In early June, a crafts workshop was held in the kin's settlement Lubimovka. Men and teenagers were invited to the event, each of whom could try their hand at stove making or carpentry and choose a labor of their choice.
Pupils under the guidance of masters made two works: a brick oven and a hut on chicken legs made of logs.
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In Russian culture the oven occupies a special, sacral place. It is not just a household object for heating and cooking, but a symbol of home, well-being and connection with ancestors. In a peasant hut, the stove was the center of life, around which the whole household was built. Old people and children slept on it, clothes and shoes were dried on it, bread was baked and food was cooked in it. The oven embodied warmth, protection and care.
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The hut on chicken legs, a character in Russian folk tales, also has deep roots in Slavic mythology. It represented the dwelling of Baba Yaga, the guardian of the border between the worlds. The hut on chicken legs is not just a dwelling, but a portal to another world, the world of spirits and magic. Its unusual structure, its ability to turn backwards to the forest and forwards to the traveler, symbolizes the transition between realities. Today it is just an element of Russian folk tradition.
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Working with natural materials restores man's connection with nature, gives him support and inner stability. It is not just a craft, but a profound process that allows us to feel part of the universe, to touch eternity. Each material carries a story, the energy of the earth, sun and water. Working with them requires patience, attention and respect, teaches to see beauty in the natural, to find harmony in imperfection.
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A men's circle among calm and reliable men (in our modern world with skewed roles and hustle and bustle) is very necessary for any boy, teenager, or young man. A craft workshop is an opportunity to get away from the virtual world and plunge into the world of real things created with your own hands. It is an opportunity to learn how to work with materials that have served man for centuries.
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The seminar is planned to be repeated next year. Residents of the kin's settlement Lubimovka are convinced that this is one of the few ways to help young boys find themselves in this complex world and become real men. This is the creation of a space where a boy, watching the work of his elders, learns patience, determination and respect for manual labor, sees examples of masculinity, responsibility and dignity.
