The Kirillov land always attracted famous creative persons. It is here, in the remote place of the Vologda region, where they drew their inspiration. Yuri Koval was also among them. He became known as a writer, an artist, a sculptor, a screenplay writer, a singer-songwriter and even an actor. Yuri Koval would be 75 this year. But he died 20 years ago, on August 2, 1995. A commemoration meeting of Yuri Koval took place in the conference hall of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve yesterday, on August 6.
People of different age attended the event held within the framework of the cycle “Foreign Evenings in Kirillov”. Some of them know Yuri Koval thanks to his books in which he described well-known places; the others – thanks to his animated cartoons made according to his scripts; and some guests knew him personally as he had spent a part of this life in the village of Odenyevo on the Tsypina Hill.
Mikhail Sharomazov, director of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve, opened the event. He said, “Yuri Koval is certainly that person without whom it is extremely difficult to imagine Russian literature of the last quarter of the 20th century. Most of us learnt that he was a remarkable artist only after his death. The children who are sitting in this hall probably know Yuri Koval thanks to his animated cartoons. The today’s meeting is a tribute to the memory of this outstanding person. I am glad that you have come and I hope it will be interesting for you”. Besides, Mikhail Sharomazov noted addressing the meeting, “Yuri Koval lived here, Bella Akhmadulina worked here, Dmitry Likhachyov came here... It is obvious that it is high time to think about a literary museum in the Kirillov district. And its establishment depends on you, your desire, initiative and suggestions in many respects”.
Yuri Koval’s daughter Yulia attended the meeting with spectators. She shared her recollections about her father and presented the documentary “Tsypina Hill” shot in 1973. Yuri Koval and his friends Viktor Belov and Anatoly Geleskul became its main characters. Yulia Koval explained to the audience before the screening how they, residents of Moscow, turned out to be in the village of the Vologda region, “Viktor Belov, who was an artist, a sworn brother of my father and also a restorer by trade, came to Ferapontovo to see the frescoes of Dionisy in 1960. My father came to the Kirillov district in 1963. I cannot say whether he visited Kirillov or Ferapontovo at that time or not, but he lived in the village of Gridenskaya near Chisty Dor for some time. Writer and translator Anatoly Geleskul was the first who settled on the Tsypina Hill. And it was he who lured his friends there. A person, who came to the Tsypina Hill at least once, couldn’t forget it. It turned out that in 1971, Viktor Belov and three other friends clubbed together to buy a house in the village of Odenyevo. They came to his very house, lived in it and shot films for many years”.
Some animated cartoons for which Yuri Koval had written scripts were presented for children during the meeting. “The Magic Ring” is probably the most famous among them. The museum visitors could also listen to the prose and see some art works of Yuri Koval: an exhibition of his drawings was opened during the event. You will be able to see it till August 24.
More information about the exhibition
Venue: Conference hall of the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum
Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, except Saturday and Sunday.
Admission: free
