Calligraphy
"Calligraphy is music, only addressed not to the ear, but to the eye"
V. V. Lazursky
Calligraphy is a visual art that involves beautiful writing of various letters and texts. Previously, it was compared even with music, poetry and philosophy. Calligraphy appeared many centuries ago and developed independently in almost all cultures around the world, from China in 4000 BC to Rome in 600 BC.
With the invention of the printing press, European calligraphy passed to engravings, as well as artists. Over time, this art became less popular and beautiful, ornate lettering was required only for special occasions. In the modern, digital world, the art of calligraphy is losing its importance altogether and is mainly used in the form of artistic design.
However, beautiful writing does not just belong to the world of aesthetics. Regular calligraphy classes have a beneficial effect on well-being - writing improves a person's cognitive abilities, promotes the disclosure of creative potential and strengthens mental health. All this is exactly what children need at the stage of their primary and high school development.
Calligraphy affects the development of complex neural connections in the brain. This process stems from the coordination of the skill of hand movements when writing and thinking, the pattern "I hear – I understand – I reproduce in writing" is formed. Dedication and stamina are also trained by calligraphy writing, because developing the skill of writing with such care with the focus on the form requires volitional efforts. When it comes to the actual process of writing, whether this is the creation of a fictional piece or a recount, there are so many facets to consider and, should the nurturing form of calligraphy have been installed in students lower down in school, legible handwriting and the stamina to produce lengthier pieces, won’t need to be a consideration. The student can simply focus on the content.
At BSSP we try to develop our students in every single aspect of their academic and holistic life - from sports to beautiful writing. In October 2023, we put in place a calligraphy contest “White Pen”. It was held in two stages. All native Russian language students took part in the first round and two students from each class took part in the second round, writing poems by Russian classical poets about nature. After the second round, the winner and runner-up were selected by the Russian staff, with a separate nomination also awarded - all students, teachers and the administration team had the opportunity to vote for their favourite work.
The main objectives of the competition were: the formation of a respectful attitude to the written language; increasing motivation to master a beautiful handwriting and fostering a sense of beauty.
We were so proud of the results. The judges took a long time to confer and discuss, in order to select those who qualified for the second round and become the eventual winner. So many pieces deserved huge praise. The students thoroughly enjoyed this competition and, with its success, will become an annual prize in the autumn term. With the art of calligraphy entering its “Renaissance” era, we are happy to support it!
Why is calligraphy useful for children?
TOP 6 properties and skills, which are developed by calligraphy:
fine motor skills;
coordination;
mechanical (muscle) memory;
visual memory;
the transformation of information from one form into another;
the accuracy and culture of writing.
Miss Nadezhda, Head of Russian
