Jewellery - a philosophy of life in Kubachi (Part 3)

During the campaign against Dagestan in XVIII century the Persian conqueror, Nadir-Shah, knew that the Kubachis were skilled gunmakers, so he didn't attack the village. Ahead the attack he sent spies to get information about military abilities of the Kubachis. The residents of the village put jugs to roofs of houses, four jugs to a roof - two vertically and two flatly. The spies thought the jugs were canons and reported about it to Nadir-Shah. The conqueror decided not to attack Kubachi. Thus, thanks to copper and bronze jugs, which looked like canons, Kubachi was saved.

This story was told to VK by Gadzhiomar Izobakarov, one of aksakals of the village, he is a teacher at local school. He teaches there an unusual subject - bases of Kubachi's art. This year the president of Russia awarded him the Honored Artist of Russia. Children and grandchildren of Izobakarov are jewelers too.

He told that in 1962 industrial training was launched in all schools. The Kubachi school was offered to launch carpenter and locksmith's training shops. However, the village's society and the headmaster of the school suggested to the government their own idea on preserving traditional craft and instead of industrial training the Basics of Kubachi art launch. The minister of education, who saw the art semples, said: "History won't forgive us if we let this art die," and the unique subject was launched.

Izobakarov have been taught by his father. After he graduated from the Moscow Technology Institute, Azobakarov became a master in a plant, and then he went to school to be a teacher. He showed the family museum of the Izobakarovs, where ware made by artists of various origin and time is kept. On the first shelf big Kubachi traps for family great events are stored.

On the second shelf Iranian copper ware is kept. On the other wall china and delft dishes are hanged. The Kubachis have never produced china. Izobakarov's museum has Chinese, Japanese and French chinaware, Iranian metal ware, which confirms the fact that residents of the village had trade relations with these countries and visited them. The museum has also dishes made by pupils.

The works by pupils have been exhibited for three times: in the USA, Chili, Syria, Turkey and other countries. After school graduation pupils got a certificate on being a jeweler-artist. Kubachi works have been exhibited in Paris, Hermitage, Moscow and other cities.

Musa Musayev, Makhachkala-Kubachi. Exclusively for VK