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The Kyiv "Hedgehog" (composition "Konyachka") from the park on Reitarska has been absent from its usual place since November 2021.
Kyivans and fans of the original park sculpture are wondering where it has disappeared to.
In the city where the character from the cartoon stood, various messages from him appear in the form of small posters: "I went to count the stars" or "I went to protect the Motherland."
The website TSN.ua found out exactly where the favorite of Kyivans disappeared and when he will return to his usual place.
Hedgehog writes that he went to defend the Motherland
In November 2021, the author of the sculpture Kostyantyn Skrytutsky reported that his Hedgehog was once again damaged by unknown vandals - they were thrown from the stump on which he was standing.
The street sculpture was damaged.
In order to save the favorite of the people of Kyiv, it was decided to comprehensively restore it.
Although only in December 2019, Hedgehog returned to his place after cosmetic repairs.
At that time, experts noted that such art objects usually live on the street for 3-5 years, and the Hedgehog was already more than 12 years old then.
By the way, it is made from a piece of linden.
"The main task is the stabilization and preservation of the tree from which the Hedgehog is made.
First, the base will be cleaned and disinfected, after which they will begin to implement the processes of stabilizing the tree by saturating it with preservative solutions, which will slow down the processes of wood degradation," said project curator Maria Borysenko.
In cooperation with Lithuanian colleagues, the most effective method of restoration was developed, the application of which will extend the Hedgehog's life.
After that, the favorite of Kyiv was admitted to the "hospital", or rather to the "Gurin brothers" workshop, co-owned by Danylo and Anton Gurin.
He is still here.
And they started "treating" Hedgehog even before the start of the war.
Hedgehog writes that he went to defend the Motherland
According to Danylo Gurin, of all the materials used in Yizhak, ceramics turned out to be the most stable.
Ceramic eyes and nose are fine.
Restorers only need to extract coins from the hedgehog knot and clean it from dust.
By the way, this is not an original ceramic knot, but a copy that the author of the sculpture had to make separately, since vandals often stole the knot or simply broke it.
"In order to get to the wood, which loses its original properties over the years under the influence of the external environment, we dismantled the Hedgehog's "needles" and also removed the net on which they were attached.
They made a sweep map, on which they marked where and how the net should be attached.
This is important when we collect the sculpture.
The work must be done exactly in this sequence, and not in any arbitrary order.
Otherwise, it will change the original intention of the author, and we cannot allow this," he told the TSN website.
ua Danylo Gurin, co-owner of the art and restoration workshop "Gurin brothers".
Hedgehog after cleaning from paint/ photo Maria Borysenko
He adds that during the active phase of the restoration, they were in constant contact with the author of the sculpture, Kostyantyn Skryutskyi, as you can learn all the details about the Hedgehog from him.
"We removed all self-tapping screws.
By the way, their number was not counted, but we will definitely do it.
The tree was treated for fungi, mold and parasites.
What is interesting - the Hedgehog was free of parasites, but just in case, we did the treatment.
Also, the beetles did not grind the wood from which it is made.
Later, a problematic "diagnosis" of the Hedgehog was established - the poor condition of the wood due to the influence of the external environment when he "lived" on the street, - Danylo Gurin explains to us, showing the condition of the wood in the photo.
- Also, the general condition of the Hedgehog was affected by repeated repairs, which were sometimes done by caring local residents or those who take care of the square where it stood.
I mean repainting that changed the original appearance of the sculpture.
Therefore, we carefully removed all layers of paint from it over many years, selected all inserts in the form of putty and other substances,
This is the condition of the tree from which the Hedgehog is made/photo Danylo Gurin
After cleaning from the paint, the Hedgehog is unrecognizable, his "face" is covered with deep cracks.
They still have to be "treated" by restorers.
Now the favorite of Kyiv looks more like a recruit with a haircut "to zero".
By the way, a lot of coins were found under the needles and in the cracks of Hedgehog, which the visitors put there for him.
Now the favorite of Kyiv looks more like a recruit / photo Danylo Gurin
"We keep this funny artifact - it's Hedgehog's money.
A whole handful of them are Ukrainian coins of various denominations," Danylo Gurin shares with us.
It so happened that the restorers had just begun to deal with the Hedgehog when a full-scale war began.
Now work on its update has stopped.
"Unfortunately, we don't have time for Hedgehog, as my brother and I serve at NSU.
And the specificity of our unit is to constantly move - positions, base, different cities.
Although, we would really like to finish his "treatment" as soon as possible and return him to the square on Reitarska.
Perhaps when the situation at the front changes, we will be able to get to work.
But, most likely, Hedgehog will return there already after our Victory," adds Danylo Gurin.
We will remind you that a pony was recently spotted in Kyiv entering the capital's metro station.
It happened during an air raid.
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