Chrysostom is another step towards beauty

We all know that there are many cities in this world. And each of these cities is beautiful in its own way. They have their own protected places, which the city can be proud of and delight with its beauty and history, not only its citizens and tourists who come from other cities of Russia. But also those who come to us from abroad to see all the splendor of our native land.

One of these cities is the city of Zlatoust. It is located in the Chelyabinsk region in Eastern Europe. Where Europe connects with Asia, and forms a huge continent of our planet - Eurasia. The city itself is surrounded by mountains, one of which are the Taganai and Urengi mountains. They are covered with evergreen coniferous forests, which you want to look at without taking your eyes off.

The city of Zlatoust is located in the mountainous forest zone of the Chelyabinsk region in the valley of the Ai River, located at a distance of 110 kilometers west of Chelyabinsk. It is the third high-altitude city of the Southern Urals, which undoubtedly creates an unforgettable panorama for tourists, and the desire to come to the city again and again. Admire its beauty, and the hills, which you want to climb, spread your hands to the sides, and feel how the wind blows in your face, filling your body with unprecedented strength and freedom, that you want to fly high into the sky. Any tourist who comes to Chrysostom will not remain indifferent to these mountains, which amaze our imagination with their grandeur and height. And in the very center of these mountains, there is a huge pond, which gives the city even more attractive for people who came to the homeland of Russian bulat and unique engraving for steel for the first time. Which is actually the main feature of this picturesque city.

The city was established on September 11, 1754. At the time when the Tula industrialists Mosolov were allowed to build the Zlatoust plant on the Ai River, where the city we are talking about now is located. The name of the city was associated with the name of the famous Byzantine philosopher and theologian, John Chrysostom, which is why many citizens consider him the patron saint of the city. As a result, in Chrysostom, one of the prides of the city is a high tower - a bell tower with a huge bell, named after the philosopher, where tourists often come, and learn some facts from the life of the saint. In addition, this tower has an observation deck, climbing, where you can see the entire surface of the mountains surrounding this beautiful city. But we'll come back to her later. The coat of arms of Chrysostom is a winged horse, something that reminds us of pegasus from the world of dreams.

Therefore, many citizens call the city of Chrysostom the city of the winged horse. His image can be seen at the entrance to the city on the gates, which tell us that we will soon arrive at the site. This gate stands on the mountain, which suggests that, most likely, Chrysostom himself is in the mountains. Especially when you drive up to this gate, you already feel breathtaking, because you are going uphill, no matter what transport you take by car or bus. And then when you come down the mountain, it feels like you're on a roller coaster. Probably, many people have this feeling when they ride on the mountains in any direction, enjoying the scenery that sweeps past them. Those who have already been to Chrysostom, or will go for the first time, I think, will know this feeling. It will not leave anyone indifferent, and will give an indelible impression of the trip.

Given that the symbol of the city is a winged horse, its image can be seen on some household items, cups, dishes, some gift souvenirs, which are usually steel knives with engraved, depicting the coat of arms of Chrysostom. We can see these objects in many museums around the world, admiring their beauty, or buy a couple of them for ourselves, or give someone something as a reminder that there is still something beautiful in the world that will please us. Something that is an important part of our lives and will give us the real pleasure of just seeing it. It seems to me that any tourist who at least once in his life will come to Chrysostom, will want to buy the same dish with a winged horse for himself, and put it on his shelf.

A lot of such instances are created at the Chrysostom Arms Factory, where masters are engaged in such art as engraving on steel, as a result of which, the city has gained wide popularity, which is, as I said earlier, the main feature of Chrysostom. It was this arms factory that brought the city worldwide fame, where they are just engaged in the decoration of cold weapons with the help of Zlatoust engraving on steel. There you can see many items that include not only knives and daggers, but also dishes, plates of dishes, etc. The factory itself was founded in 1815. It preserves the traditions of the Chrysostom Armory School and recreates classical forms of historical weapons. Two years after its founding, the factory became the main supplier to the Russian regular army of combat knives. In the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the manufacture of traditional weapons and national types of cold weapons, which were in service with the Russian army, was the hallmark of the Armoury factory. She also made decorated weapons for the imperial court, which were considered as ceremonial or award, which gained wide popularity, as a result of which the Zlatoust steel engraving began to develop at the factory, which delights tourists who visited the arms factory now. There you can see how craftsmen make weapons, decorate them with wonderful engravings, see modern masterpieces of weapons art, and practice in a master class on throwing knives. Any tourist visiting the factory will want to buy the legendary Zlatoust knife. Actually, that's where we're headed right now.

The Armoury Factory is considered one of the main attractions of Chrysostom, where they are engaged in engraving on steel. She is a member of the Chrysostom Gunners Guild. It has its own production base, which includes a control and testing unit and a packaging site. Special attention in the manufacture of works, the factory pays honorary weapons as a symbol of success, family sign and family jewel. In the manufacture of various types of weapons, specialists study the world history of weapons, conduct research and examination of classical samples, recreate the characteristic form and features of historical and national military prototypes. For the manufacture of masterpieces, masters use high-alloy carbon steels, valuable tree species, precious metals and stones. Two types of specialists work on the objects of cold weapons, dishes, etc. – engravers who make blanks for further work and artists – engravers who decorate these same objects with various images, using gold silver paint, and precious stones. The works of Zlatoust masters can often be seen in museums and exhibitions. Many famous people of our world are honorary owners of various products of the factory. Such people include President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, King of Saudi Arabia Abdel Aziz Fadh, President of the Republic of Tatarstan from 1991 to 2010 Mintimer Shaimiev. After all, these products are so beautiful and beautiful that anyone will want to have them at home, replenishing their collection with another wonderful artifact of our spiritual culture. And I'm sure any tourist who sees these masterpieces will come to the same conclusion as I did.

The process of making engravings on steel is quite complex and time-consuming. At home, it is almost impossible to implement it. For this, a special method and a special metal are used. It includes engraving, etching, blue, nickel gilding with gold of the highest standard. Therefore, the master has to make a lot of effort, and do a lot of work to get the same engraving. It all starts with polishing the metal.

Then comes the degreasing of the metal.

Then the picture is translated through copy paper. But initially, a cliché is created, thanks to which the drawing is applied to the product and replicated by the method of light-setting.

Next, the artist applies a brush solution of bitumen varnish on turpentine, which he prepares himself according to his production recipe, and paints them a picture. The main thing in this work is that the varnish withstands the etching process.

After that, the product is dried in the oven to 370 degrees for two minutes, and then etched in a hot solution of copper sulfur with table salt.

And only after all these procedures, the relief will be ready.

This is how all the works in the factory are made. The work, of course, is very complex and thorough, not a single day is done, much needs to be known and able, but the result of such works are unique engravings on steel, which attract us with their skill and beauty. In addition to the dishes that we see in the picture, the arms factory in the same way produces dishes and cold weapons. For the most part, of course, are made, daggers, sabers and knives. But plates, candlesticks and glasses also take place. Zlatoust knives with engraving are considered real masterpieces of modern weapons art. And the truth is, when we see them, we really want to take it in our hands, hang it in our room in the most prominent place, look at it, and think about how talented and masterful this work is. In addition, such items are nice to give someone for a birthday, or any other holiday. Any tourist will be glad that he visited this factory and saw how real works of art are created.

Such instances of knives, dishes and dishes can be seen in the Zlatoust City Museum of Local Lore, which is another attraction of this city. It was founded in 1825 and is considered one of the oldest museums in Russia. In its arsenal there is a unique decorated cold weapon Zlatoust masters of the first half of the XIX century Bushuev I.N. and Boyarshinov I.P. Also in the museum you can see exhibits of Kusinsky and Kaslin cast iron, rocks and rare minerals of the Zlatoust Urals. In addition, the city museum contains rare books of the XVI - XVII centuries and a large collection of diverse literature of the XVIII - XIX centuries. All tourists will be very interested to visit the museum and see all the exhibits stored there. After all, if you think about it, the museum contains all the masterpieces of world art from the beginning of the formation of the human race to the present day. We can see how art has changed from century to century, from year to year. Learn more about the history of Chrysostom and the Urals, as well as see rare books that we can hardly see in ordinary life.

In fact, this is the City Museum. It is located in the very center of the city, right in front of the city garden, where we see two monuments at once, which are another feature of the city of Chrysostom. Well, we'll come back to them later and meet them. This museum is not in vain located in the city center, where there are two more prides of Chrysostom. I think we all know that most people prefer to walk in the center than in some small area, like our Uralmash in Yekaterinburg. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, there are always a lot of people in the city center, and secondly, if you suddenly stay late, you always have a chance to go home. Thirdly, the city center always has a special beauty from other areas. Fourth, there will always be some kind of city landmark, which can be shown not only to citizens, but also to tourists. And fifthly, it always grabs people's attention, and they always want to come and see, what is it? And Chrysostom is no exception. When we take a bus through the city center, we immediately notice a large pole, with some kind of drawing, a monument, and in the background a large building, similar to an administrative one. Neat flower beds and benches tell us that this is not just some kind of decoration. We approach this pillar, read the inscription and realize that it is a monument. And then we go up to that building, and we see that there's a museum sign on the door, and we automatically want to go in there and see what's on display. Thus, we get acquainted with the exhibits of various art, and decide to bypass the entire museum, and come to the conclusion that we did not go into this huge building for nothing. Indeed, the exhibits displayed in the museum are very beautiful. They remind us of the fabulous objects we see on TV when we watch fairy tales. We are transported to another world, a world of magic and wonder. Many images on museum specimens are similar to those we have seen in myths, legends or fairy tales. We want to learn more about the history of the creation of certain products, and think about such questions that most of our lives remain unanswered. Those who have already visited the Museum of Chrysostom will understand what I am talking about, those who have never been there, I think you should go and see these products. I am sure they will enjoy seeing these beautiful exhibits.

Another, one of the prides of Chrysostom is the city garden, located right in front of the building of the local history museum. It is a small green square located on the square of the Third International. In the center of this square stands a black bronze monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Near the monument is a stone monument, which we will talk about later. The city garden on the square remind us, a kind of alley, its exact area, it is better to see for yourself. Those who go to Chrysostom for an excursion, I advise you to pay attention to it. Some part of this square is planted with deciduous trees, another part is decorated with open green lawns. In the very center of this square you can see a large circular lawn, on which, in fact, there is a monument dedicated to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. From this round lawn are several paved paths to the benches, on which people often sit, and enjoy the beauty of this garden. The square itself is completely surrounded by a low iron gate, and next to the lawns there are high round lanterns, which in the evening, when it gets dark, turn this square into a quiet and romantic place. Where you can dream, enjoy the silence and remember all the good things in your life. In addition, there you can just sit and relax, feeling as the wind coming from deciduous trees blows in your face, which makes you want to stay here longer, and reflect on life. I think that every person sometimes wants to be alone with himself and his thoughts, to figure out what we want out of this life, and what is its meaning for us? Of course, in normal times, we do not think about such questions, because we understand that there are more important things in life. But at certain moments, we want to look inside ourselves and our soul, and ask ourselves those questions, the meaning of which remains a mystery to us, even in ordinary times. The main thing is that such an internal dialogue should be suited to a suitable environment. So, in this square, such an atmosphere and opportunity will be presented to any tourist who went on an excursion to Chrysostom. There you can sit and relax, thinking about all the things that we do not have time for in our daily life.

Right in front of the city garden in Chrysostom, there is another feature of the city, which is a monument that I mentioned earlier. This monument is made in the form of an obelisk of Shishim marble, and painted with bronze laurel wreaths. This monument was erected in memory of 27 underground fighters shot by Kolchak in 1919. It is the first monument that was erected in the Soviet era in the old Urenga cemetery, which used to be on this site. The monument was erected by workers of the mechanical plant, after the army of Kolchak left the city. The author of this structure was the artist – engraver Kiselev V.A. Lenta, which winds around the obelisk, is mourning, and it is engraved with the names of the dead revolutionaries who were shot by Kolchak during the February revolution of 1919. A star is installed at the top, and not far from the monument, we can see the graves of other dead revolutionaries. The obelisk itself stands at the very fence, which surrounds the entire square. Around it there is a green round lawn, which harmonizes well with the composition itself. With its appearance, it reminds us of a stone Stella, which was often built in ancient times, and drawings in the form of a laurel wreath take us to the world of ancient Greece and Rome, when all the monuments attracted people with their beauty and sophistication. As we know, in the days of ancient culture, winners of sports were placed on the head of a laurel wreath, as a symbol of victory. Therefore, it is not surprising that the author, creating this composition, decorated the monument in this way. Those who are well acquainted with the history of the early 20th century know that the revolution that took place in 1919 ended with the victory of the Bolsheviks, as a result of which the autocratic power that ruled our country for many years was overthrown. Perhaps this is why the artist used this very manner of drawing to show people’s journey over the life circumstances and difficulties of human life during the reign of the monarchy.

Since the city of Chrysostom was named after the saint, the main attraction of the city is the monument, philosopher and theologian, John Chrysostom. It is located in the village of Krasnaya Gorka, and is located on the southern outskirts of the city, where in addition to the monument there is a large tower - a bell tower, and a square, in the middle of which, in fact, the monument itself is located. The monument dedicated to St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, who lived in the IV century, was installed in the town of Krasnaya Gorka in 2004. His project was developed by the famous sculptor V.P. Zharikov, for the 250th anniversary of the city of Zlatoust. The monument itself is made of bronze, and the pedestal on which John Chrysostom stands and blesses the people with his hand is hollowed out of Ural granite, which goes well with the trees and lawns surrounding the statue of the saint. Citizens of the city believe that when a person touches the monument of John Chrysostom with his right hand, he begins to feel more confident, and his emotional experiences cease to torture him, and people feel more calm, more spiritual than before coming here. Some call him a kind of healer who heals all wounds. In addition, the Zlatoustians believe that if you tell a saint your wish, it will be fulfilled. Many of us want a wonderful life, a good husband, a promising job, reliable friends, a lot of money, excellent health, so that we can proudly say that I did not live my life in vain. We try to get closer to our goal every day, but it doesn’t always work. Then we seek help from higher powers. We go to churches, put up candles, pray to the saints, ask for their help, because we believe that they will help us. In addition, the frequent stories of our acquaintances and friends that they prayed to such a saint, and their wish was fulfilled, makes us do the same. And driving through some city, we suddenly see the saint, about whom our friends told us, and go to him. When we have done everything we need, we make a wish, and all of a sudden, what we have asked for is fulfilled, not immediately of course, but over time. We understand that what our friends told us is not fiction. As soon as we have a difficult period of life, we again turn to the saint to whom we once went, and already advise the same to others. The monument of John Chrysostom is no exception. For those tourists who decide to visit Chrysostom, I advise you to go to this monument, pray to it, and you will not notice how much you asked to fulfill. And not only that, but the fact that this monument is so beautiful and interesting that you never want to look at it. And the square in which he is located is the very place where you can walk slowly, calmly and quietly, contemplating what surrounds us. And to feel that sense of peace that we miss so much in our everyday lives. Any tourist will be interested to walk along this alley, and get some fresh air, especially after a long trip in public transport.

So, we came to the brightest pride of the city of Chrysostom – to the high tower – the bell tower and its observation deck. Of all the attractions of the city, this tower will leave the most vivid impressions of the trip, especially if a person came to Chrysostom for the first time. It amazes us both with its view and the panorama that opens before us from its observation deck. Like the monument to John Chrysostom, the bell tower is located there, in the village of Krasnaya Gorka, next to the chapel erected in honor of the saint. The tower was built in 2006 by the forces and means of the enterprise "Stroytechnica" Since both the bell tower and the observation deck are one whole, it would be wrong to speak of them as separate objects from each other. The observation deck is on the tower itself, when you climb inside it on a spiral iron staircase, you go out onto small balconies fenced with an iron partition. These balconies go in a circle around the tower, which is actually an observation deck. The height of this tower is 53.4 meters, and the observation deck is at a height of 36 meters. The observation deck is a narrow octagonal platform, surrounded, as I said, by a metal fence. The staircase, which you can climb to the observation deck leads to the bell tower, which is located at the top of the tower. There hangs a large iron bell – a gospel that you can ring, or, with both hands, make a wish.

This is what the tower looks like – a bell tower, which undoubtedly amazes us with its power, height and power. Walking through the square, where the monument to John Chrysostom is located, this tower is simply impossible not to notice. It immediately catches our eye, and it's like we're on autopilot, wanting to go in there, climb to the very top, and see where it takes us. And here, the observation deck, which also attracts the attention of tourists who want to climb to the balcony, and see what view opens from a bird's eye view.

On the tower there are two observation decks. The first at an altitude of 25 meters, and the second at an altitude of 36 meters. This is the highest observation deck, which is located where the bell hangs. As you climb the stairs inside the tower, you feel as if you are gradually climbing to a height. From the first observation deck you can see the entire circular view of the city and its surroundings, and from the second observation deck you can see the green coniferous forests of the Taganay and Urengi mountains. Standing on this platform and looking at these mountains and forests, which are visible in the distance, we immediately take our breath away, and our breath stops when we see all this beauty in front of us. Every person sometimes wants to get away from all the worries and problems, and just enjoy nature. Since it has a very good effect on physical health and mood, many tourists prefer to go somewhere in nature. But taking a trip to a city where we have never been helpful. After all, there may be its attractions, which will seem interesting to many tourists and all lovers of traveling. The city of Chrysostom is one of those places. There you can see not only picturesque mountains and forests, but also unique works of art, which will undoubtedly give you an unforgettable impression of the trip. In addition, you can learn a lot about one of the world arts, as well as study the history of one of the cities of the Southern Urals, and buy some souvenirs as a reminder that you went to the homeland of Russian bulat and steel. And we learned some facts about how a unique engraving is created, decorating many objects of our modern life. To anyone who's never seen one before.

Chrysostom, I advise you to go to this amazing city, see its sights and enjoy them. I am sure that this trip will give you a lot of unforgettable impressions and support your interest in travel and tourist trips. After all, there are still many unique places on Earth that every person will want to see at least once in his life, and explore them so that later he can tell his children and grandchildren about them.

Text by Murasheva Dina