Slavsko and 7th plein air.
For many, Slavsko is synonymous with skiing, but for me it is associated with artists and paintings.
I would like to tell you about the Plein Air held in Slavsko in September of this year.
The plein air itself lasts two weeks, and we, i. e. my friends and I went for the last three days before closing.
We left Kyiv on Thursday at 19-00, and on Friday at seven in the morning we were already in Slavsko. We are met at the station. The weather is wonderful and the sun is shining. Ten minutes is enough to arrive at the main gathering place for artists and guests - the Arefyevs' estate.
9-00 breakfast. All participants of the plein air gather in the dining room (and there is enough space for everyone !!! ).
Artists in the open air 23 people! And the most interesting thing happens after breakfast, when they choose routes and places to work. Someone wants to repeat the previous route in order to finish the work they started the day before. Someone had a desire to climb higher into the mountains. And someone does not want to go anywhere, but to stay in the garden. Surprisingly, all the wishes of the artists are fulfilled. Everything happened simply and quickly. Within an hour, everyone dispersed and dispersed. We already hear the command “On the way! ”.
The ascent to the mountains is impressive. The air is saturated with the smells of herbs and intoxicates. And the number of broken roads upsets. And it becomes clear the predilection of the local population for all sorts of UAZs, jeeps. Mountains oblige to have all-wheel drive equipment.
We are at the top. From here you can clearly see that Slavsko is located in a valley, surrounded by mountains, like in an amphitheatre. The largest mountains are Kicherka (845 m), Plai (876 m), Pryslip (990 m), Ploshka (1038 m), Ilza (1066 m), Kliva (1069 m), Dovbushanka (1236 m), High Top (1245 m), Trostyan (1235 m). The river Opir and its tributary with the wonderful name Slavka flow in the valley. There is a legend that the Opir River got its name after the heroic resistance of Zakhar Berkut's warriors to the Tatar-Mongol horde of Batu in 1241. And the river Slavka is named after the warriors of the Drevlyansk prince Svyatoslav Vladimirovich.
Intoxicating air, mountains with centuries of history, rivers, the sun - all together inspire creativity. Everything corresponds to the plein air. And the word plein air is translated from French - in the open air. And means - a picturesque technique of depicting objects in natural light and in natural conditions.
The initiators of the artistic plein-airs in Slavsko are the Fund for Support of Culture and Sports "Maxim", created by Dima and Oksana Arefievs, under the patronage of the Lviv National Academy of Arts and Lviv artists Orest Kosar, Orest Manyuk and Viktor Stognut. Artists from Ukraine and Russia came to the seventh plein air.
We leave the artists and set off to roam the mountains. Walking word wander is not true. All the mountains are trodden and there are no untouched forests left.
This means that the local population is busy picking mushrooms and berries. We got boletus, boletus and mushrooms. They are not in demand among the "collectors"! And white mushrooms got only a couple of things. We found some blueberries and lingonberries in the forest.
And quietly descended into the city.
In the town there is a church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In great condition.
Passing through the city, a large number of ski and boots leprosy points are striking. everything related to winter sports.
A large number of new houses ready to receive vacationers. And not only in winter. The houses are well prepared for the summer reception - swings, sandboxes for children, swimming pools are visible. Well, ATVs are good both in winter and in summer. As evidenced by advertising on billboards.
Slowly, we returned to the Arefyevs' estate, where hospitable hosts Dima and Oksana Arefyevs were waiting for us, as well as dinner and rest until the morning.
