For the first time during the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" Arts Festival, the international festival-competition "Znich" was held.

For the first time during the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" Arts Festival, the international festival-competition "Znich" was held.

12 blacksmiths with apprentices from different parts of Belarus and the Pskov region of the Russian Federation demonstrated their ironclad arguments for victory. They presented Vitebsk, the festival city, with a gift, essentially an eternal bouquet of forged cornflowers.

Thanks to the virtuosos of the hammer and anvil, a part of Tolstoy Street briefly became an improvised open-air forge. The rhythmic clang of metal echoed over the Dvina River – the process was in full swing. There were also ready-made, often unusual items. The variety and imagination of the authors were dazzling. How about forged paintings in the style of Aivazovsky and Vermeer? And cute dragons and a graceful, full-sized openwork horse?
Opening "Znich", **Petr Podgursky, Head of the Department of Culture of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee**, noted:

– Events dedicated to blacksmithing have already been held at the "Slavianski Bazaar". Then there was a period when it was forgotten, but history has judged us – the competition must take place. May the fire in the furnaces of our blacksmiths never go out!An interesting fact: among pagan Slavs, the word "znich" referred to the personification of the primordial heavenly fire, capable of igniting energy in a person for achieving something new. The desire to comprehend the secrets of ancient craftsmanship, once highly developed in Belarus, was once felt by **Sergey Kudikov from Mstislavl**. We photographed the quite well-known blacksmith-poet against the backdrop of his beautiful metal raven. The bird is remarkably similar to the master himself. He laughs that others have also noticed the resemblance:

– I have been blacksmithing for ten years, although I am an IT specialist by education. First, I became interested in historical reenactment – and it took off. At knightly tournaments, even improvised ones, you can't do without a sword. Of course, it shouldn't be made of wood…This served as an impetus for our hero to delve into the blacksmithing craft. Today, Kudikov has a large stationary forge and two mobile ones – to give master classes at events like this. This is the guest from Mstislavl's first time at the "Slavianski Bazaar". He came with an apprentice who studies in an amateur club at the Mstislavl District House of Crafts. The local guys definitely know the saying that a talented blacksmith has hands up to his elbows.
to gold. That blacksmith's dust is a powerful amulet and was once specially collected in a pouch and worn on the chest, is also not news to them. I work at the House of Crafts as a folk crafts master, continues Sergey Kudikov:

– I pass on to the youth the once widespread, and today rare, undeservedly forgotten art of fire and metal. I am glad that I was invited to the Vitebsk forum. I consider participation in its competition a contribution to the promotion of blacksmithing. By the way, my forged cornflower is already on the wonder-tree or – depending on how you see it – a bouquet. I brought the workpiece from home, and finished it here.At the international festival-competition "Znich", the charter of the blacksmith brotherhood of the Vitebsk region was even signed. The contestants put their seal on the document, thereby agreeing to gather more than once during "Slavianski Bazaar" in Vitebsk.