- Title: Russian artists capture beauty of vanishing horse breed
- Date: 22nd October 2019
- Summary: ROSTOV REGION, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 20, 2019) (REUTERS) ARTISTS PAINTING ON WALLS OF STABLE / RUSSIAN DON HORSE SNIFFING WOMAN PAINTING OF HORSE ON WALL HORSE TAKING PAINTBRUSH FROM WOMAN IN ITS MOUTH AND DROPPING IT / HORSE SNIFFING BRUSH PAINTING OF HORSES ON WALL VARIOUS OF ARTIST, POLINA SERGEEVA, PAINTING ON STABLE WALL PAINTING OF HORSES ON WALL (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ARTIST, POLINA SERGEEVA, SAYING: "I really like the Russian Don breed, I would like my life to be connected to this breed of horse in the future. I would like to have my own horse and, of course, I could not resist coming here and painting the stables." HORSE IN FRONT OF STABLE / ARTIST AND PROGRAMMER OLGA SHIF PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ARTIST AND PROGRAMMER, OLGA SHIF, SAYING: "These days, people don't let their smartphones out of their hands, but back then, Cossacks didn't let go of their horses, they lived with these horses, went camping with them, worked the land and went swimming with them. A horse was everything to a person. Then the industrial age began and horses were no longer needed. They gradually died out. Can you imagine that there are now only about 200 of these (Russian Don) horses around? These horses are not machines that can be made in a factory. They're horses, they're alive. If they die out, it would be impossible to bring them back." ARTIST MIXING COLOURS ON PALETTE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ARTIST, SOFIA KLINKOVA, SAYING: "It's the first time I'm working like this, it's even more interesting because there are live models nearby, they inspire and guide me." ARTISTS, HORSE NEAR SHELTER HORSES IN FIELD / VARIOUS OF WOMAN PETTING HORSE HORSES EATING FOUNDER OF DROVE OF RUSSIAN DON HORSES, NADEZHDA SKRIPKINA, PETTING HORSE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN DON HORSE STABLE OWNER, NADEZHDA SKRIPKINA, SAYING: "If you stop people on the street and ask them what a Russian Don horse is, there would be few correct answers. Someone from Rostov-on-Don might know the right answer, but it's very rare even for people from Rostov-on-Don to know the answer to this question. And we decided that our goal would be to introduce residents of Rostov-on-Don to this breed, to tell them about and show them how beautiful and versatile they are." VARIOUS OF HERD OF HORSES HORSE IN FRONT OF SHELTER VARIOUS OF ARTISTS PAINTING
- Embargoed: 5th November 2019 09:41
- Keywords: Russia horses Russian Don horse paintings of horses horses of Russian Don breed
- Location: ROSTOV REGION, RUSSIA
- City: ROSTOV REGION, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001B26ITKP
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Artists in Russia's Rostov region celebrated the local Don horse breed with paintings of the animals on stable walls as part of a campaign by a local horse enthusiast to raise awareness of the breed's endangered status.
Nadezhda Skripkina and her husband have been breeding Russian Don horses, also known as Donchaks, since 2016.
Last month, the couple posted on social media inviting the artists to spend several days living next to the horses while painting them.
"We decided that our goal would be to introduce residents of Rostov-on-Don to this breed, to tell them about and show them how beautiful and versatile they are," Skripkina told Reuters.
Among several artists who answered the call was Olga Shif.
"These horses are not machines that can be made in a factory," Shif said, adding that people have forgotten how close they used to be to horses.
"There are live models nearby, they inspire and guide me," another artist Sofia Klinkova said.
Skripkina says there are only dozens of Donchak horses left, which puts the breed on the verge of extinction.
The stables owned by Skripkina and her husband is currently home to 15 animals. Skripkina plans to expand and improve the facility making it a tourist attraction which would allow people spend time outside with the horses.
The Russian Don horse breed was developed in the 19th century and named after the river Don.
Donchaks were used as cavalry horses for Cossacks who protected Russia's borders, and were well-known for their endurance and versatility.
According to statistics from the Russian Research Institute of Horse Breeding, there were only 180 Donchak horses left in the world in 2016.
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