RUSSIA: Russian pensioner changes the look of his native town by painting murals on the walls, depicting the towns history through the ages

Record ID: 755418

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russian pensioner changes the look of his native town by painting murals on the walls, depicting the towns history through the ages
  • Date: 15th October 2007
  • Summary: WOMAN AND A CHILD WALKING PAST BUILDING WITH MURALS DEPICTED ON IT STREET WITH HOUSE WITH MURALS ON ITS WALLS CLOSE UP OF A MURAL PEOPLE WALKING BY A MURAL ON THE WALL WOMAN WALKING BY THE MURAL WHICH IS A COPY OF AN OLD PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING BOROVSK FIREMEN PARADING IN 1911 CARS DRIVING BY A THREE-STORY-HOUSE COVERED WITH MURALS CLOSE UP OF MURAL CALLED "BOROVSK GLOBE" FRAGMENTS OF THE MURAL "BOROVSK GLOBE"
  • Embargoed: 30th October 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA54W1RQC04W20786YOV852QWHB
  • Story Text: At first Borovsk, a small green picturesque town 80 kilometres southwest of Moscow, looks nothing out of the ordinary. But as you walk through it - you'll see pictures from its history and portraits of its prominent and ordinary residents painted of the walls of the downtown buildings . It is the work of a local pensioner and amateur artist Vladimir Ovchinnikov.
    Five years ago retired construction worker and enthusiast painter has decided to turn his town into a giant artist canvas, on which to show the scenes from the long and rich history of Borovsk.
    "Because Borovsk is an ancient city with rich history, I have decided to concentrate on illustrating its history. because history is forgotten very quickly when it is not taught at school and when people who witnessed it pass away. And the history here is rich, there were a lot of outstanding people and important events here. And also to remind how Borovsk looked into he past. So, I liked this idea and the history of Borovsk has become my main subject" - said Vladimir Ovchinnikov at his home, wallpapered with paintings.
    So, the tireless pensioner splashed images of historical personalities, monasteries and landscapes on public buildings and private homes and walls, 100 works in all.
    Tourists flocked to Borovsk to see the extraordinary outdoor exhibition.
    Ovchinnikov decided to help them to find their way through the city by depicting a giant mural called the "Borovsk Globe" on one of the centrally-located houses. The mural shows the places of cultural and historical importance and prominent figures who lived in Borovsk as well as places to eat, to rest, to swim.
    But Ovchinnikov, though in love with Borovsk past, wants to preserve its present as well, that's why he often paints ordinary residents of Borovsk, like his neighbour with the granddaughter.
    The painter, obsessed with improving his town's look, with equally enthusiasm paint of the wall of a three-story-building and on the rusty fence.
    " It's simple - the person must try to do something good for the city he lives in. I cannot say that Borovsk is a special place, that it is better than Myshkin, for example... The person should try to improve the place he lives in and should be proud of it" -said Ovchinnikov. He said he has never made any money from his paintings and mostly used his own pension for supplies.
    Now some of his painting are peeling off or fading in colour. The painter, who used to enjoy full support of the former Borovsk mayor, has fallen out of the grace with the new one for making a painting critical of the local administration for not reconstructing Borovsk famous Pokrovsky monastery. But Ovchinnikov's work still has full public support.
    "Either these building look like this - falling apart, or this man make them look nice. And then it is simply pleasant to look at them"
    - said Sergei, Borovsk resident , standing in front of the mural portraying a merchant's family, who used to own the house before the revolution.
    "No other place has anything like this. Only here, in Borovsk I have seen it. And the paintings are quite good" - said Natalya, a local teacher.
    Ovchinnikov, who tries to preserve his murals hope to continue his work next spring, and meanwhile working on a book of graphical works devoted to the past and present of his favourite town.
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