Souvenirs and excursions in Sergiev Posad: who creates them?

Contents:

• The designer and the city
• The designer and light
• The designer's creativity and its influence on perception
• The designer and design

Mikhail Semenov is a designer, local historian, and tour guide in Sergiev Posad. He was the first in the city to create unique souvenirs reflecting local traditions and culture.

We spoke with Mikhail to find out how he manages to combine designing for clients, his artistic passions, and interacting with tourists. We also discussed the charm of small-town life.

A design specialist, a creative person exploring his native land.

The Designer and the City

Your channel mentions that you are an "urban artist striving for creation." How do you understand this wording?

I thought for a long time about how best to introduce myself, as I have many different hobbies: I design, draw, blog, organize excursions, and explore my native region. Some aspects of my life, such as my design work, remain in the shadows, which is why many perceive me only as a blogger and creator of designer goods.

I perceive myself as an artist in the broadest sense of the word, since it implies a creative approach to life. In addition, I am an urbanist, as I deal with issues of urban space and share stories about Sergiev Posad, which is especially close to me.

Sergiev Posad is a settlement located in the Moscow region, which is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, founded in the 14th century. It was here that Andrei Rublev created the famous icon "Trinity."

Some believe that the Russian matryoshka doll was created in Sergiev Posad.

— You are simultaneously a designer, an artist, and even an architect. How do these disciplines interact and support each other?

From an early age, I showed an interest in drawing, which eventually led me to art school. At this educational institution, students were offered traditional assignments: depicting the Lavra and exploring the architectural features of the region. Later, I became a student at the institute, choosing to specialize in design. I am fortunate to belong to a generation that was taught classical pencil drawing techniques and a close study of nature. These skills still influence my work, and I often turn to sketches to help me generate new ideas.

In my professional work, I do freelance design for events, including festivals, award ceremonies, concerts, and official meetings. My work involves developing visual concepts, creating branding, and organizing wayfinding and spatial design.

I enjoy integrating style into the surrounding landscape and discovering new approaches to designing stages, auditoriums, sets, and multimedia screens. My most recent projects, in which I served as chief designer, include the International Tchaikovsky Classical Music Festival in Klin, the Golden Mercury Award, and the Voice of the Streets 2024 youth festival in Ryazan.

In my free time, I work in urban design. Previously, I worked as a teacher in educational institutions, where it is important to share the sources of inspiration with students. For me, such a source is my hometown: its architecture, books, and photographs.

I collected so much fascinating information that I decided to share it online, and thus my blog was born. After that, I started giving tours, creating merch, and collaborating with others.

— "I just can't stop." What motivates you to share your thoughts and experiences with others?

Around age thirty, I began to understand my mentality. I'm one of the few people who doesn't seek to leave my hometown: the vast majority move to the capital for study and work, start families, and choose mortgages in Moscow or the surrounding area. The journey from Sergiev Posad to the capital's center takes about an hour and a half—I spent a long time commuting back and forth.

At one point, I began to consider how I could settle in Sergiev Posad without losing my income. The pandemic provided me with a solution: remote work. This became possible because I was able to continue combining different activities.

Small towns have many advantages: they are peaceful and safe, everything you need is nearby, and prices are more affordable. People here are friendly, they smile and greet each other. In towns like Kolomna or Suzdal, you can observe the daily life of locals and their activities, despite the flow of tourists.

Designer and Light

— Please tell us about your artwork. How do you find inspiration for creating graphics and paintings?

I am very close to Repin’s idea: “Inspiration is the reward for hard work.” Most often, I am inspired by some visual image, which then remains in my memory for a long time. I think about it, and then come to my studio and start making sketches. Sometimes my self-criticism forces me to rewrite them many times.

My latest collection of works is called “The Light of Truth”. It features elements of the Lavra - its walls, towers, pond and arches of the buildings, all captured in light. I've always been fascinated by how sunlight, or the lack thereof, can transform the form, color, and overall perception of a landscape. Bright and contrasting lighting seems to reveal architectural details or, conversely, obscure them. For me, this series symbolizes something eternal and reliable, reminding us of the search for truth and inner peace.

Read also:

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The designer's creativity and its influence on perception

— When did you start organizing excursions?

It all started in 2018, when friends asked me to show them the city. Initially, it was just entertainment, but soon I decided to post an ad on platforms offering excursions. Now I conduct about twenty tours a month—I'm already booked on all my holidays and weekends. Participants include subscribers and tourists who want to see the city through the eyes of an artist, not through the lens of boring historians' lectures.

I offer a variety of tour options for different groups: you can choose a general walk around the city or focus on specific neighborhoods. There's also an immersive format, where we visit local residents and spend time with them over a cup of tea. This, in my opinion, is the real "economy of emotions and impressions."

Sergiev Posad is famous, first of all, for its shrine, which attracts a certain audience of travelers. Does this monastery lure visitors, distracting them from other attractions of the city? Or, ultimately, is it important that it makes tourists interested in the city as a whole?

— There are both positive and negative aspects to this. When tourists visit us for the first time, I most often begin the tour with the Lavra. It is our historical heritage and our most important landmark.

The majority of visitors to Posad are pilgrims who have clear and simple goals: to come to pray, buy souvenirs, have a bite to eat, and return home. These travelers are unlikely to explore the surrounding area, although our city offers many interesting places, cafes, and museums. The Lavra operates independently of the city itself, representing a separate space that houses a refectory, souvenir shops, tour guides, and a hotel. Here, they are not interested in what tourists will do outside its walls.

— It's easy to fall in love with Paris or Rome, but how can you find love for your own city when it's small, with crooked houses And a gray, dreary winter without snow?

There's a creative element to my work. I grew up in this city and continue to live here, making efforts to change the surrounding reality. We have a foundation for developing a local identity, which is also linked to the development and shared goals of residents.

Unfortunately, many talented and intelligent people leave for the capital—they are the ones capable of developing the creative sector in Sergiev Posad. However, we still have such personnel.

How do collaborations arise? I'm often approached by creatives looking for ways to express local identity within their businesses.

Designer and Design

— So how did your collaboration with the Svetley coffee shop come about—a unique cup design featuring iconic city landmarks?

I've long dreamed of creating my own merch, but I wanted the prints to be on something unique. One day, I was chatting with one of my subscribers, who is a coffee entrepreneur, and we came up with the idea of ​​releasing cups. Coffee and tea are popular with many, and to-go cups are especially popular. As a result, in September we presented the first two models: one decorated with urban motifs, and the other with the names of the city.

The cups have a QR code that links to an interactive map. With its help, you can learn about the rich history of Sergiev Posad and, if desired, plan a walking route. We received positive feedback, and this has not gone unnoticed in the city, so the cup initiative will continue. The "Color the City" glass will be released in November 2024, as well as my first original coloring book for children.

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— What about your postcards?

— The idea came to me in 2018-2019, when I was thinking about ways to make money on offline meetings. I gave lectures in which I shared knowledge about the traditions and history of various objects, such as the Soviet "Nevalyashka" or the "Korovka" taffy, invented in Zagorsk. The postcards I used became a kind of entry ticket: they were inexpensive, but they helped me finance the events I'd put a significant amount of effort into organizing.

One side of the postcards featured local landmarks, and the other side contained information about them, along with a QR code that linked to their history. My postcards are currently available for purchase in shops and cafes in the area. However, it is even more gratifying that other artists, inspired by my example, have appeared and are creating their own original souvenirs.

Read also:

"World of Art" and art mail around the world. Postcards in support of the Community of St. Eugenia.

Over time, my drawings transformed into stickers. Then I noticed that a team from St. Petersburg was creating badges inspired by architectural elements. This prompted me to delve deeper into the topic, collect references, and as a result, I designed the first badge in the form of a platband, and then several collections.

Currently, I have paintings, postcards, badges, stickers, and maps at my disposal. I recently acquired a metal keychain with the coat of arms of our city. I have plans to release a collection of T-shirts in the near future. I strive to ensure my merch reflects local characteristics, but it also needs to be attractive and interesting to customers in its own right.

I have a whole collection of variations of the city's name in various styles, from Nike to IKEA. This collection was even reposted by the "Architectural Excesses" page. I'm planning to launch a T-shirt line soon.

— Your collection includes books and photos of the city. Which of these items are the most unique?

As I immersed myself in studying the history of Sergiev Posad, it became a constant discovery for me: stumbling upon books and references, I discovered more and more information. As a result, I built a small library, which I digitized and made publicly available. I am sure that for residents of this area it may seem quite extensive.

Mikhail Semenov's collection, containing books and illustrations related to Russia of the 19th and 20th centuries, is presented here.

The most unique copy is considered to be a book about Zagorsk, published in 1958 as part of the series "Architecture of USSR Cities" by the architect and restorer Viktor Bal'din. In this work, the author illuminates the history and evolution of the city, but does so through the prism of the Soviet era, permeated with atheistic and communist ideas.

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