The letters "on pointe". Yaroslavl citizens ranked among the best calligraphers in the world

Yaroslavl citizens ranked among the best calligraphers in the world. A beautiful handwriting can be an art and ... a prevention of scoliosis.

The founder of the school of calligraphy and the Museum of Russian National Handwriting in Yaroslavl, Yuri Arutsev, tries to convey to the general public: beautiful writing is important not only for the aesthetics. It helps to maintain vision, to form the correct posture and gives room for intellectual and creative development.

Respect to the calligraphy

- Calligraphy as translated from Greek means "beautiful handwriting." But it would be a simplification to associate it only with a neat and clear handwriting. This is the art of conveying emotion through graphic means,” says Yaroslavl citizen Arina Lauri.

There are people for whom life is like a road of federal significance: they set a goal and strive towards it, forward and forth. Others seek their fate, following an inner voice, and sometimes they themselves do not suspect how significant the next turn will be for them. So it happened with Arina Lauri: a very creative person, she “tried on” various professions, and found her vocation by enrolling in the course of the “Russian Calligraphy and Ligature” at the Institute for the Education Development. In subsequent years, she declared herself as a bright and original master, designer, teacher, and at the VI International Calligraphy Exhibition held in Moscow, along with three other Yaroslavl representatives of this rare profession - Natalya Voronina, Irina Molchanova and Yuri Arutsev - she was one of the leading calligraphers of the world.

Actually, Yuri Ivanovich stood at the origins of the creation of a school of calligraphy in Yaroslavl.

- It all started with a studio and hobby group opened in the gymnasium No. 3 of the regional center more than ten years ago. In the first year after the start, pedagogical methods were developed that later allowed us to be the only ones in Russia to receive a state license for the right to teach calligraphy. Now we are working in 28 areas of the educational activity,” says Yuri Arutsev.

For him, calligraphy begins with the creation of a functional space that provides the correct physiology and writing technique. That is, health comes first, which is not surprising, because Yuri Ivanovich is a doctor in his first profession, moreover, he is an expert doctor of the highest category.

- Today, physiology and the writing technique at school are paid insultingly little attention. The consequences of this are manifested not only in the form of poor handwriting, this is just the lesser of the troubles. Incorrect posture, myopia, failure to master educational material, this is the result of neglecting the rules of calligraphy,” says Yuri Ivanovich.

Many parents of the elementary school students are faced with the fact that children's scribbles cannot be made out. The letters gallop like birds on a perch, swaying to the right, then to the left. Dads and mothers grab their heads, demand to rewrite the text again, but the second time it turns out even worse, because the child is already tired and he does not know how to do it another way. And as the learning process accelerates, problems grow like a snowball.

- A classic school desk with an inclined worktop, back and footrest is much better from the point of view of children's physiology than a modern table with an ordinary horizontal surface. It was invented in the second half of the 19th century by the famous Russian hygienist, professor of the Moscow University Fedor Erisman, who was concerned about the increase in the number of short-sighted children in high school and developed recommendations for classroom lighting and a new design of school furniture. Later it became widespread not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the world,” Yuri Arutsev explains.

A pen… instead of the dumbells

If the surface is horizontal, the pupil’s gaze “rebounds” from it, and if it is inclined, it falls exactly where it is needed. The back of the desk “holds” the back, preventing dangerous scoliosis from developing. The position of the hands is also important: if the elbow has a firm support, there is no overstrain of the muscles, they do not stiffen, the student does not overwork. But if he deviates from the optimal posture for writing by just a few centimeters, the harmony is broken, which affects not only the handwriting, but also the quality of material assimilation.

Calligraphy creates the basis for correct and beautiful writing and helps to correct previously made mistakes in learning.

And not only from the point of view of plastics, that is, the development of consistency in the work of the eyes, muscles of the shoulder girdle, and the arm as a whole. Neuroscientists have established: with calligraphic writing, the speech center is activated and the right hemisphere of the brain is responsible for creative development. Systematic classes develop attention, short-term and figurative memory, and creativity. Calligraphy was very much appreciated by one of the pioneers of the digital era, Steve Jobs not without reason.

“And the Chinese passed a law on compulsory teaching at school a few years ago,” said Yuri Arutsev.

In the Middle Kingdom, there is a special attitude to the calligraphy: historically, it was considered one of the fine arts along with poetry and painting. And they emphasized its healing effect in every possible way. So, the Chinese scientist researcher, associate professor of the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication Yuan Pu extolled the letter-drawing for the fact that it "not only trains the muscles of the hands and nerves, but also affects all parts of the body: fingers, shoulders, back and legs. This type of exercise is quite relaxed, calm and at the same time very effective. It resembles tai chi." And this, as you know, is a fortifying part of martial arts.

Monograms of the Golden Ring

But among our compatriots, perhaps, a much greater emotional response will be caused by comparing it with the ballet: a dance brought to perfection. Say "letters on pointe" and the image of something beautiful, sublime, worthy to be included in the museum exhibition appears. And such a museum in Yaroslavl have been recently opened. The place of honor in it was occupied by the works of Yuri Arutsev.

- A difficult epidemic situation is not a reason to become discouraged. Our museum of Russian National Handwriting does not waste time in vain, its employees, being on the imposed isolation, sort archives and are actively engaged in creativity”, reported Yury Ivanovich.

The founder of the museum has written a number of wonderful calligraphic works in recent weeks, many of which will occupy a worthy place in the exhibition. He especially succeeded in continuing the series “Russian Cities Necklace”, begun in 2013, on the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia: in each picture, the name of the city, written in the Pushkin style, is decorated with a bright cascade of monograms with a graphic representation of the central cathedral interwoven into it. And how many wonderful calligraphic texts, bookplates, logos, monograms for Russians and foreigners were created by the master for 40 years of passion for calligraphy!

From the Queen to the President

At the international exhibition in Moscow, our compatriots looked worthy next to the world-famous colleagues. And eminent masters came to the capital of our country. For example, Timothy Node, the personal calligrapher of the English Queen. He fruitfully works in the Heraldic Chamber of Her Majesty in London, a heraldry and calligrapher artist, drawing up pedigrees, developing coats of arms for our outstanding contemporaries, whom the Queen knights. In the office of the House of Lords he creates and illuminates official papers that are issued on the orders of or on behalf of Elizabeth II: royal charters, summons to the House of Lords and the Supreme Court, as well as the consent of the monarchess on the marriage of a royal family member. Based on the sketches by Timothy Noud, the Royal Mint prints coins and medals. For example, the design of the medals for the Queen’s gold and diamond anniversaries was created by him. And another prominent representative of this profession, American Michael Sall, at one time wrote official invitations to status events on behalf of the American president. So the centuries-old traditions continue. But young and ambitious Russian handwriting designers are looking for the new ways. For example, fashion designer Violetta Langas recently introduced a collection of designer clothes with calligraphy. Imagine: a dress is white as a sheet of paper and a wise message to the world or a very gentle message to a loved one is written on it with a beautiful handwriting. Crescendo of the expression!

The talented Yaroslavl calligrapher Arina Lauri underlines the emotional component in the ancient art.

- I called my workshop “Feathers” not only because the feather is the main tool of the calligrapher. Our art gives a feeling of flying, because to create is to fly,” notes Arina.

The letters on pointe. Yaroslavl citizens ranked among the best calligraphers in the world