Artistic fencing through the eyes of world champions

In September Russian teams took part in the Artistic Fencing World Championships in San Marino for the first time. Representatives of 11 countries competed in the competition: Norway, Portugal, Czech Republic, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino and Russia. On account of the Russian team 3 gold medals. Two of them were won by the Fekhtomania team (RGUFK-RAMT) from Moscow.

The correspondent of the official website of the International Charitable Foundation "For the Future of Fencing" Tatyana Kolchanova met with the members of this team, its coaches and artistic director to get answers to the questions: "What is artistic fencing - sport or art? What should be paid more attention to - fighting technique or entertainment, stage effects? Is dramaturgy necessary? What are the requirements for staging performances, as well as for their evaluation? What future awaits a new sports discipline, balancing at the intersection of art and sports? Who and how came to artistic fencing? Thanks to what, in a new sport for Russia, the debutants of the World Cup managed to defeat more experienced rivals?

We talked with the guys and their teachers in the Blue Room of the Central House of Actors for several hours. They have not yet cooled off after their triumph in San Marino. They spoke emotionally, enthusiastically and a lot. And it took me a lot of effort to summarize this material. Firstly, we managed to find out how the leaders of the team interpret the concept of artistic fencing.

Artistic fencing is a method of conducting a conditional, pre-rehearsed fight. Such a duel should have a storyline, it can be supplemented with musical arrangement, text, dances, tricks, etc. Participants of the performance fencing in costumes and weapons, indicating the era to which the plot they have chosen for staging the performance belongs. Also, the rules do not allow improvisation. That is, the audience is presented with a mini-performance based on fencing.

And for the coaches, the most difficult thing was to get all the team members together. If for athletes there was a concept - a regimen, daily training, then for actors it was difficult to choose the time for training. They practiced with pleasure and a healthy dose of courage after the end of the performances, when their fellow athletes were already closing their eyes. Leonid Lavrovsky recalls: “I did not participate in the World Championship, but I was in the team at the Russian Championship. When an incentive appeared in the form of the official national championship, which was also a selection for the world championship, we changed our attitude to training. So, in March we trained once a week, but from the end of April we trained almost every day, and some still stayed to train at night. When there is an incentive, then there is time for training.”

The Fekhtomania team managed to get to the World Championship, where they competed in two categories - "XVI century - modernity" and "Out of time, free style". Both were the best. I asked the guys - did they believe in victory? Prokhor explained: “We have a comic motto: “Victory, vanity, world domination.” He was born at the training camp before the World Cup. We worked out an episode in which we all attack Gleb Kachan, and he should not immediately give up, but hold on to the last with a straight back. And then I said: "Imagine, the whole world is looking at you, and in your every movement you should read - victory, vanity, world domination." Everyone liked this slogan.

Lada Mosharova recalls the difficulty with which each number was born: “At first, the guys did not perceive serious fencing lessons, this was the case in the work on the “Wax Museum”. This number was given to us with great difficulty. But now it is almost a masterpiece. It was the same with A Night in Spain. Lena Tikhomirova and I could not convince them to play this number. Then I said - we will do "In the yard of leftovers." Imagine - a huge yard of leftovers, a prince and a beggar. Then the guys shouted - no, let's better the Spanish theme. Then I set a condition - you will have a chaperone, and Lena said - Sonya Ivanova. They say, maybe invite an artist? And Lena answered - no, the artist will not cope. Here we need real lunges, real fencing techniques. And when they united on the idea, it was such a pleasure to work with them.

And Roman Stepensky told how sometimes it was difficult for the athletes to realize the acting idea: “I explained to Sonya how she should sit on my knees. Does not understand. Then I say, everything is simple - step forward, lunge, close. Understood".

In San Marino, the guys agreed not to go through all the episodes at speed during rehearsals. It was impossible to reveal all the cards ahead of time. But at some point it was necessary to check the movements against the music, and I had to perform the episode at full speed. “Giovanni, the organizer, runs up here and pulls the sword out of my hands,” Roman recalls. - I do not understand what is going on. And he says that this is a hoax, the sword is not metal, as it should be, but plastic. I give him a weapon, and he understands that it is real, metal. He could not believe that it was possible to perform movements with real weapons at such a speed. We laughed."

There was another episode that all team members are talking about. There was a day when everyone came to the rehearsal before the competition. On the open stage, where tourists walk, there were fights in every corner of the square, it was noisy, everyone was talking in different languages. It was the turn of the Russians to rehearse on stage. The guys began to pass the "Museum" without music. And suddenly they realized that they were doing it in complete silence. Everyone stopped and just looked at them. The opponents were amazed by the strength and confidence of the team. “We agreed among ourselves,” explains Prokhor, “that in training we do not show everything in full force, we pledged not to sell the meaning of our numbers to anyone. Each passed in short fragments. But even from several fragments of one number, the opponents and the judges realized that we represent a serious force. Our advantage was that we are all professionals - in acting or in sports. We all master the second type of activity. One is fencing, the other is acting. Our opponents are either underplayed actors or underfenced athletes. There are just amateurs among them, people from the street who have united in clubs, hold festivals, and whole families are engaged in acting fencing with great enthusiasm.”

One more of our teams from Kolomna, representing the Svyatogor Center of Russian Military Culture at the championship, can also be called professionals, - says Roman. - They also won first place. These guys are engaged in the reconstruction of the Kolomna Kremlin. Every day they conduct excursions, perform with a demonstration program, hence such endurance. They perform in chain mail, they have real weapons that they themselves forge. Not everyone takes this as seriously as Kolomna athletes, for many the championship is just a mass holiday, hooliganism, which has nothing to do with history or fencing.”

The guys from the Fekhtomania team believe that not only skill, but also chance helped them win the championship. “Everyone performed under normal conditions,” says Prokhor, “and during ours, it started to rain. Only we managed to perform on the street stage, we got the first number by drawing of lots. According to the plot, the hero of Sergei Gerasenkov was the first to die on the stage, and the sky began to cry. After our performance, the competition was moved indoors. Before the championship continued, two hours passed. And all these two hours everyone was just talking about the performance of our team.”

According to Gleb Kachan, in artistic fencing there is not yet one important element- judging criteria. “Take, for example, figure skaters,” Gleb gives an example. - They evaluate the complexity of the elements - double axel, triple, etc. One skater can cleanly skate the program without using complex elements, while another can fall, but perform a four-turn jump. And until clear evaluation criteria appear, artistic fencing will not be perceived as a full-fledged sport. Uniform rules should be developed so that the competitors understand what is required of them and why they receive certain points.”
While our champions are practitioners. They follow the path of error and trial. Just like it was in ice dancing. AT figure skating When dancing was included in the official competition program, the question arose - what is it? How can this be assessed? In the end, we just agreed - what technical means can be used and what should not be. With their lives, their victories, our pioneers show that the path of development they follow has the right to life. They are trying to combine the professionalism of actors and athletes, and this has already led to victory at the World Championships. But then we observe hunger in theory. There is no discussion of the technical approach to this sport. So far, this is a territory in which no one is fighting. Some people benefit from this situation. Because as soon as the conditions and rules of the game and your language are determined, it will immediately become clear who is worth what. And yet, I believe that the time will come when artistic fencing will take its place in the history of our sport, and Russian masters will be able to achieve the same respect and honor as their colleagues from sports fencing.

Team members "Fechtomania":

Alexey Longin, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). Currently he is an artist of the Moscow theater "Et Cetera" under the direction of A. Kalyagin. Busy in performances: "Shylock", "Newspaper "Russian Invalid" for July 18", "The Secret of Aunt Melkin". He acts a lot in films (“The Hunt for a Genius”, “Penal Battalion”, “Mothers and Daughters”, “Soldiers-11”, “Students-International”, “Thirty Years”, etc.) Performer of fights and stunts in films: “Servant of the Sovereigns ”, “Shadowboxing-2”, “New Earth”, etc. Director of the first numbers of the “Fechtomania” team.

Sergei Gerasenkov, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). Currently, he is an artist of the Moscow Drama Theater named after M. Yermolova. He takes an active part in recording audio books (“Treasure Island”, “Black Arrow”, etc.). Conducts the author's course of stage movement and plasticity.

Gleb Kachan, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). At present he is an artist of the Moscow theater "School of the modern play". He performs with a solo program in the bard club "Capercaillie's Nest" and at the evenings of the Theater Center "On Strastnoy" (under the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation).

Roman Stepensky, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). At present he is an artist of the Russian Academic Youth Theatre. Filmed in films (“Antikiller-2”, “The Last Weekend”, etc., performer of fights and stunts in the film “Servant of the Sovereigns”).

Prokhor Chekhovskoy, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). At present he is an artist of the Russian Academic Youth Theatre. While still a student, he was introduced to the main role in the play "Little Lord Fauntleroy". Filmed in films (“The Return of Mukhtar”, “Airport”, “Satisfaction”, “Don't Be Born Beautiful”, “Kulagin and Partners”, “National Treasure”, etc., performer of fights and tricks in the film “Servant of the Sovereigns”).

Leonid Lavrovsky, a graduate of the Russian Academy of Theater Arts (GITIS). While still a student, he played several roles in the performances of the theater "At the Nikitsky Gates", at present he is an artist of the theater "School of the Modern Play". Student of the Literary Institute (Drama Department). Acting teacher at RATI (GITIS) and the Institute of Russian Theater. As a director, he collaborates with several entrepreneurial projects. He took part in the filming of the films "Moscow Saga", "Children of the Arbat", "Star of the Empire", etc.

Sofia Ivanova, graduate of the Russian State University physical education and sports majoring in Combat Sports. Master of sports in fencing. Four-time champion of Russia in fencing.

Artem Deev, student of the 5th year of the Russian State University of Physical Culture and Sports, majoring in Combat Sports. Master of sports in fencing. Winner of the championships of Moscow and Russia in fencing. As a stuntman, he took part in the filming of the film The Treasures of Mazarin (a sequel to The Three Musketeers).

Team coaches: master of sports in fencing - Elena Tikhomirova and Elena Yakovleva.

Artistic director Lada Mosharova.

Choreographer Mikhail Lavrovsky. People's Artist of the USSR, Laureate of the Lenin Prize, International Competition ballet dancers, Prizes to them. Vaslav Nijinsky of the Paris Academy of Dance, Moscow Prize in the field of culture and art.

Studio manager - Ivanov Dmitry Alexandrovich- Actor, director and stuntman, senior lecturer at the stage plastics department of GITIS, CCM in art fencing, silver medalist of the German championship in stage fencing and champion of Russia in art fencing.

"stage fencing is a combination of plasticity and acting skills, choreographic accuracy and well-coordinated actions of partners in skillful possession of weapons. This is the disclosure of the psychology of the fight through the dramaturgy of the fight and the development of the image of the character in extreme conditions fight."

"It is one of the mandatory professional disciplines in the training of an actor, it also exists as an independent direction in tune with artistic or staged fencing.
It reminds, explains and educates in modern man such concepts as honor and dignity.

Studio stage fencing VOLTE was founded in 2009.

During its existence, the studio took part in the festivals "Silver Sword" (Moscow), "Romance of the Middle Ages" (Kolomna), "Staging Fencing Festival" (Moscow), "Fencer's Day" (St. Petersburg), "Street Theater Festival" (Yaroslavl), "Silver Ring of the Blade" (Moscow), "Arena" (Vidnoye).

And also in the Russian Art Fencing Championship, and in the German International Stage Fencing Championship.

It has been 3 centuries since the time of Dumas and Sabatini, but the beauty and romance of this era are still alive. Remember these wonderful films close to many hearts - "Midshipmen", "Three Musketeers"? Artistic fencing is what makes them spectacular and authentic. It's not just swordsmanship, physical training, stage skills, but also a sincere love for the era of knights and beautiful ladies.

Artistic Fencing is what brings this era back to us.

Artistic fencing is a duel staged and brought to perfection, when the masters, getting used to their roles, according to the script and without editing cuts, play the duel as a whole, recreating pictures past days and contractions. The work goes without protection, with strict safety procedures, real fencing techniques and creative acting.

We challenge the virtual life, unloved work, obsession with financial gain.

We want to get rid of the Internet and get a taste of real life, real fight, passion, feel the firmness of the hand and the endurance of the legs!

We want to create our own scripts and let our ideas come to life. We want to positively influence the world around! We want to grow up to full-fledged theatrical productions, where there is a text, acting skills, passion, honor, a sword, nobility!

Artistic fencing is:

• Physical education;
• Fencing;
• Combat acrobatics;
• Stage combat without weapons;
• Fundamentals of acting;
• Historical and cultural heritage;
• Hobby;
• Breathtaking theatrical costume show!

Feel like a brave musketeer, a desperate pirate or a cold-blooded aristocrat.

You can...

• Try on the role of your favorite heroes of books and movies - nobles and musketeers, midshipmen and pirates, heroes and adventurers.
• Feel the excitement of the fight, the drive of the battle.
• To join the national and world history
• Learn to control your body.
• Learn theatrical techniques and tricks of stage combat and combat acrobatics.
• Find like-minded people.

Prepare for battle, like in good movies!

We create conditions to meet the needs of people:

• in cultural, creative, intellectual and spiritual development;
• realize creative potential;
• we create conditions for the socialization of young people;
• we develop forms of leisure in accordance with modern world cultural development.

The fencing rally, which united the fighters of the Staritsa, Moscow, Balashikha and Rzhev branches of the Club, ended successfully. Filmed a movie, got invaluable experience!photo in VK

Results of fencing rallies "Summer 2017", 1st and 2nd shifts. Based on the results of the first session, which took place at the end of June 2017, 14 videos were created with their own scenarios. According to the results of the second July shift, there is still one video from the montage above. You can follow the release of the rest in the club's diary in the VK group: https://vk.com/kaf_vysov. We present to your attention several videos with the participation of our students and the head of the art fencing club "Challenge"

Learning fencing just like that is interesting in itself. But it is much more interesting if there is a scope for this art. Someone competes in championships, someone participates in festivals and reconstructions, someone arranges professional performances, and we, for the second summer in a row, find an outlet in the form of amateur filming.
First, we form script ideas, then we write them ourselves, make storyboards, assign props, cameramen, costume designers, assistant directors, make-up artists and, of course, rehearse fights in advance and sort out the psychological state of our characters.
This summer we had 2 shifts of 7 days each. Our plans included such scenarios as "Pretender", "Son of a blacksmith", "Sister's honor", "Do not give up", "Angard", "Letter", "Shadow" and "Ordinary miracle". Most of them are short (5-9 minutes), but there are also longer ones. For most scenarios, there were many who wanted to participate, so sometimes they filmed the same thing, but with different actors in the lead roles.
Started in January 2017 organizational training to fly. Since April, they began to rehearse fights and roles.
From June 26 to July 2, the 1st shift "shot back", and from July 22 to July 28 - the second. Filming took place in Bernovo, Staritsa (Museum of Local Lore, the house of the merchant Filippov, Praskov-Pyatnitskaya Church, the city itself) and in Chukavino (the historical ensemble and the Chukavino Country Complex).
Both children and parents participated in the filming, and with great enthusiasm: there was not a single person for whom there would be no role, or organizational, invaluable application for the film crew. For me, as a stage director, these were two wonderful shifts: my guys from Moscow, Balashikha, Staritsa and Rzhev became wonderful friends and worked well together. The volunteer crews have done a great job and I think we've made a good step up from 2016's The Chase.

On September 19, at the Festival of Ballroom Traditions of Catherine II on the open area of ​​the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, as part of the Great Catherine Ball, the Espada Artistic Fencing Studio will present demonstration performances and master classes in fencing. Event organizer: international union German culture (MSNK) with the support of the Government of Moscow.

The ability to wield a sword, or, as it was also called, "sword art" is an integral part of the life of the nobility, a means of developing dexterity and cultivating a military spirit. In Russia, "rapier science" was introduced in noble military schools by decree of Peter I, in addition, fencing was a mandatory occupation for all courtiers ...

Guests of the events of the Great Catherine's Ball are waiting for a colorful staged fight on the main stage at various types edged weapons from the masters of the Artistic Fencing Studio "Espada" - winners and prize-winners of Russian and international competitions.

In addition, on one of the paths of the Tsaritsyno Park, master classes in fencing with a cutting and stabbing sword will be organized for everyone. You will gain an understanding of the fencer's fighting stance, the basic techniques of defense and attack in fencing, and try to apply the acquired knowledge in exercises with partners.

About the studio:

Artistic fencing studio "Espada" (Moscow) is the leader of Russian artistic fencing.

The studio was founded in 2004 and is the founder and main driving force of a new sport in our country. Espada athletes form the backbone of the Russian national fencing team. At the last world championship, the students of the studio won 2 gold medals, "silver" and "bronze". At the 2014 Russian Championship, six of the studio's performances received tournament awards, including 4 gold medals. Based on the scores scored, seven Espada athletes completed the Master of Sports standard.

Head of the studio professor of the department combat sports Russian State University of Physical Culture, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Honored Coach of Russia Alek Movshovich.

About the project:

The Great Catherine's Ball is a large-scale annual event dedicated to the traditions and culture of the era of Catherine the Great.

The ball is the central event of a major cultural and educational project "Cultural and Historical Forum: formation and contribution Russian Germans in the development of the Russian state. Formation of a common civic identity” and is enlightening, educational and humanistic in nature.

Organizer: International Union of German Culture (ISNK) with the support of the Government of Moscow.

Project partners: Vera Hospice Charitable Foundation, Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, Institute of Ethnocultural Education - BIZ, MaVi Group, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Baltschug Kempinski Moscow Hotel, Commonwealth of Moscow Image Makers, BlackRabbit beauty salon, biletmarket portal. ru, MIRUMIR music publishing house, Ostankino rental company, Sergey Andriyaka watercolor school, ESPADA artistic fencing studio, AZIMUT Moscow Olympic Hotel 4*, Arsenal company, Entrée historical dance workshop, Impera company, company "Mosigra", studio-shop "Shkatulochka".

Information support: "Moscow German newspaper" (Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung); Informational portal Russian Germans Rusdeutsch.ru, Vash Leisure, Dobrye Sovety magazine, Lisa magazine.

On September 19, at the Festival of Ballroom Traditions of Catherine II, on the open area of ​​the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, as part of the Great Catherine's Ball, the Espada Artistic Fencing Studio will present demonstration performances and master classes in fencing. Event organizer: International Union of German Culture (ISNK) with the support of the Government of Moscow.

On September 19, at the Festival of Ballroom Traditions of Catherine II, on the open area of ​​the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, as part of the Great Catherine's Ball, the Espada Artistic Fencing Studio will present demonstration performances and master classes in fencing. Event organizer: International Union of German Culture (ISNK) with the support of the Government of Moscow.

The ability to wield a sword, or, as it was also called, "sword art" is an integral part of the life of the nobility, a means of developing dexterity, cultivating a military spirit. In Russia, "rapier science" was introduced in noble military educational institutions by decree of Peter I, in addition, fencing was a mandatory occupation for all courtiers.

Guests of the events of the Great Catherine's Ball are waiting for a colorful staging fight on the main stage on various types of edged weapons from the masters of the Artistic Fencing Studio "Espada" - winners and prize-winners of Russian and international competitions.

In addition, on one of the paths of the Tsaritsyno Park, master classes in fencing with a cutting and stabbing sword will be organized for everyone. You will gain an understanding of the fencer's fighting stance, the basic techniques of defense and attack in fencing, and try to apply the acquired knowledge in exercises with partners.

Details on the official website of the Ball www.katharinenball.eu and in the groups of the event in Facebook and In contact with.

About the studio:

Artistic fencing studio "Espada" (Moscow) is the leader of Russian artistic fencing.

The studio was founded in 2004 and is the founder and main driving force of a new sport in our country. Espada athletes form the backbone of the Russian national fencing team. At the last world championship, the students of the studio won two gold medals, "silver" and "bronze". At the 2014 Russian Championships, six of the studio's performances received tournament awards, including four gold medals. Based on the scores scored, seven Espada athletes completed the Master of Sports standard.

The head of the studio is Professor of the Department of Combat Sports of the Russian State University of Physical Culture, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Honored Coach of Russia Alek Movshovich.

About the project:

The Great Catherine's Ball is a large-scale annual event dedicated to the traditions and culture of the era of Catherine the Great.

Organizer: International Union of German Culture (ISNK).

Project partners: Government of Moscow; Department of National Policy, Interregional Relations and Tourism of the City of Moscow; Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Hospices "Vera"; Museum-reserve "Tsaritsyno"; Institute of Ethnocultural Education - BIZ; Commonwealth of Image Makers of Moscow; beauty salon Black Rabbit; image studio Stimage; biletmarket.ru portal; Moscow German newspaper (Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung); Information portal of Russian Germans Rusdeutsch; magazine "Good advice".

The ball is the central event of the large cultural and educational project “Cultural and Historical Forum: the formation and contribution of Russian Germans to the development of the Russian state. Formation of a Common Civic Identity”, implemented with the support of the All-Russian public organization - Society “Knowledge” of Russia as part of state support measures for non-profit non-governmental organizations participating in the development of civil society institutions, implementing socially significant projects and projects in the field of protecting the rights and freedoms of man and citizen.

On the eve of the main ball event, a series of preparatory master classes will be held, during which the participants of the ball will be trained in various areas: cultural and historical, choreographic, arts and crafts, areas of historical reconstruction and historical etiquette.

The mission of the ball is to popularize the culture and traditions of Russian Germans and other ethnic groups of Russia, the development and popularization of enlightenment traditions established by Catherine II, the harmonization of social and interethnic relations in Russian society.

In 2015, the Great Catherine Ball will be held on September 19 at the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve. Details on the official website of the Ball and in the groups of the event in