How a doll from America saved a girl from Ukraine

An unusual hobby that is gaining popularity today is capable of treating depression as well as a doctor, developing imagination and helping discover something new in everyday life or unsettled immigration.

Photo by Ksenia Kirillova

It is possible that many of us at least once came across photos of collectible dolls: expressive, almost indistinguishable from living people, surrounded by the smallest elaborate decorations or majestic landscapes. The authors of these photos are often professional artists and decorators. As it turned out, in their hands "adult dolls" can not only give beauty and become a kind of art, but also help people overcome the most terrible life tests.

Photo by Ksenia Kirillova

How it all began

When I found out that my friends from Kaluga had hit the puppet, it seemed to me, to say the least, strange. An ordinary family, he is a programmer, she is a housewife raising two kids, suddenly began to play dolls worse than their own children. It was not immediately possible to explain to friends, but to me to get used to the fact that there exists a whole subculture of puppets.

Fans of collectible toys create with the help of their plastic pets whole productions, model the scenery, come up with plots for photo shoots, which they then post on special forums and blogs. In a word, the whole world hid behind the dolls: from sewing clothes and writing works in various genres to creating workshops at home and producing author dolls.

I, who seemed to myself an adult and busy, was not close to this world - before I learned that one of my friends in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk (let's call her Masha) is fond of dolls. It was the spring of 2014, when battles were fought in the city. Masha worked at a local publishing house, did not capture buildings, and did not shoot at anyone. She did not understand politics and did not participate in public life. She was not to blame for the fact that she unexpectedly fell to live among the war. But Masha had nowhere to go.

My friends from Kaluga wrote a fantasy novel and supplemented it with artistic photo shows from dolls. In their creative world out of nowhere, abandoned castles and ancient scrolls in dilapidated libraries arose. Sometimes orc-like villains attacked their fairy-tale world. Masha also wrote to me about the villains. She woke up at four in the morning from the sound of bombing outside the windows and could not determine who was shooting from which side. Everybody bombed the city: separatists from residential areas and the military responded to them (at the very beginning of the war, the order to ban even return fire on residential areas had not yet appeared). There was a roar from the street, and she was very scared. Friends sent photos of dolls, and she sent me photos of twisted buildings.

My friends from Kaluga had a rule: write every day, at least a little. One photo - one passage of history. And I also tried to write in Kramatorsk every day. Little by little, to share the Machines of experience. One day - one passage of tragedy.

War and dolls

The beginning of the war coincided with emigration to the USA almost to the day. One weekend, soon after arrival, my husband and I went to the local museum, where the life of the first immigrants in America was recreated in a very high quality and artistic way. A mixture of fatigue and nostalgia was read on the faces almost indistinguishable from the people of the dummies. From the scenery blew a strange combination of poverty and comfort. The museum really immersed in another world, like a fairy tale. And I, an incorrigible realist, nevertheless began to write a fairy tale about a doll fairy wandering about dreams from the past in order to find a solution to one of the secrets of an Indian tribe. To write for Masha, so that every day at least briefly pulling her out of the horrors of war into a world where no one shoots anyone.

Photo by Ksenia Kirillova

I liked to photograph the doll on the background of roses. Masha also really wanted to visit the roses that she grew, but they were behind the airfield, and there were constant battles around him. Without need, the locals did not go out into the streets. Masha lives very close to the airfield, and all the fights were heard in her apartment. I wrote to her that roses are not worth risking their lives for their sake. She will definitely plant new roses. Then, when the war is over.

“Masha, wait - the war is over, I will come and give you a doll. What do you want? .. "

With the arrival of the Ukrainian army, the war in Kramatorsk really ended. Masha survived. Behind the airfield, her roses continue to grow. She kept her dolls. By the way, Mikhail Bulgakov in his novel “The White Guard” urged: “Never, never remove the lampshade from the lamp! In her light, sit, read, talk. " Among the hell of a raging war, the Turbins' house remains the only shelter for all those who seek peace, light and warmth. It is only necessary to be able to keep this warmth and humanity, a world inaccessible to evil, no matter how hard it may be. Evil comes from all sides, crushes, ready to break through the last fragile defense and finally cover with the head. Only a grain of love, old books, children's fairy tales, light scattered by the lampshade can keep its pressure ...

Want to try?

And now fast forward to our days. In fact, in order to give yourself and others a piece of magic, it is not necessary to be a professional artist or writer. It is enough just to have a little imagination, free time and a good camera (although ordinary, amateur photos can be done on a smartphone). It is also not necessary to create exquisite scenery - they can well be replaced by landscapes of city streets or parks. The main question is where to get the dolls?

Options here are possible for every taste. Some specialized companies, for example, they produce extremely realistic collectible dolls based on the most popular films and TV shows, and you can easily order your favorite characters, say, Harry Potter or the Game of Thrones. The figurines are completely movable, and therefore easily fit into any environment. The downside is that they, like all sorts of quality things, are quite expensive, most often - a couple of hundred dollars.

Photo by Ksenia Kirillova

In such a case, virtual second-hand stores, such as Ebay. Here you can find used dolls with a significant discount. Some sellers sell dolls naked, and sometimes the head and body may sold separately - Of course, much cheaper than the full version of a collectible doll. Thus, if you find the main parts, you can “assemble” the desired doll yourself, saving on clothes or accessories. However, it is important to keep in mind one important detail: collectible dolls are exclusive, and therefore the form of attachment between different parts of the body, as a rule, differs from standard dolls of one or another model. Simply put, if you do not intend to use a hacksaw and glue, you will not be able to “transplant” the head of your favorite character to a cheaper “doll”.

In the second place after expensive collectible dolls are more versatile, but still “adult” toys. We are talking about the “seamless body” series in China, in which bodies and heads were originally sold separately. Fastenings here are usually more versatile, and different heads with the help of standard “joints” sold there can approach different bodies, and when describing a product, compatibility is usually indicated. The main thing you need to pay attention to when assembling your designer doll is the coincidence of different parts in color. And you should also make sure that your toy does not get in the eyes of too young children - the toy bodies of such collections are made with extremely realistic. Such an “adult toy” (body + head) can be collected for as little as $ 100.

Photo by Ksenia Kirillova

Finally, if you want to limit yourself to the most economical option, you can use the usual Barbie dolls - the benefit of their varieties is now also a lot. The heads and bodies of various Barbies can also be changed, however, professional "puppeteers" advise: in order not to damage the mount, the rubber needs to be heated before the "transfer" and thereby made more elastic. Well, if you have artistic skills, you will be able to “redraw” the doll by yourself and create an absolutely unique author's product, like the famous Filipino artist Noel Cruz.

Why do it?

Of course, not every one of us will face the victims of wars and global upheavals, and not every such victim will be helped by a fairy tale about dolls. But to make an author's Christmas card that can please both adults and children is quite in your power. In addition, the “kukhobbi” can help in the development of other useful skills: drawing, art photography, design, and even sewing. This can be valuable especially for immigrants. If you find yourself in a foreign country and do not have a work permit yet, you may well find new friends of interest, since doll lovers live in almost every city in the United States. It is easiest to find like-minded people. subject forumsBy the way, communication is a good way to improve your English. Especially this way of searching for new friends can be suitable for children and teenagers.

And most importantly, any hobby is a way to give yourself a moment of warmth and pleasure. Even people of the most serious professions sometimes need a drop of something good and bright - moreover, people of serious and dangerous professions often need this drop more than anyone else. Of course, as with any collecting, there is a danger of getting carried away too much. There are often cases when people spend huge amounts of money on dolls and almost all their time. In this case, a hobby instead of useful can turn into harm. We in no way encourage you to become a “puppet freak”. Artistic photos of collectible figurines are just one of the ways to let a little kindness and creativity into your life and create a piece of magic that you can share with others.

The original is published on the portal. DiasporaNews

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