Anatoliy Brovchenko

A carver from Kyiv creates powerful bulls and horses from wood. Earlier he used to make furniture and think that no one needed toys. But once he made several works for an exhibition and started to get numerous orders for toys.

Creative work

This national artist works in “gray wood” style, using ancient forms, decorations and colors in his creative work. The toy attracts the artist – by its simplicity, accuracy and monumentality. Mr. Brovchenko doesn’t tolerate overloading toys with excess of lines and cuts; he follows symbolism and simplicity of forms. From wood he creates different toys and everyday household ware. A special place among the author’s works belongs to the moving toys – rolling horses, bulls and horses with carts. The toys can have different shapes but all of them are of the same nature: usually it is a hoofed animal and some sort of transport (a cart or a sledge). The artist also cuts derkaches (national noise instruments – a kind of rotating rattles) from apple boughs and toys in the form of birds.