"Stolitsa" TV Channel. News

February 29, 2008

HOST: Presentation of the project Calligraphy: the Art of Excellence took place in Moscow. This year the Mobile Calligraphic Exhibition will tour some cities of Russia, including Moscow.  The organizers plan to exhibit unique handwritten documents. Today calligraphers gave some master classes and spoke about some peculiarities of their craft. Adel Romanenkova found out that the art of calligraphy is not only beautiful but also healing.

CORRESPONDENT: Profession of Petr Chobitiko is very rare. For 40 years he has taught fonts and calligraphy. There are very few students he could teach now, complains the artist. In the hi-tech world people seldom handwrite and only the select few are engaged in calligraphy. However, this art is not only beautiful: 15-20 minutes of calligraphic studies will calm you down and improve mental growth.

PETR CHOBITIKO, calligrapher: Calligraphy develops minor hand motility and frontal lobe. There is a direct link between them. Three fingers stimulate 90% of grey matter.

CORRESPONDENT: Let us stop running round like headless chickens. Calligraphy will help the contemporaries take mind off rapid pace of living and develop their creativity. That is the opinion of the keepers of ancient traditions. They have gathered together to restore their art. It is not an easy thing to do. Calligraphy is impossible without a calligraphic pen; and it is a difficult writing instrument to use.

ALEKSEY SHABUROV, initiator of the project Calligraphy: the Art of Excellence: It is good to remember this fine art which has never died and will never do; for this art is eternal just like painting. It is also a kind of art like architecture or sculpture.

CORRESPONDENT: They are looking forward to share their love for calligraphy, but the large exhibition is to be well prepared. The show is to be held in autumn. In November it will be exhibited in the State Duma of Russia. As a part of the exhibition there will be set up Mobile calligraphic museum. It will contain unstudied ancient scripts and historical handwritten documents from Russian archives.

Source: Adel Romanenkova, Victor Avdeev, "Stolitsa" TV channel