Art decorates life, expresses the aspirations of creators, interprets reality and encourages people who are not involved in creative research to look beyond the boundaries of everyday life, to understand that the fabric of the universe is much brighter and more complex. Art galleries, exhibition halls, festivals - events where you can always come at a certain time, and there they will gladly explain what the artist meant and what messages his work generates. It is much more interesting to plunge into the creative space and find the answers yourself, wake up your imagination, evoke your own dreams, looking at works where there are no tags on which the recipe for understanding is written. Art Park "Nikola-Lenivets" is one of the sites where freedom is equal to nature, and the visitor is an active generator of meanings.
Ab ovo
The village of Nikola-Lenivets counts its existence, according to the first mention in written evidence, from the 3rd century BC. The usual village of Russia, of which there are many, except that the name is funny. It is located on the territory of the Ugra National Park, where nature is preserved untouched, there are protected areas with the beautiful Ugra River and natural landscapes. The first mention of the village and the beginning of its fame to contemporaries are associated with the name of the artist Nikolai Polissky.
Moving away from participation in the creative group "Mitkov" in 1997, Polissky since 2000 began to create in the genre of land art and today is the most famous Russian artist in this direction. The first installation, which brought noisy fame to the new role of Polissky and the village of Nikola-Lenivets, was called "Snowmen".
Snowmen on the Ugra
To implement the first land art project, the artist attracted his like-minded people and villagers. On the slope of the Ugra River in the winter, two hundred traditional snowmen made of snow were lined up. In the spring, they melted, which became a continuation of history, after which the space of Nikola-Lenivets became a haven for free artists, where the domestic bohemia and guests from abroad come.
Why Polissky drew attention to the work with natural materials, he explains himself: “I just always loved nature, and as a painter he painted various landscapes to madness. And then I thought: why not start working in this very space and with the elements of this space? ” Gradually, the works of many creators in the reserved lands began to appear a variety of art objects that make up a unique platform, spread over a vast territory.
In 2006, Polissky initiated and held the first festival "Archstoyanie", which became an annual event in the national park. Since 2010, when the project acquired a commercial character, and all the surrounding lands were concentrated in the hands of M. Nogotkov, the initiator of the festival and first installations Nikolai Polissky moved away from participating in the park.
The first art objects
Art Park "Nikola-Lenivets" covers an area of 600 hectares, where sculptures, objects created by artists from different countries are located. It is unlikely to see everything in one day, the distances between installations are considerable, but the chances of stumbling upon a sculpture in the forest or in the open space are surprising. The symbol of the park was the sculpture "Lighthouse" by N. Polissky. It is located on the banks of the Ugra and serves as an identification and welcome sign to every traveler who is looking for a way. "Lighthouse" is a tall building made of natural materials, which provides an observation deck with a view of the surrounding space and the ancient dilapidated local church of the Holy Trinity.
Before you hit the road, it’s worth understanding what “Nikola-Sloth” still consists of. How to get from Moscow? Only following the signals of the “Mayak”, listening to his inner voice and not turning off the road to Kaluga.
Since 2006, the Saray Grigoryan construction has settled in the park, this is one of the oldest facilities. You can evaluate the idea of building at night, when light is lit inside and it breaks out of 200 thousand small holes. Many argue that the spectacle is mystical.
Ark and ears
Park Nikola-Lenivets has its own hearing, at least the object symbolizing the ear, on its territory was established by the authors of the project V. Savinkin and V. Kuzmin. It is a semi-closed sphere with a platform where, when you are comfortable, you can hear silence.
The conditions of the natural park and the protected area dictate the principles of creating sculptures and material for their creation. “Shishkin House” is a non-trivial design from the artist Adrian Gese (Netherlands). Against the general background, it stands out with its utmost simplicity and utilitarianism - it completely consists of cones collected in the forest, the form is supported by a metal frame with small cells. It’s convenient to lay, supplement or replace building material on the wall if you want to become a co-author of the Nikola-Lenivets park (Kaluga Region).
The “Golden Taurus”, symbolizing the worship of Mammon on Wall Street, takes on the opposite meaning in the wilds of “Nikola Sloth” thanks to the artist V. Shchetinin. His art object is called "Gilded Taurus" and is more like a brigantine of distant wanderings. According to the author, the sculpture symbolizes the biblical ark of salvation, the unity of generations from ancient times to the present. To confirm this idea, a dovecote and an observation deck, accessible for each visitor, are equipped in the podium.
A mixture of times and meanings
"Beaver" is another mysterious object in the park "Nikola-Lenivets". How to get from Moscow to the Paris quarter of Beaubourg, it is now known: you need to go towards Kaluga. It is interesting that the creation of the massive sculpture "Beaver" by N. Polissky was inspired by the old quarter of the French capital, where the gallery of modern art named after Georges Pompidou is located. What associations it causes for each visitor, the business is purely individual. Someone sees the trunks of elephants, someone - the communications of the Paris galleries, and some hear the sound of Jericho trumpets.
In the vicinity of the village of Nikola-Lenivets (Kaluga Region), where archaeologists found ancient settlements of the third century BC, the visitor finds himself in a special atmosphere, becoming the protagonist of the installation "Settlement" by Polissky N. The strange animals were placed between the tree branches, as if descended from cave paintings. In the thicket of the forest, a prehistoric elk hides and a structure rises that can be mistaken for the skeleton of a house with a ridge in the form of an ancient beast.
Rotunda and more
Park "Nikola-Lenivets" always surprises, especially an unprepared viewer. Wandering around, it is worth going into the Brodsky Rotunda. The construction is in the field, on a raised platform and noticeably from afar. It is an oval two-story building made of wood, where on the ground floor the entrance is at any point, since the walls consist of opening doors. They were collected throughout the district in old abandoned houses. Immediately any traveler can rekindle the hearth, and having risen to the gallery of the second floor, admire the surroundings from the numerous windows. The field around the object is sown annually with buckwheat or sunflowers.
Is there a universal mind, or was this concept born of the human desire to animate nature - a mystery that N. Polissky interpreted by virtue of his talent and understanding. The installation is deployed on several hectares near the village of Nikola-Lenivets. How to get from Moscow and get answers to exciting human questions, it is now clear: the road to answers lies through your ideas, and maybe errors.
Infrastructure
In the park "Nikola-Lenivets" for several years, developed infrastructure for excursions and a comfortable stay. You can come here all year round, for which all conditions are created. Wildlife lovers are allocated camping places with their own tent, a more civilized option for a summer stay is wooden houses. There are two of them: Tansy and St. John's wort.
In winter, the hostel "Barracks" is suitable for vacationers, accommodation is possible all year round. The cost on weekdays per person starts from 900 rubles per night, and on weekends and holidays the price is 1600 rubles / night.
Guest house "Clover" or 2 cottages, built near the park, in Koltsovo. Accommodation in cottages starts from 1900 rubles. for one night on weekdays, at the weekend the cost will be from 3500 rubles. overnight. There is Wi-Fi, unguarded parking, a sanitary unit is located either in the room or on the floor, depending on the category of the rented room.
There is always the opportunity to settle with local residents in the village of Nikola-Lenivets. How to get from Moscow by personal transport? Follow the signs for the Kaluga road until you turn to the towns of Seni, Ostrozhnoe. You can travel around the park on foot, which will take more time to visit all the facilities, or you can use the bike rental service and consider all the installations you are interested in, and at the same time improve your health.
How to get to "Nikola-Lenivets" with the aim of spending a few days and at the same time not to stay hungry? Food is provided by several points: a dining room in Koltsovo, a cafe "Ugra", a cafe located in the ecocamping "Zvizzhanka" is suitable for vegetarians, it will be interesting for everyone to visit a salad bar on a farm. The farm, another object for research, will be interesting to everyone who wants to buy products grown using only natural fertilizing and protection. And those who want to learn from experience should live with their owners and work as a volunteer.
When thinking about how to get to "Nikola-Lenivets" and what to do there in winter, it is worth considering that this is a zone of free manifestation of each person and the proximity to nature makes many children. For this, all conditions have been created in the park: ice skating, skiing, sledding. And in summer, in addition to hiking and cycling, it is nice to fish or go for mushrooms.
