On August 27 the VIII International Blacksmiths Art Festival Forged Figures Park 2006 started in Donetsk. The festival was dedicated to the celebration of the City Day and the Miner’s Day which traditionally take place on the last Sunday of August. Craftsmen from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine as well as blacksmiths from the Netherlands gathered to participate in the festival. The Ukrainian Gefest blacksmiths enterprise – an initiator of the Forged figures Park foundation – installed new figures in the public garden of the City Council. Moreover, there was a new figure installed in the central part of the garden. It is created by blacksmiths of all regions of Ukraine and symbolizes unity and solidarity of the country.
The festival was visited by the Donetsk mayor Aleksandr Lukianchenko and many foreign guests as well as the delegation from the Donbass association in Moscow. Famous Russian singer, People’s Artist of the Soviet Union and a native of Donbass Joseph Kobzon, who examined all the sculptures in the Park and was photographed with Donetsk citizens, attracted the greatest attention of the public. As it had been mentioned earlier, there was a monument to Kobzon set up in the miners’ capital of Ukraine a couple of years ago. ‘The Forged Figures Park is one of the favourite resting places for Donetsk citizens and guests’ noted Donetsk mayor Aleksandr Lukianchenko in his speech. This very successful idea was realized in Donetsk with the help of the Gefest enterprise and its director.
The fact that about 60-70 new-married couples visit this park every Saturday on the day of their marriage is the best proof of it. Today holiday events are being hold in all the districts of the city and will last to the late in the evening. The celebration will be concluded with a gala-concert of Ukrainian and Russians stars and a great salute.