Expedition The Spine of Russia - «ridge Russia" Monchegorsk and Kirovsk

The expedition • The Spine of Russia - "Russian Ridge": Monchegorsk and Kirovsk

Chilly October afternoon. Double glass windows music school punch cheerful sounds. A bit awkward strumming the piano. Soprano pulls range, singing in front of the occupation. Timid accordion player adjusts his instrument. Pure music coming out of children's fingers, imbues gas polluted air Monchegorsk life and hope.

Monchegorsk - one of Russia's most polluted cities. The route leading to the city from the north, passes through the treeless tundra. Left and right of the road stretch wasteland bristling twisted dead tree trunks. Outside the city rise a hefty pile of mining waste.

At some distance from Monchegorsk one can see the wonderful lakes and magnificent fells under the snow caps. One could say that the natural beauty breathtaking. If no breath away from hyperactivity plant, processing of copper and nickel concentrate.

Monchegorsk music school - a precious pearl shining on the background of the surrounding bleak environment. Enthusiasm and creativity of teachers of 29 schools is beyond praise. We looked into a number of classes of individual training and attended the rehearsal delightful folk music ensemble (guitar, button accordions, dobro, bass domra, drums).

"The value of such rehearsals that they children interact with each other - says the school director Svetlana Sulim, active and charming 40-year-old woman. During the interview, she is 110 percent focused on the interlocutor. - Today's children are sitting at home, staring at their computers, and does not even stick their nose out to play or hang out on the street. But our students get together a couple of times a week, play music, communicate and collaborate. And it's good for them. "

The next scheduled overnight in Apatity, but first we went to a nearby city - Kirovsk. There we will visit the classroom quite a different sort - Mark Ivanovich Smirnov. It deals with teenagers boxing: trains about a dozen boys and a few girls.

Cropped crew cut 42-year-old growth of about 175 cm, if the whole retinue of tight muscles. A typical loudmouthed sergeant in the exercise - but the perfect good-natured. He doted in these children. He likes to yell at them, find fault and criticize. And they respond to him in return, revere and fear it, but keep the strike, and boldly met his jokes. They learn boxing.

Basketball Hall ropes divided into six areas for sparring. Smirnov standing with his hands clasped behind his back, and closely observe the pair for a sparring partner, then after another. He shouts at them, pointing out their weak technique, and swears like a sailor when they show signs of laziness or fatigue. "What kind of garbage is wrong with you ?! - yells he scrawny 12-year-old boy. - Well come here "A boy dutifully approaching the coach, expecting a reprimand!. Instead, the boy unleashed Smirnov ties shoelace and sends it back into the ring. "Remember - barks Smirnov - one step back - it's defense. Two steps - is an escape. "

Later, in the course of a long interview, Smirnov told us that boxing is changing the lives of children: takes them off the street, teaches discipline, resulting in good physical shape. But he admits: "Coaching children - a pastime for the rich." Coaching does not give him sufficient means of subsistence, but he continues to work with children on a daily basis, and goes with them to the competition.

As we talked, the children finished the dress and began to return one by one in the room to hug goodbye Smirnov or shake his hand. And every last uttered the words which they taught the coach - a man who loves Chekhov and has a great sense of humor. "Thank you, Mark Ivanovich, for our happy childhood!"