In December Kiev excursion bureau- "Interesting Kiev", "Frescos of Kiev", "KLIO" and others are filled up with demands for excursion "into New year" - on Klavdiyevsky factory of Christmas tree decorations. This only enterprise near Kiev where make glass jewelry, besides it 100-protsentno manual production where for a symbolical payment on the balls acquired in a local little shop (7-15 UAH depending on the size) it is possible to order a congratulatory inscription for relatives and to friends. Well who will refuse to himself in such pleasure? The correspondent of "KP" went to the fairy tale too.
The day before noticeably strewed lightly, trees along the road which passed through the wood, were proud of snow-white clothes, adjusting on expectation of a miracle. Tourists, generally went the whole families therefore the atmosphere reigned the almost family. The first that saw at a checkpoint, - a chain of buses and a car, crowds of adults and children. Children right there found an entertainment – having made an ice track, pushing out each other, boys showed their skills before girls, and the last is useless hoped that to them will offer a place on a skating rink too. Flied head over heels and hit buttocks not only those who expected turn on an entrance, but also those lucky who already visited the factory they it is proud swung packages with such desired balls and also balanced, trying to keep on ice. And around...
Waiting for
- The fourth "A" class, approach me. All gathered? The fourth "A"! - The teacher was surrounded only by girls, boys never. And suddenly "clang"! One acquired gift became less. And already without reminders heroes right there went to the bus.
Here also "house" girls grew bolder.
- Helen, Helen if you are injured not to see to you the ballet, you have an examination soon! - This is already very young mother in a short fur coat and high boots. - Don't worry, - in reply. - I don't gather in the ballerina, - and itself makes such elegant "pases" which don't raise doubts that is expensive to her - on a scene.
- Mother, I hit, -it is too "house" boy, but growth catches up his mummy. She pressed the child, trying not to look at bruise which instantly appeared on cheekbones. Having stood a little, the boy again ran on ice.
So it passed nearly an hour - and here we inside.
Factory to which came, - the private family production located in the two-storeyed brick building. On the first floor – workshops like glass-blowing, silvering and coloring, on the second the artists paint (the professional term) products and attracts with the variety of shop.
As jewelries made
City counters are filled up with cheap foreign stamping, and here the exclusive domestic toy goes to Russia and Europe. The ball which is blown by the glass blower, surely has to have a technological droplet (camber) below, and a neck under an eyelet at it already, - the son of the owner of the enterprise, our guide tells. - We can make not only balls, but also teapots, hand bells, even flowers grow here, but generally from glass. And in it there are advantages - it isn't necessary to water, - he jokes.
Balls with a diameter of 8-10-15 cm blow from special medical glass , which heats up previously to several hundreds of degrees on gas torches. Having reddened, weight becomes plastic, the melted drop cut off from other preparation and, rotating, with easy exhalations (that product walls didn't tear) inflate through an opening which will become then a neck. The flask gradually turns into a ball, its size check, passing - in one it shouldn't pass through two wire rings (the lower admission), and - to dive into another (the top admission), accuracy +/-2 mm. As a rule, masters blow the necessary size from the first, how many didn't observe, didn't notice that someone after "control" finished a product. On the glass blower at us specially don't learn anywhere, experience is passed on by skilled masters qualitatively to work, it is necessary "to train" more than half a year. Glass blowers work on "the first hot grid" and retire in 45 years. The salary on production makes from 1500 UAH in workers to 2500 UAH in artists, is quite good level for the settlement. Work at the enterprise to 50 people, production doesn't stop in the summer.
But we will return to a ball. The glass stick - a spindle with which the product travels on other technological operations is inserted into an opening. The bigger size a ball, so it more fragile, but the more interestingly and in more detail on it, so it is possible to draw the picture. Products travel to the following workshop in boxes, it is such impression as it is transported by a set of soap bubbles.
Cover with silver balls from within, injecting the solution containing silver, and then immersing in a bathtub with the water which is warmed up to 40 degrees, on 2-5 sec. The sphere reminds the space messenger - shines and is poured. If temperature is higher , silver will crack and will peel off , if it is below - grows dull. If it is honest, there is a persistent smell - something between ordinary paint and nail varnish. Ventilation in all workshops was switched off for the sake of tourists, after all then we would hear nothing therefore workers, on the one hand, complain about idlers, and on the another understand that we will leave in cash desk real money, which "in economy" never superfluous.
The sparkling festive and beautiful balls get on painting (depending on a type of paint, paint also transparent balls here). Having visited a bucket with the corresponding solution, and then having walked in a drying case tunnels, products become multi-colored and they ask for hands. They are yet with spindles therefore it is possible to gather improbable beauty "bouquet".
Further master artists reproduce festive plots on balls, draw animals and fairy tale characters, landscapes and everything that the soul (customer) will wish. Now considerable demand for "corporate drawing" - logos, emblems and so forth. As on east calendar of the 2008th - Year of a rat, many plots are devoted to this animal. Further saw off "leg", insert an eyelet, pack into firm boxes - and balls begin travel to our houses.
Gifts
In shop of an eyes “run up”, hands aren't enough, packages are filled by itself. The most dexterous managed to make some trips shop - the bus, the driver only swung the head and repeated that for quality of the road and politeness of drivers on it doesn't warrant therefore owners to care for the goods (but I went back noticeably more slowly, than in the morning, perhaps, there were also precedents). We stand in a queue to artists to write welcome words. Who is only not congratulated - friends, parents (children), colleagues (chiefs), four-footed and feathery pets and so forth. Artists, reproducing surprising inscriptions like "Ya shareg", are already surprised to nothing, only look when there is an end to it. The turn fell down somewhere after the 16th (the trip took place, certainly, in the day off). Came back home are full of pride of themselves and a domestic producer, in advance expecting pleasure of those who will get each of these little stars - festive New Year's gifts.
