected so many calligraphic masterpieces from all over the world”.

At present, calligraphy is very popular in Arab countries, whereas the world of the Orient had recognized this art many centuries ago. In China, they study calligraphy at school, and in Japan even in universities. In the East, calligraphy is equally rated with martial arts as a means of spiritual growth and self-perfection. And now it is clear Russia also strives to bring its “national handg” back.

Source: Kultura (Culture) TV-channel