Irina Zakharova, fine art expert, senior research assistant in the Moscow State Pushkin Museum of Visual Arts, initiator and manager of the SCO “Children paint fairy tales” cultural programme, has expressed her ideas of children’s role in harmonious future formation in the SCO area. She is also an author of two books: “My Chinese folk toy” and “Children’s encyclopedia of China.” Questions were asked by the InforSCO’s correspondent Yulia Kuznetsova.

The “Children paint fairy tales” cultural programme idea appeared within the walls of the State Pushkin Museum of Visual Arts. Please tell how an idea appeared to organize such a large-scale cultural project, oriented to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization area?

I.Z. – The SCO member states’ area, both geographical and cultural, is quite interesting and diversified. An idea to acquaint children with all the richness surrounding them came to me by using the most accessible to them materials – folk tales. “Children paint fairy tales” is the first educational project within the framework of SCO, using innovative teaching methods. I’ll explain the matter. Unfortunately, at present, comics have come into the world of today instead of tales. They close, restrict a child by its appointed and badly cut game subject. Entertaining literature for children for the most part is quite aggressive. A tale makes a great difference; it is inherently harmonious, full of magic and lacks “spiteful and combative” content. Just as the sun is reflected in a water drop, popular wisdom, their traditions and customs are reflected in tales. Our programme’s motto: “We read a fairy tale, we draw a fairy tale, we get to know each other”. By fairy tales children began to know the SCO countries’ culture. Here it is important to understand one thing: our children will live just in the SCO area. My major task was to show them the world outside their native land is extraordinary amazing and wonderful.

Certainly, the SCO Secretariat has accepted such an outstanding idea with enthusiasm. What is its role in project implementation?

I.Z. – As of our project implementation, SCO was quite a young organization. Nevertheless, career diplomats initially worked in it and keep on working there. They understood at once, that the “Children paint fairy tales” programme “blends" in general cultural background of the Organization and can become a living embodiment of the SCO “spirit.” At that time Chzan Deguan was an Executive Secretary, and hotly supported the project. Now the Secretary-General Bolat Nurgaliev attends to our programme, too. In fact SCO is not a military block. Questions of military collaboration or territories occupation are not discussed here. The Organization’s activity is aimed at cooperating in political, economic and cultural fields. In addition, our programme allowed a large number of people from the SCO countries – I mean not only children but both of their parents and teachers - to get to know each other better by way of popular tales.

How were preparations for the programme realization carried out?

I.Z. – Already during discussion of some organizational points, regarding the project, it was decided that en experimental ground would be the Children’s and Young People Educational Centre under the State Pushkin Museum of Visual Arts. Our lessons were attended by children and their parents, and all the work was done, essentially, in family groups. During lessons we did not merely tell other peoples’ tales, but also "splashed" them, made them accessible for the children audience. For example, such a Chinese character as king of monkeys Sun Ukun for Moscow kids is something unimaginable. Just explain – is not always sufficiently for children’s perception, therefore at lessons I used my collection of folk toys. Here is another typical example: a house in the Russian traditional culture - izba, but a Chinese traditional house is a difficult thing to imagine, too. It was necessary to bring children photos, pictures, prepare visual materials, to enable them to feel all that deeply. When we studied tales of Central Asia, I showed kids thick felt, this kind and soft material used for yurta construction.

Work with Chinese children was quite interesting. Working in various cities of China, I gave master-classes and lectures. Chinese teachers and parents from family groups helped me. My master-classes were taped and transferred to schools and kindergartens, there were people willing to take part in the "Children paint fairy tales” programme.

How did you make Russian popular tales understandable for Chinese kids?

I.Z. – My major task was to make specifics and beauty of the Russian folk art clear for them. We played tales using toys, showed them wood carving, Zhostovo trays, Bogorodskaya toy. Chinese children could touch our Vologda lace. They listened with interest about how in the long winter evenings women, admiring tracery in windows, weaved this complicated design into lace. We acquainted them with Pavlovo Posad shawls, told them about motley grass and riot of colours, one can see only in the open of green meadows of Russia and on these shawls. These bright, visualized details filled the world of Russian tales in Chinese kids’ consciousness. Little by little they made themselves familiar with it and could start drawing.

The “Children paint fairy tales” programme, besides its educational component, contains, in my opinion, another very important moral sense: broadening ethnic and geographical borders in children’s mind, arousing interest in another culture, it tells them about peaceful life with each other. What do you think, does this project help to overcome xenophobia?

I. Z. – Within our programme it is better to speak about feeling of friendship and respect for other peoples and cultures education. Actually, it is embodiment of SCO’s spirit. We take a kid out from its narrow geographical limits, break its living space. In our Children’s center shows are performed after tales of the SCO countries, kids play in folk suits, they transforms into other countries’ national heroes. Within the scope of the family club in the Children’s center last year we began to also carry out days of national culture. Why do we refer to family groups first of all? What parents tell in families about other nationalities people, form the child’s attitude towards the world outside his house. The future generation will live in the SCO area, and it is to be prepared for it.

The first exhibition of children’s drawings was held in Beijing. Where else have the “Children paint fairy tales” programme been to?

I.Z. – It was impossible to choose a place for our children’s vernisage opening better than Beijing Museum of Fine Arts. The kids were very glad to exhibit their works in such a large and outstanding museum. In such a manner, the SCO Secretariat emphasized once more the “Children paint fairy tales” project’s importance and significance.

When last March we organized an exhibition of children’s drawings of a folk tale in Moscow, delegations from the SCO countries and observer ones visited our Children's center. We showed not only kids’ drawings and handmade articles, but also real dances - Chinese and Indian ones. Our performances after stories about Hodja Nasreddin were a success. I think our plan to arrange a fairy-tale travel to the SCO countries turned out well.

This spring our exhibition was shown in Kazan. We were submitted an art gallery in the Kazan Kremlin. Afterwards we left for Yelabuga and Naberezhnye Chelny, where we stayed till the middle of summer. In autumn the exhibition returned to Moscow. It was partially shown in the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship, within the scope of a week of the SCO countries foundation.

Scientists, diplomats, representatives of the SCO member states, the Organization’s officials assembled there to discuss ideas and proposals on the SCO university establishment. By the way, our “Children paint fairy tales” project was recognized as innovative in the field of educational methods.

Our Children’s center became popular – we constantly receive small parcels with kids’ handmade articles and drawings from different parts of Russia, So, our project geography is widening, day by day number of children willing to participate in our programme is increasing.

On the shelves of Moscow bookshops “Children’s encyclopedia of China” has recently appeared; you have written it co-authored with your husband. Previously you wrote a book “My Chinese folk toy.” What did inspire you to do it?

I.Z. - Everybody finds his way to join other culture. My way to China was through a folk toy. In 1981 I came for the first time to China with my husband and began to collect Chinese folk toys. To each toy there was a question. What it symbolizes, where it comes from, what it is made in —I wanted to know everything. Listening to answers, I was immersed it culture of China, getting to know the country's customs and soul. In 1988 I managed to organize an exhibition of the Chinese folk toy in the State Pushkin Museum of Visual Arts. Within the framework of this exhibition I gave lectures, acquainted people with traditional culture of the Celestial Empire. Many visitors asked me in their comments to write a book about it. It was in 1999 that '' My Chinese folk toy'' appeared. It is written both in Russian and Chinese simultaneously, which let to use it as a material for language lessons. Bright illustrations help to keenly imagine the question at hand.

As for "Children’s encyclopedia of China”, we based on our work experience with children and family audience. My husband and I wanted to acquaint the young generation with its interesting geographical neighbor – its hieroglyphs, architecture, the Great Wall, landscape architecture, colors symbolism. These and many other components of the Chinese culture are described in an easy manner accessible for kids.