– How and when did you decide to create such a large-scale art project in Buguldeyk?
– Marble has long interested me as a sculptor. And three years ago I entered the art academy in Carrara (Italy), it was there that I began to master the technology of processing this amazing stone, I fell in love with working with it. A year ago, I learned that we also have stunning white marble on the shores of Lake Baikal. I read on the Internet that it is suitable for creating sculptures, but I confess honestly: it was very scary for me to come and saw it, knock, drill, process it! Would he be too hard? What if I can't? But now, when I have been working with Baikal marble for several days, I can say for sure: we will succeed.
– And what is it, Baikal marble?
- Very loud. When we saw off parts and break off small pieces with hammers, I hear a ringing sound. The material is hard and flexible at the same time. I think this is a great combination. It is important that it is not loose and does not break - in a word, ideal.
– And if you compare it with the legendary Carrara marble?
– It's a wonderful material and it's a real pleasure to work with it. But now I can say with confidence: our Baikal marble is in no way inferior to Carrara marble. Honestly! And I am happy that I was given the opportunity to make my dream come true - to create a sculpture here in Buguldeyka. My idea was supported by both local residents and the administration of the Olkhonsky district.
– When you first came to the quarry in Buguldeyk, how did you feel?
– Power! Power and beauty. I immediately wanted to touch, to become a part of this beautiful place. A person who has fallen in love with marble with all his heart is simply obliged to make a sculpture here. And when I saw this snow-white stone, I immediately understood what I would do Bukh Noyon - a white bull.
– Is this an image from ancient Buryat myths?
– Yes, this is a totemic ancestor, a sacred image for the Buryats of the Baikal region. According to legend, the tribes of Bulagats and Ekhirits descended from him. I decided to turn to this totem as a sign of respect for the Buryat land on which we are located, for the local traditions and history.
– Before starting work on Baikal, Buryat masters ask permission from the spirits, turn to shamans. Did the ceremony take place in Buguldeyka?
- Of course. We performed the ceremony twice right here on the quarry. We asked the spirits of Baikal for blessings to work with marble. This is extremely important for all of us. Here I feel a good aura and support. Hope we are at the right time in the right place.
– Will it be a sculpture from a single piece of marble?
Yes, one block. We have chosen a suitable piece and have already begun processing it. The sculpture will be a large head of a white bull, approximately 1.5-2 meters high. We will put it on a pedestal and install it at the entrance to Buguldeyka.
The marble quarry in Buguldeyka is one of the largest in Russia. The deposits are about 2 billion years old. The deposit was explored in 1968-1973 and marble began to be actively mined. After the ban on industrial activity on the coast of Lake Baikal, production was stopped.
- Are you going to create a sculpture alone?
- No, I came with the team. Marble is a heavy material, it needs to be moved, carried, I need help.
- Transformation means change. What changes are you talking about in your project?
- If we talk about me, then "transformation" is my transition from classical bronze to marble. Changes that occur in an artist when he discovers new materials, new forms of creativity. If we think on a larger scale, then our project is about the world, which is also transforming today. Values are changing: we began to pay attention to what we had not noticed before. These changes are in the air, and I'm talking about them.
– The transformation took place with the marble quarry. It was all scribbled and painted, but now it's clean, not a single inscription! Is this also the work of your team?
We've cleaned everything! They brought the power plant and grinders removed all the drawings and inscriptions from the marble. For two days we worked together with the guys from Buguldeyka. It was not easy to rid the snow-white stone of black spots.
AND WE HAVE ALSO BROUGHT THREE WATER CARRIERS AND LAUNDRED THE QUARRY SO THAT NOW YOU CAN WALK HERE IN WHITE SOCKS.
It was a huge preparation. So now we say to everyone who comes: please, just do not write anything here.
– These are my six major works created over the course of several years. They will stay here for a month. While I'm working on Buha Noin, people will be able to not only see the process of creating a marble sculpture, but also an open-air exhibition.
– So your sculptures are not afraid of wind or rain?
– Let's see... (laughs)
- Artists of the Buryat Opera and Ballet Theater performed at the opening. Did you yourself create the images in which they appeared before the audience?
- Yes, I specifically designed the clothes, we sewed them right in my workshop and arranged the opening in the defile format. I wanted to show how bronze sculptures come to life in the arms of Baikal marble. This collection turned out, one might say, world-class. It contains the image of the Minotaur (a bull from ancient Greek mythology) and Bukh Noyon (a bull from the Buryat epic). And so they came to life on the same platform. It's great when a project unites the world. I believe that all people are brothers, we need to inspire each other and be filled with light from each other.
– The world is now showing great interest in Buryat art. Why do you think?
- The one who works hard is in demand. Dashi Namdakov set such a level for us that now we must keep this bar. Here we are trying. (smiles)
Zhigzhit's author's knives were exhibited in the Hermitage. In 2019, medals were created in his workshop specifically for the Eleventh Women's World Boxing Championship. The artist is a permanent participant of exhibitions in Russia, Germany, France, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia.
- After such an immersion in working with marble, will you remain a gunsmith?
- Of course, this is my base, the beginning of the beginning! The weapon theme will always be with me, it gives me the opportunity to engage in other types of creativity. It used to be like that before. During the Renaissance, for example, all artists were generalists. They are inventors, sculptors, and architects. Maybe I have not opened up yet, but only at the beginning of the journey.
- Your romance with Buguldey marble will probably not be limited to one sculpture?
– My dream is to open a marble workshop in Buguldeyka. And the Transformation project is only the first step. After all, the culture of marble cannot be created by one exhibition, it must be carried to people every day. So everything is just beginning.
Source: https://1baikal.ru/ekologiya/karernyy-rost-zhigzhita-bayaskhalanova
