The tradition of carving wood figures is rooted in the ancient history of mankind. The first samples known to scientists date back to the time of Ancient Asia. Even then, wooden sculptures appeared in the form of figures of gods and rulers from various species of trees. They were carefully looked after, washed, rubbed to a shine, often with essential oils, in order to give the statues a fragrance.
Russian wooden sculpture
Russian sculpture began its journey from the time of the Slavs, paganism. Our lands were rich in forests, so the tree was the most accessible material for both construction and creativity. In those ancient times, wooden idols were made in Russia, decorated with carvings of dwellings. Let these decorations and sculptures were primitive, but this was the beginning of the art of wood carving.
Over time, as in any kind of creative activity, work techniques, tools, traditions changed. Experience was gaining.
After the baptism of Rus, masters began to carve wooden sculptures of saints. The Orthodox Church saw pagan traditions in it and was against such art. The ministers believed that only images should be in temples. Many wooden sculptures were burned.
Nevertheless, unique sculptural images of George the Victorious, Nikolai Ugodnik, Paraskeva Friday, Nile Stolobensky have survived to our days . If some of them have been studied very well, others deserve additional research.
Russian wooden creations were very different from Western Catholic ones, which were spread everywhere to decorate palaces and dwellings of the nobility. They were more restrained, calmer, kinder.
There was still a wooden sculpture in the church. Only now the figurines have been replaced by carved decorations of iconostases, columns, walls.
Dopetrovsk school
Unfortunately, the history of wooden sculpture in Russia is an area little known. The names of the authors of most works are unknown.
Wooden sculpture was especially prevalent in the areas of the Russian North. There, most men knew how to cut wood. Therefore, the pre-Petrine school of wooden sculpture is the most famous - Verkhnekamskaya. To date, a rich collection of sculptures is kept in the Perm Museum. She is known as the Perm Gods. She devoted a lot of research work.
To the question of where the school of wooden sculpture originated , historians answer precisely on the basis of these descriptions.
The era of Peter the Great
In the Petrine period, the school of wooden sculpture received a new development. There is a keen interest in wood carving, because a new capital, St. Petersburg, is being built. Old buildings are being rebuilt under the influence of fashion. In imitation of the West, it is fashionable to decorate interiors using sculptures and whole sculptural compositions, mirrors, platbands with carved frames, walls with whole wooden paintings. Wooden carvings adorn many interior items. Statues greet the owners and guests at the entrances, in parks, gardens.
Peter the Great sends Russian masters abroad to study new techniques.
Shipbuilders made a great contribution to the development of wooden sculpture, again, not without the influence of Peter. According to the royal decree, all models of ships, before starting construction, had to be performed in a small size. The king himself was engaged in this.
The nose of each ship in those days was traditionally decorated with a wooden statue.
Modernity
Currently, wooden sculptures can be seen everywhere - from summer cottages to public parks, city streets. There is widespread public interest in this material accessible to Russia. Environmental friendliness, ease of processing attract not only eminent masters and craftsmen, but also people who love creativity from different walks of life and occupation.