St. Petersburg Calligraphy Renaissance

May 27, 2009

Since the large-scale project entitled The International Exhibition of Calligraphy held at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the art of calligraphy has started recruiting new batches of fans.

On May 5, 2009, the Record House of the Young Generation welcomed the opening of the St. Petersburg Calligraphy Exhibition organized in the context of the Art Petersburg project with support of the State Tretyakov Gallery. The exposition display included the works of the best Russian calligraphers and participants of our project: Ilya Bogdesko, People’s Artist of the USSR and full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Petr Chobitko, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Union of Calligraphers, Dmitry Petrovsky, Professor of the Institute of Arts of the Philological Department of the St. Petersburg State University, and their students.

In the recent two years, calligraphy has been developing extensively, all due to the organized exhibitions, master classes and publication of training guides. St. Petersburg Calligraphy is a chamber exhibition; however, the variability of subjects (abstract font compositions, excerpts from poetry and prose, book layouts) and artistic techniques (graphic techniques in combination with artistic methods; etching, lithography, photography) help to grasp the idea of calligraphy. Traditionally the show includes the participants’ master classes.

The master class of Pyotr Chobitko and his teachers focused mainly on working with children and on the necessity to impart the opportunities provided by the universe of calligraphy to a child’s consciousness. The little participants of the master class managed to make several impressive scrolls during the event, thus illustrating the necessity of such lessons and their eagerness to attend them.

Here are some of the commentaries:

Nastya, 11,

“I have learnt that every letter has its name. I got really interested in this stuff. Calligraphy means beauty to me.”

Tanya, 10,

“I really enjoyed writing with a sharp-pointed nib pen and what the teacher was telling about the names of letters “Az”, “Buki”, and others. Calligraphy is labour and diligence.”

The adults also shared their impressions:

Svetlana Tretyakova,

“I was impressed by the process. When I try to imagine how much pain and effort it takes to write it, how precise and consecutive the work of an artist must be, I cannot help worshipping such masters. My professional activity is somehow related to school neat handwriting, and I realize very well how important it is for a person.”

Ksenia, a student of the North-West Institute of Press,

“For me calligraphy means freedom and emancipation…”

Tatyana, designer,

“Calligraphy is a kind of philosophy, a meditative outlook…”

Yevgeny Morozov, exhibition participant:

“Calligraphy is serenity, beauty, tranquility, and contemplation”.