The international festival “MARBLE MILE” and a special “Erzya Day” took place in Polevskoy town near Yekaterinburg. The festival is organized by Erza International Art Foundation and Polevskoy Local Government with the support of the Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government, the Ministry of Culture, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Yekaterinburg and other state and public organizations.
The event is held by Elena Butrova, vice president of the Foundation and curator of Ural region project. She presented a new international youth project “Erzya Trail” dedicated to the 145th anniversary of the great sculptor. This project started at Ural region this summer. Later it will be continued in other cities and countries associated with the life of Stepan Erzya.
Elmira Samokhina, Advisor to the Head of Polevskoye Urban District Government, tells about the new art project – «Marble Mile» international festival which is taken place the second time in Polevskoye:
«Marble Mile» is a large tourist project which combines several ideas actively developing in Mramorskoye village and Polevskoye town. Mramorskoye has a very interesting history directly related to the history of the development of Ural region. The history of the village is inextricably linked with the name of the world-famous sculptor Stepan Erzya. He was sent to Ural region to revive a stone-cutting factory and create Red Academy of Sculpture. In Polevskoye he was admired with the rare varieties of local marble. Erzya lived in Mramorskoye about two years.
In addition the name of Pavel Bazhov is mentioned in the history of the village. This famous Russian writer visited Mramorskoye and kept friendship with local stone cutters. 2019 is the year of Bazhov at Ural region.
The village of Mramorskoye is a unique marble mine. In this area there are mines of unique varieties – gray and black marble. We invite sculptors from all over the world to participate in the Ural Biennale as a part of «Marble Mile» festival program.