Profession of a man who makes stuffed animals. I propose to look into the workshop for the manufacture of stuffed animals and learn more about this rare and interesting profession.

In our country, there are only 15 taxidermists - craftsmen who professionally make stuffed animals. One of them - Anatoly Khoruzhy - has been doing this painstaking work at the Museum of Nature and Ecology of Belarus for more than 20 years. The R correspondent visited the scarecrow workshop and saw how animals are skinned, what eyes are made of, and why the “stoned fox” turned out to be so funny.

Anatoly KHORUZHY is very fond of the non-traditional way of making "insides" - he cuts plywood to fit the carcass, and picks up the rest of the space with cotton wool.

The taxidermist's workshop is located in one of the buildings of the Museum of Nature and Ecology. In the lobby of the first floor there is an exposition with live reptiles, an owl and a monkey Leva. And if the primate and the bird of prey cause only emotion, then the cobra, python and green mamba terrify me to shiver. Although lucky - the watchman kindly helps to pass by the menacingly hissing snakes. And here I am standing in the middle of the kingdom of fur: on the floor are several pieces of skin huge bear, his head peeks out from behind the wall, the skin of a wolf hangs on the cabinet handle, and a fox, a hare, an owl and a sandpiper “attached” on the table.

Is the bear real? - I naively clarify, gently stroking the wool, the lumps of which remain in the palm of my hand.

The real one, from Transbaikalia, - Anatoly laughs. - This is not a whole skin, but scraps, I call them "spare parts" - suitable as consumable to repair some exhibit. For example, they damaged the skin of an animal when they were shooting - it's okay, you can sew on a piece of another fur.

I notice a stuffed black bird by the windowsill. But I do not dare to call her a crow, so as not to hurt the feelings of a professional. And I'm doing the right thing - the taxidermist says that it's a jackdaw, it took several days.

While Anatoly is giving a tour of the workshop, I will find out how this craft was born in general. It turns out that it originates from ancient times, when people began to hunt animals and sew the first clothes from leather in order to disguise themselves and sneak up on prey. The word "taxidermy" itself stands for taxis - "ordering" and derma - "skin". The first scarecrows in Russia appeared under Peter I, and self-taught peasants were taxidermists at that time. They worked quite primitively: the frames were assembled from wood, the skins were stuffed with straw. Then they tried to use clay and even papier-mâché - they fashioned a mannequin, glued paper on it, inserted a wire frame and put a skin on top. The scarecrows turned out to be light, it was possible to work out small details. But now a blank is prepared from foam, a dressed, processed and washed skin is pulled over it, sewn up with threads along the cut, combed and dried. It seems nothing complicated - but try to do it! Indeed, in our country this craft is not specially taught, therefore Anatoly is a nugget.

Anatoly is a hunter himself, so if a bird is required for the collection, he takes permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources and shoots the necessary game.

More than 30 years ago, I graduated from the biological faculty of BSU. Even in couples, we made stuffed pigeons, but this is superficial, just for informational purposes. I'm mostly self-taught, I've always had a passion for biology and love watching animals. Born in Minsk, and spent all the holidays with his grandmother on Naroch. There nature, you know, is magnificent. And I am inquisitive: for example, I saw a bird and upon arrival in the city I looked for its name and description in books. I've always liked ornithology more. I made the first stuffed animal back in the 10th grade - the hunters got a squirrel, brought it to us with a friend, and we already made a "masterpiece" according to the hunter's guide. The result was a “crucified” squirrel with paws in different directions (laughs). How did they do it? Yes, it’s simple - they salted the skin, twisted the wire frame, stuffed it with hay inside. True, he brought it to Minsk, and three months later the moth ate the scarecrow. It is now that we pollinate it in such a way that the skin becomes inedible for beetles and moths.

Anatoly says that in the early 1990s, stuffed animals were treated with arsenic salts. Then another taxidermist worked in the museum, they even gave him milk for being harmful. And now they use a solution that pollinates woolen fabrics in factories.

He came to the museum in 1998. I, like fishermen, never counted my “catch”. I can only say roughly that I make about 130 stuffed animals a year: it turns out that for the entire time I have made more than 1200 exhibits, the largest of which is a giant wild boar. And the most difficult thing is to make species that have a very thin skin, for example, hoopoe, cuckoo, nightjar. There is jewelry work going on with tiny tweezers and scalpels.

Now the fashion for stuffed animals has subsided among hunters. But until 2010, the master was often approached by people who dreamed of perpetuating their trophies.

Anatoly complains: now the hunters' fashion for stuffed animals has subsided. But until 2010, people who dreamed of perpetuating their trophies turned to him quite often. If someone ordered a wild boar or roe deer, the taxidermist worked on site, skinned the animal at the hunter's farmstead. And smaller animals, for example, a wolf or birds, were brought to the workshop. Anatoly left the skin for work, and the customers took out the meat - the boar was eaten, the wolf was buried.

I had a client from Lithuania - a fan of my work, he came often, he bought everything. I even showed a photo - a huge collection at home. But then he disappeared somewhere. Now people order mostly trophy heads. The price is less, and there is nowhere to put whole bodies, but the muzzle will fit on any wall. This work takes at least three weeks. As for prices, for example, I will make an elk head for 400 rubles, a deer - from 350 rubles, a wild boar - up to 170 rubles, and a hare - about 100 rubles.

The situation with the museum is as follows: Anatoly is a hunter himself, therefore, if a bird is required for the collection, he takes permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources and shoots the necessary game. And something large like a wild boar, a fox or a wolf orders from hunters. He calls the cuckoo the most "harmful" bird, for the sake of which he had to sit on a stump for half a day without moving.

How do you deal with the odor problem? I suddenly remembered. In the workshop, despite the many skins and stuffed animals, there is no specific smell.

Large animals are mainly hunted in winter, then I try to quickly remove the skin and process it so that it does not stale. And in warm seasons I make birds. Yes, and I have an “assistant” for such cases, - says Anatoly, pointing to a large rectangular freezer, filled to the brim with various “living creatures”. Here, a pheasant, two pythons, a swan, a roe deer are waiting in the wings ... And this is just what I could see out of the corner of my eye, because everything is laid out in bags - so that the skins do not dry out, otherwise it is difficult to soak them later.

Cuts without a knife

After half an hour we are heading to the workshop - it's time to capture the magical transformation of a bird into a stuffed animal.

This is a snipe, so far only defrosted, - Anatoly conducts an ornithology lesson. A small spotted bird with a very long sharp beak sprawled on the table. “It takes about an hour to separate the skin from the meat, then I’ll process it and collect it for another four hours,” says the taxidermist.

You cut it with a scalpel. And we will photograph the process, I insist. It seems that this statement of a young girl, who probably should at least be scared, shocked those present a little. But Anatoly quickly picks up:

It is necessary to pour ketchup to make it more visible. As long as your nerves are in order.

The work has begun: the specialist makes an incision with a scalpel and separates a piece of the skin from the belly of the snipe with tweezers. From the formed "wound" a transparent liquid flows. Immediately, Anatoly pours a pinch of starch to neutralize the protruding fat and prevent it from getting on the feathers.

There will be no problems with “undressing” a small bird - an hour and it is ready. But with the same duck I can carry the whole day without getting up.

I look around the workshop again to understand how much work has already been done. A sandpiper is sitting on the perch - it seems that it will now take off and flutter out through the open window. The bird is already ready to be sent to the museum, where it will take a place next to its family. A gorgeous owl flaunts near her - her wings are still fixed with a bandage so that they dry properly. In Anatoly's office, few copies stay for a long time, but he shows photos of his work with a smile - he has already collected three plump albums. I look at the pictures of the exposition with birds and admire: golden hands! On them - crows, waxwings, shrike, cranes, owls and even roosters.

The eyes are made of plastic or glass, and the jaws can be molded from the same plastic or purchased from specialists abroad.

Styrofoam mannequins of various animals are laid out in the corner of the room. Some of them were ordered in Russia, and Anatoly blinded something himself.

In this profession, you need to be an artist. I don’t really know how to draw, but it’s possible to give a scarecrow such a shape as in nature. True, for the first two years, birds and animals “mocked” me - it was not always possible to put wings and paws correctly. And then they realized that I would not back down, and obeyed.

The taxidermist admits that he loves the unconventional way of making “insides” very much - he cuts plywood to the size of the carcass, and picks up the rest of the space with cotton wool. So you can make any bird - both lush and thin, and in flight. You can't really experiment with foam.

By the way, the scarecrow has a couple more unnatural elements. For example, eyes are made of plastic or glass, and jaws can be molded from the same plastic or purchased from specialists abroad.

Of course, the size and color of the details are important - you can't put the eyes of a crow in the face of a boar. But it happens that I print out round pupils on the printer, and then fill it with silicone glue.

I see a “squatting” fox in the far corner of the workshop. I laugh all over the room and involuntarily recall the popular meme from social networks - “stoned fox”, made by the British taxidermist Adele Morse. Is it possible that something went wrong with our master? Anatoly says - he is not the author:

Well, it's not really "stupid". It was just that the master treated the skin with brown so that the moth would not eat, and did not comb it in time. Therefore, the hairs stick together.

What can you say about Adele's work? - I specify, showing pictures from the Internet.

There is a suspicion that she did it on purpose. I just don't know how it can be so disgusting by accident. Probably, initially something went wrong, so she decided to joke and twist her limbs. By the way, there used to be a fashion for strange stuffed animals, people asked to make a hedgehog with a gun or two birds with one stone carrying a fox. But this animal abuse is not what happens in their natural environment. I am not a supporter of perversion of animals, so I always refused. And I often make compositions for the museum that are plausible. For example, like a wolf pounces on a hare or a hawk grabs a crow.

But Anatoly does not make pets - this is a taboo for him.

I have to see a cat during its lifetime in order to recognize its character, the turn of its eyes, its habits. I have never taken on such a job so as not to disappoint anyone. And yes, this is a strange thing. What, will people cry over a scarecrow? It is better to let someone lead and fall in love again.

The blank is prepared from foam, a dressed, processed and washed skin is pulled over it, sewn up with threads along the cut, combed and dried.

I read somewhere that taxidermists have crooked fingers due to constant work with tweezers and scissors. Anatoly shows his hands, I examine them intently. Well, that's it, the myth is destroyed - his fingers are even! “I don’t know who came up with such nonsense,” he shrugs.

Finally, I clarify why he chose such a profession. The answer is encouraging:

It was the end of the 1990s, everyone and sundry were engaged in taxidermy - moreover, they sculpted something that was scary to look at. I saw skewed, carelessly made stuffed animals and decided that I could do much better. Just imagine, one stuffed animal turned out to have an owl with such unnaturally protruding wings that I even made a remark to him, they say, where did you see a bird spreading them like that? And she answered me: “This is a bird, it flies as it wants.” Well, what is there to talk about. So I have been trying for more than 20 years to bring to life the beauty that exists in nature.

By the way, Anatoly is like a shoemaker without boots. He has a stuffed animal of only one tiny bird at home. Although the collection of works is impressive - the master molded 126 species of animals and birds. Well, the prices for them are different: he makes a pheasant, a black grouse and a duck for 80 rubles, a squirrel and a muskrat - for 60 rubles, a swan, a stork and a crane - for 250 rubles, for a wolf he takes from 200 rubles, for a deer - from 2000, and for elk - from 2500.

Whether you want to memorialize a beloved animal or celebrate a hunt, learning the basic skills of preparing, keeping and caring for stuffed animals can save you money when mummifying your animals.

Steps

Animal preparation

Freeze the animal until you are ready to butcher it. When possible, you will want to skin it, but it is important to keep the animal from deteriorating before you start dissecting and skinning it. For greater reliability, freeze the animal, in the meantime you can purchase necessary materials for stuffing scarecrows:

• sharp knife
• Sewing needles
• Threads
• Stuffing or plaster casting
• Borax, alcohol, or your preferred curing agent

1. Prepare the form. Depending on your animal, you can either use a plaster cast or buy a pre-made mold (as is usually done with a deer body). You can also make your own mold from recycled materials, which is more suitable for smaller animals. Use sticks to create wooden frame according to the size of the skin-covered body and wrap the frame with rope or old plastic bags.

   • To make a frame, buy the "Smooth On" modeling compound in the store, you will need it to make the shape of the animal's body into which the plastic is poured. Mix a small amount of plastic with water and fill the mold with it. Remove the mold and sand the frame sandpaper or a small pocket knife. Don't worry too much about the right shape, you just need it to match the size of your skin.
   • If you make your own form, it will help to have good example for comparison. Take a photo of the animal before removing the skin and, using the necessary materials, join the shape. Problems can arise with the legs of a mammal. Please note that the mold you purchased for the first instance can be used as a model for subsequent objects.

2. Remove skin. It doesn't matter if you are going to stuff an iguana or a bobcat, the process starts with the removal and dressing of the skin. The details of the taxidermy process will be different for various kinds animals, be it a mammal or a reptile, a fish or a bird, so read detailed instructions for each subtype.

   • Using a knife, carefully cut the belly, try not to damage internal organs or other parts of the body that can ruin the skin. Work the knife smoothly along the inside to peel off the skin while holding it with your other hand. Imagine that you are taking off clothes from animals. Remove as much flesh and fat as possible, being careful not to damage the skin.

3. If you are decorating a fish, bird or lizard, then do not touch the head. Skin the head of a mammal if the whole body is needed for a stuffed animal, but in the case of lizards, fish and birds, you will need to remove the eyes, brain and tongue to leave an intact skull that will be needed for work. The physiology of the bird is such that it is impossible (or you don't need to) to remove the beak, but it is necessary to take out the insides, which can deteriorate and give off a bad smell.

   • Small animals are more difficult to stuff than large mammals. Armed with dental instruments and special knife, try to take out as much pulp as possible. Small residues may be removed directly during the processing process, but before proceeding further, you must make sure that most of the pieces of pulp are taken out of the head. This will require patience and willpower.

   Leather processing

   1. Tanning skins of mammals. Rub the back of the hide with non-iodized salt, covering it completely with a 2.5 cm layer of salt and leave for 24 hours. Remove the old salt from the skin and rub the skin with the new salt in the same way as the first time. Place in a cool, dark place to dry the hide. Be careful not to let the skin dry out.

      • When the skin becomes tough, wash it cold water with a small amount of Lysol disinfectant and table salt. Rinse the skin several times until all the salt is washed off. Dip with a towel to keep water from dripping off the skin, and hang to dry. The next step is to use special curing agents to work the hide further, but before you start tanning, make sure to remove any excess pieces of meat or fat stuck to the hide.
      • Skin treatment with tanning oil. Heat the oil in the microwave and rub the skin with it. Let it stand for a while, and then wrap it in a plastic bag, keep the skin in the refrigerator before putting it on the frame.

   2. Use a mixture of alcohol to tan reptile skin. Soak the skins in a 50/50 solution of glycerin and alcohol for a maximum of two weeks. Keep in a cool and dark place. When the skin is taken out and cleaned, remove all the glycerin from the inside and hang to dry.

      For dressing birds and fish, rub borax on the back of the skin. Place the backside of the skin in a shoebox generously sprinkled with borax. Sprinkle borax on top of the feathers, about 0.6 cm. Leave in a cool, dry and dark place for 4 days. When you get the skin, it will be quite tough. Shake the remains of the product from the bird or fish, and its appearance will become better.

Who is a taxidermist? Someone will say with admiration: "This is an artist who can convey all the beauty of the beast." And someone will declare indignantly that his craft is a mockery of the corpses of our smaller brothers. We invite you to visit a stuffed animal workshop and learn more about this rare and interesting profession.

1. Taxidermy is a whole science. The development of special skills requires not a single year of laborious work. The master must thoroughly know the features of the anatomy of the animal, be fluent in artistic skills, and be savvy in physiology and chemistry

2. With the help of taxidermy, avid hunters can leave a stuffed animal for many years as proof of their hunting prowess. Very often, stuffed animals become exhibits of museums and elements of various expositions, allowing visitors to see the animal up close and study it well. appearance, which is often difficult to do not only in nature, but also in the zoo

3. We were able to observe the process of making a stuffed animal thanks to Alexander Redreev, an experienced taxidermist, head of the KazWolf private art studio

4. - Most often, we are approached for a stuffed wolf, especially since at this time of the year, when the snow fell and hunting for the main animal species is prohibited, only the wolf remains. In addition, this predator among the Turks is considered a sacred animal. But at the moment we are busy with the horse, - says Alexander

5. When starting to make a figure, it is necessary to study the structure of the animal’s body well, which will help in the future to develop a figure without errors

6. - This is an interesting order. I have already worked on stuffed horses for Kazakhfilm, I also made two horses for the President's Museum in Astana. Now this horse. He was asked to make a local customer for the Karaganda Museum. Negotiated pose, size and color

7. Now it is not enough to fill the skin of an animal with shavings, as was done in the time of Peter I. It is also not enough to make a frame for a stuffed animal, wrap it around it with straw and “dress” it in a skin. Such methods of making stuffed animals are short-lived, their shape can gradually change. In order for the exhibits to become anatomically accurate and durable, a sculptural method is used. In our case, the model was cast from polyurethane foam - the mannequin is easy to process and at the same time quite durable

8. Making a stuffed animal consists of several stages: preparation of a mannequin, preparation of the skin for assembly, assembly itself, drying and cosmetic finishing of the product. After the mannequin has been made, there is further polishing, shape fitting

9. In order to be able to get close to the stomach, the mannequin is turned over and placed on a goat for a detailed study of the muscles and elimination of inaccuracies

11. At the same time, work is underway in the workshop on a sculpture of two bears in the pose of a worker and a collective farmer, who instead of a hammer and sickle hold a faceted glass. The composition will be called: “Monument to a faceted glass”

13. After being manufactured metal carcass and the structure was filled with the same polyurethane foam, they begin to cut out the future figure. And here the skills of the sculptor are essential.

15. In the courtyard of the studio stands a large number of park sculptures. The company, in addition to taxidermy, is engaged in the manufacture of such figures of animals. Recently, parks have been decorated with them more and more, and any private trader can buy such a sculpture for his garden. Prices are negotiable

16. Another workshop of the art studio KazWolf. This is where, in my opinion, all the most interesting happens. Here, a faceless mannequin is transformed into a natural replica of an animal.

17. Before starting to sheathe a mannequin with a skin, it is necessary to study the topography - the location of the skin on a living animal. The master must be perfectly clear character traits surface relief, location of the figure, folds, etc. In conducting this preparatory work, in addition to living nature, various visual aids, photographs, drawings. It is more difficult and at the same time most important to accurately convey the skin relief of the most expressive parts of the head and limbs.

18. Making a mannequin with skin is the last, final stage of work. It is extremely important and highly responsible, since the result of all work largely depends on how correctly and vividly the skin "sits" on the mannequin. The studio has its own suppliers of animal skins, who bring them either from bazaars or slaughterhouses

19. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the skin of a living animal never lies tightly, does not fit, but freely fits the body, while in some places it closely adheres to the muscles and tendons, clearly outlining the joints, plexuses of blood vessels and the entire subcutaneous relief, and in others - sags or lies in folds

20. A properly prepared animal skin must undergo a special washing treatment and degreasing process before it can be modeled on a stuffed mannequin. All prepared skins are subjected to this procedure, regardless of whether they have contaminated hairline or are covered with scales or feathers. The main purpose is to remove the salt in which the skin has been cured or dressed, then remove the fat from the skin, hair, feathers or scales.

22. An employee of the company at the next table is engaged in the restoration of a carpet with a head. This is the skin on which the head of the beast is completely worked out.

24. Only with skillful handling of the skin can you achieve the right appearance animal, dynamics in a pose and the correct exterior of a stuffed animal

25. In the corridor, I stumble upon the finished figure of another horse, it was also created for the museum

26. But unlike the Karaganda version, there will be a rider on it. As conceived by the customer, it will be a Saka warrior shooting from a bow

28. Against the background of the finished stuffed wolf are mannequins, which are a copy of the figures of animals in a given pose. Modern taxidermist mannequins are cast from polyurethane foam or buy ready-made molds made by German, American firms, and more recently by Russian studios in St. Petersburg and Moscow

32. The horse's mane is combed, since initially it was all tangled. Styling with a comb and hair dryer

34. Carefully select artificial glass eyes appropriate for this animal. It is necessary to accurately observe the size, color and shape of the pupil. Artificial eyes are available in pet stores, they can be specially ordered from the eye prosthesis factory

35. The technique of setting the eyes into a stuffed animal is simple in itself, but the main thing here is not at all to correctly place the eye and put the eyelid in place. The whole difficulty and art lies elsewhere - in the ability to revive a scarecrow with the help of artificial eyes, to give it a living expression. And for this you need to find the only correct depth of the orbit on which you need to put the eye, find the right angle of inclination of the eyeballs in relation to the head, do not make a mistake in the width of the interorbital space, give the eyes exactly the cut that is characteristic of this species and distinguishes it from other animals

38. Any animal has small flaws on the skin that have arisen in the course of its life. To hide them, Alexander carefully selects the paint

42. - Working on a stuffed horse is very difficult. If you take a bear or a wild boar, then their skin is thick and any inaccuracies in the work can be hidden due to the density of the fur. The horse's skin is thin and smooth, says the master. The finished scarecrow costs about a million tenge

43. It is difficult to create stuffed animals of medium and large animals - here, in addition to technology, artistic abilities and the ability to sculpt are also needed

44. Several works are going on in the shop at the same time, everyone is busy with something. Someone is engaged in the manufacture of mannequin forms, someone works with the skin. After all, a number of orders are being processed in parallel

46. ​​Mezdrenie consists in a thorough scraping of the inner (mezdra) layer of the skin in order to remove all muscle cuts, connective films, subcutaneous and dermal fats

50. In the future, they will dress him up: put a saddle and harness on him, install him on a pedestal and he will show off in Karaganda

51. And the sculpture of two bears standing on a stone and holding a large faceted glass found its place in the center of Almaty. Its presentation was timed to coincide with the opening of a new restaurant, this sculpture will become a symbol of the institution and will attract visitors

52. - The work of a taxidermist is to give a second life to a dead animal, and not to kill him a second time, - Alexander Redreev believes

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Who is a taxidermist? Someone will say with admiration: "This is an artist who can convey all the beauty of the beast." And someone will declare indignantly that his craft is a mockery of the corpses of our smaller brothers. I propose to look into the workshop for the manufacture of stuffed animals and learn more about this rare and interesting profession.

Source: voxpopuli.kz

Taxidermy is a whole science. The development of special skills requires not a single year of laborious work. The master must thoroughly know the features of the anatomy of the animal, be fluent in artistic skills, and be savvy in physiology and chemistry


With the help of taxidermy, avid hunters can leave a stuffed animal for many years as proof of their hunting prowess. Very often, stuffed animals become exhibits of museums and elements of various expositions, allowing visitors to see the animal closely and study its appearance well, which is often difficult to do not only in nature, but also in the zoo.


We were able to observe the process of making a stuffed animal thanks to Alexander Redreev, an experienced taxidermist, head of the private art studio KazWolf


- Most often, people turn to us for a stuffed wolf, especially since at this time of the year, when the snow fell and hunting for the main species of animals is prohibited, only the wolf remains. In addition, this predator among the Turks is considered a sacred animal. But at the moment we are busy with the horse, - says Alexander


When starting to make a figure, it is necessary to study the structure of the animal’s body well, which will help to develop the figure without errors in the future.


- This is an interesting order. I have already worked on stuffed horses for Kazakhfilm, I also made two horses for the President's Museum in Astana. Now this horse. He was asked to make a local customer for the Karaganda Museum. Negotiated pose, size and color


Now it is not enough to fill the skin of an animal with shavings, as was done in the time of Peter I. It is also not enough to make a frame for a stuffed animal, wrap it around it with straw and “dress” it in a skin. Such methods of making stuffed animals are short-lived, their shape can gradually change. In order for the exhibits to become anatomically accurate and durable, a sculptural method is used. In our case, the model was cast from polyurethane foam - the mannequin is easy to process and at the same time quite durable


Making a stuffed animal consists of several stages: preparation of a mannequin, preparation of the skin for assembly, assembly itself, drying and cosmetic finishing of the product. After the mannequin has been made, there is further polishing, shape fitting


In order to be able to get close to the stomach, the mannequin is turned over and placed on a goat for a detailed study of the muscles and elimination of inaccuracies.


Alexander adds polyurethane foam for the pectoral muscle, which is glued to mounting foam


At the same time, the workshop is working on a sculpture of two bears in the pose of a worker and a collective farmer, who instead of a hammer and sickle hold a faceted glass. The composition will be called: “Monument to a faceted glass”


The sketch of the future monument from sculptural plasticine was approved by the customer


After the metal frame was made and the structure was filled with the same polyurethane foam, they begin to cut out the future figure. And here the skills of the sculptor are essential.


For sculpture, plastic claws are used, which are molded in the likeness of real ones.


There are a large number of park sculptures in the courtyard of the studio. The company, in addition to taxidermy, is engaged in the manufacture of such figures of animals. Recently, parks have been decorated with them more and more, and any private trader can buy such a sculpture for his garden. Prices are negotiable


Another workshop of the art studio KazWolf. This is where, in my opinion, all the most interesting happens. Here, a faceless mannequin is transformed into a natural replica of an animal.


Before starting to sheathe a mannequin with a skin, it is necessary to study the topography - the location of the skin on a living animal. The master must be quite clear about the characteristic features of the surface relief, the location of the figure, folds, etc. In carrying out this preparatory work, in addition to living nature, various visual aids, photographs, and drawings can help. It is more difficult and at the same time most important to accurately convey the skin relief of the most expressive parts of the head and limbs.


Making a mannequin with skin is the last, final stage of work. It is extremely important and highly responsible, since the result of all work largely depends on how correctly and vividly the skin "sits" on the mannequin. The studio has its own suppliers of animal skins, who bring them either from bazaars or slaughterhouses


Particular attention should be paid to the fact that the skin of a living animal never lies tightly, does not fit, but freely fits the body, while in some places it closely adheres to the muscles and tendons, clearly outlining the joints, plexuses of blood vessels and the entire subcutaneous relief, and in others - sags or lies in folds


A properly prepared animal skin must undergo a special washing treatment and degreasing process before it can be modeled on a stuffed mannequin. All prepared skins are subjected to this procedure, regardless of whether they have contaminated hairline or are covered with scales or feathers. The main purpose is to remove the salt in which the skin has been cured or dressed, then remove the fat from the skin, hair, feathers or scales.


After the skin has been pulled over the horse, it is turned over to sew up the belly


An employee of the company at the next table is engaged in the restoration of a carpet with a head. This is the skin on which the head of the beast is completely worked out.

Only with skillful handling of the skin can you achieve the correct appearance of the animal, the dynamics in the pose and the correct exterior of the stuffed animal.


In the corridor, I stumble upon the finished figure of another horse, it was also created for the museum.


But unlike the Karaganda version, it will have a rider. As conceived by the customer, it will be a Saka warrior shooting from a bow

Against the background of the finished stuffed wolf are mannequins, which are a copy of animal figures in a given pose. Modern taxidermist mannequins are cast from polyurethane foam or buy ready-made molds made by German, American firms, and more recently by Russian studios in St. Petersburg and Moscow


After the skin has been stretched and sewn up, it begins, so to speak, cosmetic stage


All irregularities, folds are smoothed out, excess glue is expelled from under the skin


Threads are cut


The horse's mane is combed, since initially it was all tangled. Styling with a comb and hair dryer

Artificial glass eyes corresponding to this animal are carefully selected. It is necessary to accurately observe the size, color and shape of the pupil. Artificial eyes are available in pet stores, they can be specially ordered from the eye prosthesis factory


The technique of setting the eyes into a stuffed animal is simple in itself, but the main thing here is not at all to place the eye correctly and put the eyelid in place. The whole difficulty and art lies elsewhere - in the ability to revive a scarecrow with the help of artificial eyes, to give it a living expression. And for this you need to find the only correct depth of the orbit on which you need to put the eye, find the right angle of inclination of the eyeballs in relation to the head, do not make a mistake in the width of the interorbital space, give the eyes exactly the cut that is characteristic of this species and distinguishes it from other animals


To draw the muscles, the skin is fixed with pins. In such places, it should fit snugly against the mannequin.


The horse's hooves are also put in order, everything superfluous is removed


Any animal has small flaws on the skin that have arisen in the course of its life. To hide them, Alexander carefully selects the paint


With the help of an airbrush, all scuffs on the skin are removed.


Wool is added here and there, dyed and dried


Horse hooves are varnished


- Working on a stuffed horse is very difficult. If you take a bear or a wild boar, then their skin is thick and any inaccuracies in the work can be hidden due to the density of the fur. The horse's skin is thin and smooth, says the master. The finished scarecrow costs about a million tenge


It is difficult to create stuffed animals of medium and large animals - here, in addition to technology, artistic abilities and the ability to sculpt are also needed


Several jobs are going on in the shop at the same time, everyone is busy with something. Someone is engaged in the manufacture of mannequin forms, someone works with the skin. After all, a number of orders are being processed in parallel


The skin of an ibex is processed after dressing, the process of skinning is underway


Mezdrenie consists in a thorough scraping of the inner (mezdrovo) layer of the skin in order to remove all muscle cuts, connective films, subcutaneous and dermal fats.


Meanwhile, in a nearby workshop, a bear statue was coated with polyester resin.


And after bronze paint


At this time, the finished stuffed horse is taken out into the yard for loading.


In the future, he will be dressed up: they will put a saddle and harness on him, install him on a pedestal and he will show off in Karaganda


And the sculpture of two bears standing on a stone and holding a large faceted glass found its place in the center of Almaty. Its presentation was timed to coincide with the opening of a new restaurant, this sculpture will become a symbol of the institution and will attract visitors

The work of a taxidermist is to give a second life to a dead animal, and not to kill it a second time, - Alexander Redreev believes

Probably, there are not many people who can immediately say that a taxidermist is a rather rare profession. Although we get acquainted with the products made by this master at an early age. All of us in childhood visited the zoological or local history museum. It is there that we first encounter the fruits of the work of this specialist.

Since ancient times, people have known animals and birds adorned people's homes many centuries ago.

History of the profession

In ancient times, in Russia, such a master was called a "stuffed animal" or "shushelnik". This profession reached a special flourishing. It was during these times that stuffed animals were not simply made, stuffed with sawdust, straw or hay to give them the maximum resemblance to a living specimen. They were objects of art and luxury.

A taxidermist is a person of a unique profession. These rare masters carefully keep professional secrets and pass them on only by inheritance. Old stuffed animals have been living for more than 200 years, but the secrets of their manufacture have been lost, but modern products with the right technology are stored for no more than a hundred years.

Who can become a taxidermist?

Many mistakenly believe that anyone can master this profession. But because of her unattractiveness (working with chemicals, animal carcasses, etc.), she is not very popular. A good taxidermist is a person who has knowledge in many areas: anatomy, zoology, he is a sculptor and an artist in one person. In addition, it is necessary to have certain knowledge of chemistry and veterinary medicine. This is creativity in its purest form, because it is necessary to achieve maximum similarity with the original.

The services of a taxidermist are in demand not only among private collectors. Many museums are proud of the works of true masters. Prestigious hunting clubs, mansions of rich people cannot do without such exhibits.

Development of taxidermy

Abroad, this rare profession is flourishing. In the west, a taxidermist is a specialist working on new technologies using modern materials. You can get this in higher educational institutions, and you can start working only after obtaining a license. In our country educational institutions where one could get this rare profession does not exist. Russian taxidermists work in poorly adapted premises. Only a few studios are adequately equipped and can compete with foreign ones.

taxidermist workshop

If you get a rare chance to get into this room, then you will be struck by its resemblance to the studio of an artist or sculptor. And this is not surprising. A taxidermist is a creative person. Around sketches, drawings of animals, sculptures. You will smell a strong smell of chemicals, paint, glue and alcohol.

The eternal dispute: is this profession humane?

There are frequent indignations about the profession (after all, dead animals and birds serve as the main material for it). This is a moot point. With the same success, fur breeders and representatives of all professions related to the procurement of meat can be accused of inhumanity. Although it should be recognized that the decoration of country villas cannot be more important than the protection of the animal world.