Fairy tales guide

«Thanks to the «Tales of the Golden Apples» project, Almetyevsk has become an art space, where people have an access to artworks of famous artists beyond cramped rooms. #Fairytalesguide course is an introduction to street art, which can turn into friendship and love. I run cycling tours on two routes: the first one is called «Cultural Code», which features murals of artists from different parts of the world. The second route is named «Town Patterns», devoted to the artworks made by the local citizens themselves. Their works were created during a street art laboratory created by the «Frukty» art crew.»

«I am interested in urban studies, art and folklore, so I couldn't miss the project. I like #fairytalesguide, because it gave us a great opportunity to hold a direct conversation with the town and its residents. Curators and course teachers are high-level professionals, and all newly minted guides are enthusiasts who fell in love with the town. That's why it's a great pleasure for me to be a part of the team. In the tour called «Almetyevsk's Place on the Map of Contemporary Art» I show the way which art had to overcome before being placed on the walls in Almetyevsk. I also demonstrate the path Almetyevsk itself has done to become the capital of public art in Russia. Let's learn together how to peer into details and find the «source code» of each artwork.»

«#Fairytalesguide gives the opportunity to learn more about the town, history, art and yourself. It is the way from local to global and back through the subjective perception and contact with traces of the past in the present. It is also a meeting with creative and professional minds, who have found their calling and are making the world a better place.

In the tour «Finding Golden Apples» you will understand that the most valuable things surround you. All you need to do is just stop, take a closer look and find it.»

«I enjoy being inside the process, gaining new knowledge and getting involved in art, so becoming a guide to fairy tales is an opportunity to join a creative crew who works on the transformation of Almetyevsk. Now the town streets are talking to us using the languages of tales, legends, culture and history. It is important and interesting to hear this voice in order to get to know yourself much better. That's why my tour is called "Conversation with the Town".»

«#Fairytalesguide gave me the chance to learn more about my hometown and spread this knowledge to others. Our past is very rich and vivid, so it deserves to be kept in our memories and spreaded further. In the tour called «The Connection Between Murals and Their Homeland» I tell about the stories encrypted in the murals and how they were created.»

«On the one hand, #fairytalesguide is a glimpse of the town's history, its past and present. On the other hand, it is all about communication with people, including artists from all over the globe. I like to be in this creative epicenter of the city and get inspired by the artworks there. That's how I came up with a cycling tour "Inspiration from the Town" and a walking tour called "The Path of the Hero".»

«#Fairytalesguide is a step towards something new and my sincere desire to introduce the public art project «Tales of the Golden Apples» to the tourists and residents of Almetyevsk. Its creators wanted to underline the necessity to always remember, honor and contemplate the cultural values of our history. The main objective of the project was in giving this idea a new lease of life. As a result, talented creative people from all over the world turned this idea into murals that preserve the memory of the past for us and our descendants. My excursion is called «Stories from the Walls». For me personally, it is a great opportunity to express myself, to unite people of different nations, races, religions. We should remind ourselves how important it is to live in peace and harmony, respect and preserve the culture, traditions, folklore, customs of our ancestors.»

«#Fairytalesguide gave me the opportunity to dive into the history of these places and share them with the tourists and residents of Almetyevsk. The main idea of my excursion called «From Love to Art» is that a real art exists for the sake of love and each mural is saturated with its own special love.»

«#Fairytalesguide allowed me to become a part of the huge and interesting project, which main idea is to reinvent the appearance of the town, to get new information about the history of the region and street arn and to see whole new sides of the town and yourself. In my cycling tour named «Link of Times» I tell stories from the past that underlie murals and are reflected in the present.»

«#Fairytalesguide gave me the opportunity to realize my potential in a new field via diving into public art atmosphere, getting acquainted with the works of artists, trying on the role of a guide and telling residents and guests of the city the story of each mural, linking it with the history of the region. My excursion is called «A Fine Line Between Tatarian History and Tales»: I share legends and facts about the path on which the modern image of the Tatar people was formed.»