Introduction. How to help an aggressive child

KARINA ZURABOVA: MAN OF ART (Article published in the magazine "Preschool Education", issue 3, 2013)

Evgeniy Monin is remembered cheerfully. Acquaintances, colleagues, artist friends.“He met knights and kings, loved to talk with giants and jesters. But most of all, the artist loved to free beautiful princesses locked in a cave by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. All the dragons, vampires, sorcerers and other evil spirits were afraid of our artist like fire: he had a cheerful disposition and knew how to make fun of some villain in his drawings so much that everyone around him began to laugh uncontrollably at him. And we know that anyone, even the most terrible cannibal, if ridiculed, immediately loses all his strength,” writes the artist Lev Tokmakov. “Evgeniy Monin is a magician. He created his own world - autumn: umbrellas, wind, rain, golden maple leaves... A world of giants and eccentrics, noble gentlemen and brave robbers, angular, thin, funny, lanky, swift - like himself,” this is journalist Julia Govorova. “Monin’s cheerful, unprecedented nature of the fairy-tale action became so convincing and reliable that they began to perceive it as reality,” this is from a speech at the exhibition. After looking through one book illustrated by him, you will recognize Monin’s drawings everywhere. Not because it is the same everywhere, but simply - each artist has his own “optics,” as the artist’s daughter said, and his own way of joking. With Monin, both are so original that you meet his characters as good acquaintances and will not confuse them with anyone.

SCHOOL

Evgeniy Monin was born in Kharkov in 1931. He drew “like all children” - with a pencil on the wallpaper. Some wonderful animals he had never seen before - elephants, rhinoceroses. In Perm, where the family was evacuated, Monin met a good man - a professional artist who taught him to draw. He learned well, so in 1943 Monin, having passed a fair competition, entered an art school in Moscow - now it is called the “Moscow Academic Art Lyceum”, and they teach academic drawing there like nowhere else in Moscow. At school he became friends with Veniamin Losin - as it turned out, for life. But then Losin entered the Surikov Institute, and Monin almost became an engineer.

The fact is that his father could not imagine a real man without an engineering education, and he was not supposed to rebel against him. We found a compromise - the Architectural Institute. “Once I answered some interview questions,” Monin recalled, “where they asked me who your teacher is in the field of book illustration, I was somewhat confused because I didn’t have a teacher.” And one day I asked the wonderful St. Petersburg artist Valentin Ivanovich Kurdov if he would mind if I called him a teacher. He said he wouldn't mind. This is, of course, a joke. But I loved this artist very much, I was friends with him. Indeed, Monin’s drawings have nothing in common with the work of the famous artist Kurdov, but you have to call someone a teacher when asked! The joke is quite in the spirit of Evgeniy Grigorievich.

At the institute, Monin studied to be an architect, received a diploma of a “real man” and was appointed as a construction foreman. But, of course, I didn’t work there a single day. While still at the institute, he published his first book, it was called “Ananze the Spider” - these were African fairy tales in Ukrainian. And in general, he firmly decided to draw. And he went to work at Murzilka.

It was not for nothing that the Murzilka magazine was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most durable children's publication - classics of children's literature and the most talented young authors and artists gathered under its cover. In “Murzilka” there was then something like a club for creative youth, they even played ping-pong there. Working in a magazine is a good school for a beginner... no, an artist who has already started. There, in the editorial office of a funny magazine, Monin met Chizhikov and Pertsov, and Losin also collaborated there. Since then, the four of them were friends and drew, designed books together: one made the cover, the other made fonts and headbands, the rest made illustrations... This is how the book “Tales of Grandma Kuprianikha” turned out. A beautiful book came out.

The houses that Monin built

Evgeny Monin illustrated more than 200 books. Awarded many diplomas and medals. Visited different countries. I made friends with good and interesting people. But nothing inspired his creativity more than a good text. When the word “literary” is used in relation to an artist, they mean secondary, boring mentality, a literal illustration of a thought. Monin's literary spirit is the cheerful mind of the artist. He subtly senses the style and originality of literary material and reproduces it with the help of line and paint. Sometimes he comes up with a completely original plot, seemingly unrelated to the text. His favorite authors - attention! - F. Rabelais, B. Shergin, O. Henry, S. Pisakhov are storytellers with a pronounced, unique intonation and peculiar humor. Rabelais dreamed of illustrating all his life, but he never had to, but he designed Shergin and Pisakhov, wonderful northern storytellers. Most of all, Monin loved to illustrate fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm, Hauff, Russian folk tales, Italian, English, Armenian, French...

His characters are desperately funny. Surprised bearded craftsmen in vests, pondering the riddles of D. Kharms. Very serious people jumping in a dense crowd over a cart with a horse from S. Pisakhov’s fairy tale. A brave hunter with sideburns and a hat with a feather, who pretended to be dead in the Italian fairy tale “Bearskin.” A bride in a white dress standing motionless in the sky above the orange mountains - she is carried by the Chick from O. Tumanyan's fairy tale. The book of English songs translated by Marshak is amazingly made - it depicts not only the heroes of the poems - the miller, Humpty Dumpty or Robin Bobbin, but also the narrator, such a funny guy: he winks at the audience, points his finger at what to look at, is surprised, laughs... So is the artist I felt the author's voice! And all these wonderful people usually act against the backdrop of houses.

Architectural education was not in vain - Evgeniy Grigorievich knew well how a house works, be it a hut, an Italian palace or an old mansion in a provincial Russian town. “How he drew architecture in his books!..” recalls Olga Monina. - He could manipulate houses and towers like that!.. And he also really loved to depict a Russian hut in section, because he understood everything, about the rafters, about the load-bearing beams, about everything - about everything. The architectural dominant of the landscape distinguishes almost all of Monin’s illustrations, and where it is impossible to place a house, its role is played by trees: they also somehow represent a wall, a roof, a room, on them, under them, you can sleep in them, hide from enemies, pretending to be a cuckoo... And how beautiful and mysterious the night looks in Monin’s drawings! You have to look closely at it: gray-black trees, a dark cave - and a clear moon illuminating a bicycle and a tiny gnome. Or sleeping black and gray houses, a deserted square - and a clever thief leading a horse under a colorful blanket (Italian folk tales “In My Land”). Or a huge, dark, fluffy tree, and through its crown the windows of the house glow (Ya. Akim, “Colorful Houses”). But my favorite thing is the Italian palaces of the Renaissance. Houses, squares, towers, cathedrals, castles, fortresses... All this glows with an alluring pink or orange, everything is beautiful, whimsical and fun. But his daughter, Olga Evgenievna, can better tell about the artist Monin’s personal relationship with the Italian Renaissance.

Conversation with the artist's daughter in the interior

The interior, as expected, is a kitchen. Only artists know how to organize space in such a way that a typical kitchen seems spacious, comfortable and luxurious. The main character of the interior is an ancient sideboard, reminiscent of the fabulous Monin palaces. “Family,” Olga Evgenievna says about him. - Almost a relative. Olga Monina is an artist, illustrates books and teaches at the Printing Institute, from which she graduated.

Tell me, did Evgeniy Grigorievich have any students? Has he ever taught?

No, he never taught. Although his name was. This thought fascinated him even less than being a foreman at a construction site. The foreman must command, and for dad this is incredible. You need to put some kind of partition between the students and yourself so that they don’t sit on your head. And I can’t imagine how dad would do it. It would be impossible for him to say something unpleasant to his face - but what could he do without it? For dad, the company of friends was ideal. In creative houses, he was sometimes appointed group leader, and he led so successfully that many later recalled this time as the happiest in their lives.

Did he exercise any leadership at home?

No. To understand that he was dissatisfied with something, one had to have supernatural sensitivity. Well, for example, I once sewed myself a new jacket from a seamstress. He looked at him and said: “I seem to be completely behind fashion.” I then decided that he just didn’t really like the jacket, but in fact in his language it meant: “This is monstrous!”

But, probably, there were some educational moments?

Educational moments... I remember one. I was less than five years old, and there was some kind of French book about animals, which was laminated and covered with cellophane. And this cellophane came off a little, and I remember what a wonderful sound it made when I tore it off! One page, second, third... I was caught doing this and, apparently, scolded. There was nothing, no punishment, no screaming - they just told me that books weren’t treated like that, but I remembered it forever, it was my childhood nightmare! We still have this book, and my heart still aches when I see it. That is, the main thing that education consisted of was how to handle books. Respect for the word. - Yes, there was another such case. Actually, I was a quiet child, but then, at the age of 4, I somehow miraculously got hold of my father’s passport and cut it into small pieces - “for cinema tickets for myself and Misha.” I don’t remember who this Misha was and how the idea of ​​“tickets” came about, but I remember that everyone laughed wildly. And dad laughed! This is the reaction. And, laughing, he took me to the police station, which was in the next house, and there the appearance of a red-haired laughing man with a confused four-year-old girl and a freshly torn passport also amused everyone for some reason. In general, there were no problems! But with a book - yes, that's a different matter.

You are engaged in book illustration. Was your dad your first teacher?

Literally - no. There was just a period when I copied everything from him. And he didn’t teach me himself, but sometimes he simply helped me out when I didn’t get an order: I still didn’t know how to draw, I panicked and tore up pieces of paper. He then drew me some children’s faces, which I couldn’t get my head around.

Did Evgeniy Grigorievich have a favorite book among his works?

He loved Italian fairy tales very much. He then changed his creative style - in 1978 the black drawing line disappeared, the drawing became softer, he tinted the sheet with gouache or watercolor and then rubbed it with a dry brush. And Italian Tales was one of his most brilliant books of this period. He really loved Italy. Trips there were complete happiness for him, because his friends, like Carpaccio, Piero de la Francesco - they all met him there. All these titans of the Renaissance were as important and close people to us as family members, and all their social problems and creative ups and downs were familiar and understandable, like, say, the adventures of my father’s friend Chizhikov or Losin.

Which book, designed by Evgeny Grigorievich, has entered your life since childhood?

Here is a book by Ovsey Driz, I posed there for a boy who ate something sour. And this is Yakov Akim, dad was friends with him all his life, these are the poems - “A girl was walking in the forest.” My dad drew this girl from me. And in the same book there is his self-portrait - a picture for a poem about the artist, here he is, so red...

Didn’t dad have books that he would write and illustrate? Both May Miturich and Suteev had such experiences...

No. He wrote poetry. Shiny. He often wrote for the occasion - for friends’ birthdays, for some events, but these were real poems, complex, talented. Very interesting. I remember the exhibition in the Manege - the first after his death. There were amazing pictures, “literary”, funny, real jokes in painting.

How did they appear?

Dad was a good artist and was used to being in demand. And by the beginning of the 90s, the entire publishing system began to slip, tilt and fall apart. Moreover, this process took completely offensive forms. “New publishers” came to us - some completely wild young men, in shorts and T-shirts - they came, looked at something and said: “Mmm... this doesn’t suit us...” He was already 60 years old by this time. Publishing houses collapsed. The book work is finished. There was something to be despondent about. And he... he began to paint pictures for himself. Switched from paper to canvas. And he began to compose some funny stories - in these pictures the text is very important, it goes together with the image. Well, for example, in the picture there is a courtly gentleman in the foreground, and a lady in the background. A shadow falls from the master. And the title is “Portrait of a gentleman who cast a shadow on a lady.” Or such pictures - already from the names it is clear that they are funny: “Portrait of Don Juan, who forgot the words of the serenade he was performing,” “Portrait of a gentleman with the illuminated tip of his nose,” “The rooks flew away.” That’s how he composed jokes for himself, stylized for different eras - “Kings”, “Little Dutch”, “Naryshkin Baroque”, drew these pictures, not censored or controlled by anyone, sometimes quite frivolous. After all, when they were young, they played pranks very cheerfully, in a Bursatian way. And in general, when "You've been doing illustration all your life, there comes a moment of fatigue and you develop things that don't fit into a book. So dad made etchings for Shergin, with quotes. I hadn't read Shergin then, but I knew these quotes by heart since childhood: “The Tsar and Kapitonka decided to fight , the clothes were torn, the crown was rolled under the chest of drawers." Shergin, with this wonderful sense of humor, was very close to him. And he also painted kitchen boards “according to Shergin,” according to his subjects. A series of boards, a series of etchings - it’s difficult to make a book out of this.

And all this happened because of the publishing crisis of the 90s?

Well, this crisis was not in vain. After all, when Detgiz and “Kid” were in ruins, a bunch of his books lay there. Some are just starting to come out. Some haven't come out yet. And something was completely lost. Kharms’ originals “Tiger on the Street” disappeared without a trace. And he also made a book, “Children’s Poems by Mandelstam,” of which only samples remain. The book was not published, the originals disappeared. At the opening day in the children's library, one young artist, your daughter, called Evgeny Grigorievich “a titan of the Renaissance.” So she said: “I am the granddaughter of the Titan of the Renaissance!”

What do you think she meant?

I need to ask my granddaughter about this. The fact is that Monin was very versatile - he did book illustrations, paintings, did etchings very well, painted landscapes from life, wrote poetry. That is, it is clear that only book pictures were not enough for him. He was a Man of Art. Art was his main life. While dad and his friends were all young, cheerful, healthy and beautiful - there was also their friendship, family, children... and then, later, when illnesses and historical cataclysms began, it was emigration - to art, to these, to Giotto, to Brunelleschi, to Piero de la Francesco.

From an interview with Evgeniy Monin:

I really love the Renaissance, not only the early, but also the later. This won’t surprise anyone: everyone loves it. And the fact that it is refracted with some irony in my work is the desire to get away from the problems of today and hide behind this screen. But still, I believe, despite the predilection and love for a particular era, it is absolutely necessary that it be felt that the work was made by a modern artist.

Evgeny Monin illustrated over 200 books, 24 of which were awarded diplomas at All-Union and All-Russian book art competitions. The artist's works are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin, the Central Slovak Art Gallery, art museums and galleries in Russia. For the series of illustrations “Italian Fairy Tales” the artist was awarded a special diploma “For outstanding achievements in book illustration”, and for the illustrations for the book “English Fairy Tales” he was awarded a silver medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. Personal exhibitions of Evgeniy MONINA were seen in Russia, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Japan and other countries. For participation in an exhibition of Russian art in Japan, the Honored Artist of Russia was awarded a diploma and a personal message from the governor of Tokyo. All this indicates that Monin’s works are modern not only in some technical techniques, but first of all - in thought, in the feeling of the world: a little strange, disturbing, but generally cheerful and dynamic, filled with poetry, beauty and voices from all centuries of the world culture.

Opening of the exhibition of Evgeniy Monin at the Russian State Children's Library

On October 4, an exhibition of the illustrator, People's Artist of Russia Evgeny Grigorievich Monin (1931-2002) opened at the Russian State Children's Library. Speakers at the opening included library director Galina Kislovskaya, curator of exhibition projects at the Russian Children's Clinical Hospital Anastasia Arkhipova, writer Marina Moskvina, artists Viktor Chizhikov, Anatoly Itkin, Vladimir Pertsov, Anatoly Eliseev, Veniamin Losin, the artist's daughter Olga Monina and granddaughter Alexandra Monina, art critic Maria Chegodaeva and many others .

Yes, it was a long time ago, a very long time ago...

There is a large house on the embankment of the Moscow River. Until recently, an artist’s studio was located on its eighth floor. From the windows you could see huge passenger ships sailing along the river, self-propelled barges moving leisurely, and beautiful seagulls hovering above the surface of the water.

The artist spent all day drawing illustrations for children's books and magazines. He was a master of his craft, a storyteller like few in the world.

It is known that in fairy tales time moves in the opposite direction. In the artist’s drawings, all rivers and lakes were dry. Hundreds of paddle steamers, slapping the water with wooden blades, threw clouds of thick black smoke into the sky. And there, under the clouds, with their arms outstretched in free flight, people soared, and occasionally a cow or a horse carrying a cart of hay flew by.

The artist himself often got into an ancient carriage and embarked on dangerous journeys to different countries. He met knights and kings, loved to talk with giants and jesters. But most of all, the artist loved to free beautiful princesses locked in a cave by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. All the dragons, vampires, sorcerers and other evil spirits were afraid of our artist like fire: he had a cheerful disposition and knew how to make fun of some villain in his drawings so much that everyone around him began to laugh uncontrollably at him. And we know that anyone, even the most terrible cannibal, if ridiculed, immediately loses all his strength.

And now - about the sad thing. No matter how much I hesitated in finishing my story, the time has come to tell you about the sad outcome of the last fight of our brave storyteller. An evil disease crept up on him - insidious, incurable. The artist fought with her for a long time, but was unable to defeat her because he did not know what she was called. And the doctors didn't know. That's why they couldn't help.

It's bittersweet to write about this. On September 25, our great friend, a great storyteller, People's Artist of Russia, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Arts died

EVGENY GRIGORIEVICH MONIN, –

bright, original talent.

The memory of a wonderful, wise and warm-hearted man remains with us. His wonderful works, mixed with the highest and purest, life truth that never dies, remain with us.

Eternal memory to him and the Kingdom of Heaven.

Tokmakov Lev

Magazine "Cucumber" No. 8, 2002

Monin’s first book was published in the late 50s, it was called “Ananze the Spider” - based on African folk tales, and was published in Kyiv in Ukrainian. Then Monin was still a student at the architectural institute. At the end of the 50s, such a festival style appeared in Moscow. It was entirely, well, pulled from the magazine “Poland”: an abundance of carelessly thrown dies under such an elegant font, this was terribly typical of that time. And so Monin made this Ananze spider on dies, but not carelessly thrown, but organically woven into the image. And it was pleasing to the eye. It was immediately felt that an artist was born with an innate sense of tact. He did not submit to this festival false fun, but remained as delicate and restrained in his pictures as he was in life. And he was always true to his principles.

His principle is color, the cult of color in children's books, even in black and white. Monin’s even black and white drawings look colored, because he gives such a wide gradation. His book is based on restraint of color, on some kind of trepidation, on delicate color relationships. For some time, however, he fell under the influence of such “Malyshovsky” (i.e., characteristic of the books of the Malysh publishing house - O.M.) brightness, became carried away by this brightness, and then he realized that he was wrong, this is not him, Monin is not there. He looked and switched to the same principles, but he had already grown up a lot, became stronger, and then illustrations for the Brothers Grimm appeared. By the way, he was faithful to the Grimms all his life and periodically returned to them. This was his favorite topic - the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

But his illustrations for Grimm are different! The last, posthumous exhibition featured illustrations for the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, which Monin made in the very last years of his life. They have such a special German humor, and this laughter sounds very loud. Has this always been present, or does something change when you read a text throughout your life?

It definitely changes, because everything that surrounds artists influences everything. Everyday. You leaned out the window, a swallow flew past you with a whistle - you are already different. You already come back with new impressions, because nothing happens by chance in life. And the swallow was sent by fate, everything here is so trembling in this world, and Monin is an extremely impressionable person. In general, it is very important for a children’s artist to remain a child spiritually and mentally. And Monin remained. He could grow technically and intellectually. But in general he was a child - touching and often funny because of his childishness.

One day he bought a house near Kaluga and began growing tulips there. Monin growing tulips is something, this is such a picture - straight from his books!

This is very much his flower, even in the lines...

Yes Yes. In terms of plastic, it's his. Well, by color. Here is Monin among the tulips - I even wanted to make such a cartoon. But he didn’t, unfortunately. Because it's his flower. And the architecture is European - Dutch, German, she is always friends with Monin. It’s not like Monin is with her - architecture clings to him. Such densely packed houses that stand in a row and seem to support each other with their shoulders - this is Monin’s architecture. These houses may lean, but they always stand in dense rows.

They have a sense of shoulder.

Yes. The sense of shoulder, the sense of elbow in these Moninsky houses is very highly developed. And among people. Monin depicts a crowd of people as a crowd of densely planted trees, they are all such “dense” people. Why does this density appear? Because Monin, like no one else, felt the integrity of the image. He intuitively knocked together the disparate elements of life. As they say now: “Where are we and where is the French Revolution,” i.e. it has long been. But with Monin it’s not like that: we are here, and the French Revolution is here. He could firmly combine the impressions of one day into something unified. Therefore, he never thought of himself separately from his friends. We were all shot down too.

You even had such a general exhibition in 1976: Chizhikov, Monin, . Then you came up with a name for yourself - connoisseurs of children's literature.

Right. And for Monin this unity was important - both in friendship and in art. The integrity of the image is also one of Monin’s most important principles. Not everyone achieves integrity. I can’t do it, I’m always full of something. I won’t talk about others, sometimes it doesn’t work out either, but Monin could calm down some screaming individual details. Sometimes, when we worked together, and we rented a common workshop in our youth, he would come up, look over my shoulder as I was drawing, and say: “Calm down, calm down.”

He felt what needed to be muffled and what, on the contrary, should be pulled out. He often said: “Pull it out, hit it with the color here, and it will come out.” I felt the sheet of paper very well; the role of white in it is extraordinary. I could leave a piece of paper somewhere, and this white piece, free of watercolor, would then hold the entire illustration.

But our publishers have now forgotten this. They are afraid of clean sheets and air.

Somehow everyone is afraid of white, although white is the brightest color. They think if they plant orange, purple, crazy green...

- ... and circle it with a border

- ... then everyone will rush to buy this book. Nothing like this. The strongest thing is the image, the solid, powerful image on the cover. It attracts the reader first.

Monin’s sketches are very interesting. Sketches of such internal breathing. Colossal. Monin went to the Volga with three pairs of glasses: for distance, for some average distance and for drawing close up. It turned out like this: with his left hand he makes complex movements to change eyepieces, and in his right hand he has a brush, and a watercolor in front of him. He wrote such wonderful sketches, looking at which you want to breathe deeply. There is space and flight in them. They are made in one or two touches. A very complex thing, but very easily written. Monin was such a magician, absolutely amazing. And terribly serious. While his illustrations are humorous, his sketches are simply breathtaking.

Was Evgeny Grigorievich a cheerful or sad person?

And in life he also had a lot of humor, of course. Humor lived in him all the time.

Then Monin’s remarks about life are generally very interesting.

One day we went to the sculptor Zaznobin. One of the guests decided to pay tribute to the glory and recognition of the owner, and he listened and said: “My dear, they let you in there without glory,” and pointed to the ceiling. So Monin adopted this phrase. No, no, yes, I used it. “They let you go there without glory.” He did not identify himself with any glory.

One of his favorite sayings was: A man is like a carpenter: he lives, lives and dies. This is what I liked too.

We still end up with some kind of “lightweight” portrait. But new and new generations of artists appear - original, original, rejecting much of the old - but, an amazing thing: for almost everyone, Monin’s authority is undeniable, and his work does not age at all.

As for Monin’s significance for our book, it is enormous. It's so different! Recently there was a children's book week at the Republican Children's Library. There were various books lying there, but I immediately noticed that of the entire series, the most noticeable one was Monin’s book. His face is so bright, both plastic and colorful.

Monin taught us a lot. By your example. Thanks to Monin, I consider my life very successful. Happy even. Because friendship for me was primarily a spiritual concept.

Friendship with Monin is very important to me. It happened that you would do something meager and think: Lord! Well, how can I tell Monin about this! You can't do that.

Or, for example, Monin never allowed himself to be a dog. He simply stepped aside. He wouldn't be able to work if he was a dog. And me too, by the way. As soon as I have a fight somewhere, I come to the workshop and everything falls out of my hands. I’m spitting and thinking: I should have answered this way and that way. And then I look at Monin, he’s hanging there, and I say to myself: No. Zhenya would have done the same. And that’s it, you calm down, sit down and begin to move on with your life.

Yakov Lazarevich Akim, Evgeniy Monin’s closest and faithful friend, was invisibly present during our conversation. And it would be right to give him the floor too. Akim has an amazing poem dedicated to Durgu the artist. And you will get a double portrait - through the eyes of the artist and through the eyes of the poet.

And the memory pulls out whimsically
Forgotten diary page:
River, Sunset. And in the spill mirror
Clouds float, transforming.

On the stretch of blue, like an eye,
Lilac in the coastal shade,
They swim high and deep
They are swimming - and they are not them at all.

They float until the darkness extinguishes
The glow of the day in the solemn water...
And it happened, it happened with us
And it will happen again - no one knows where.

Water and sky similarities and dissimilarities
We will be scorched by a sudden wave,
High affinity and strange indentation
Between me and my father, you and me.

The explosion of a landmine will also connect,
And a hard hospital bed
And the late calm of the hour,
When there is nothing to hide from your son.

Material prepared by Olga Mäeots
Treasure Island. Issue 06. Tab in “BSh” No. 14 (170). July 16-31, 2006

Man of art

They remember it cheerfully. Acquaintances, colleagues, artist friends.

“He met knights and kings, loved to talk with giants and jesters. But most of all, the artist loved to free beautiful princesses locked in a cave by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. All the dragons, vampires, sorcerers and other evil spirits were afraid of our artist like fire: he had a cheerful disposition and knew how to make fun of some villain in his drawings so much that everyone around him began to laugh uncontrollably at him. And we know that anyone, even the most terrible cannibal, if ridiculed, immediately loses all his strength,” writes the artist Lev Tokmakov.

“Evgeny Monin is a magician. He created his own world - autumn: umbrellas, wind, rain, golden maple leaves... A world of giants and eccentrics, noble gentlemen and brave robbers, angular, thin, funny, lanky, swift - like himself,” this is journalist Julia Govorova.

“The cheerful, unprecedented nature of the fairy-tale action became so convincing and authentic in Monin’s work that they began to perceive it as reality,” this is from a speech at the exhibition.

After looking through one book illustrated by him, you will recognize Monin’s drawings everywhere. Not because it is the same everywhere, but simply - each artist has his own “optics,” as the artist’s daughter said, and his own way of joking. With Monin, both are so original that you meet his characters as good acquaintances and will not confuse them with anyone.

Evgeniy Monin was born in Kharkov in 1931. He drew “like all children” - with a pencil on the wallpaper. Some wonderful animals he had never seen before - elephants, rhinoceroses. In Perm, where the family was evacuated, Monin met a good man - a professional artist who taught him to draw. He learned well, so in 1943 Monin, having passed a fair competition, entered an art school in Moscow - now it is called the “Moscow Academic Art Lyceum”, and they teach academic drawing there like nowhere else in Moscow. At school he became friends with - as it turned out, for life. But then Losin entered the Surikov Institute, and Monin almost became an engineer.

The fact is that his father could not imagine a real man without an engineering education, and he was not supposed to rebel against him. We found a compromise - the Architectural Institute.

“Once I was answering some interview questions,” Monin recalled, “where I was asked who your teacher is in the field of book illustration, I was somewhat confused because I didn’t have a teacher. And one day I asked a wonderful St. Petersburg artist if he would mind if I called him a teacher. He said he wouldn't mind. This is, of course, a joke. But I loved this artist very much, I was friends with him.

Indeed, Monin’s drawings have nothing in common with the work of the famous artist Kurdov, but you have to call someone a teacher when asked! The joke is quite in the spirit of Evgeniy Grigorievich.

At the institute, Monin studied to be an architect, received a diploma of a “real man” and was appointed as a construction foreman. But, of course, I didn’t work there a single day. While still at the institute, he published his first book, it was called “Ananze the Spider” - it was African fairy tales in Ukrainian. And in general, he firmly decided to draw. And he went to work at Murzilka.

It was not for nothing that the Murzilka magazine was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the most durable children's publication - classics of children's literature and the most talented young authors and artists gathered under its cover. In “Murzilka” there was then something like a club for creative youth, they even played ping-pong there. Working in a magazine is a good school for a beginner... no, an artist who has already started. There, in the editorial office of a funny magazine, Monin met and Losin also collaborated there. Since then, the four of them were friends and drew, designed books together: one made the cover, the other made fonts and headbands, the rest made illustrations... This is how the book “Tales of Grandma Kuprianikha” turned out. A beautiful book came out.

The houses that Monin built

Evgeny Monin illustrated more than 200 books. Awarded many diplomas and medals. Visited different countries. I made friends with good and interesting people. But nothing inspired his creativity more than a good text. When the word “literary” is used in relation to an artist, they mean secondary, boring mentality, a literal illustration of a thought. Monin's literary spirit is the cheerful mind of the artist. He subtly senses the style and originality of literary material and reproduces it with the help of line and paint. Sometimes he comes up with a completely original plot, seemingly unrelated to the text. His favorite authors - attention! – F. Rabelais, B. Shergin, O. Henry, S. Pisakhov are storytellers with a pronounced, unique intonation and original humor. Rabelais dreamed of illustrating all his life, but he never had to, but he designed Shergin and Pisakhov, wonderful northern storytellers. Most of all, Monin loved to illustrate fairy tales. The Brothers Grimm, Hauff, Russian folk tales, Italian, English, Armenian, French...

His characters are desperately funny. Surprised bearded craftsmen in vests, pondering the riddles of D. Kharms. Very serious people jumping in a dense crowd over a cart with a horse from S. Pisakhov’s fairy tale. A brave hunter with sideburns and a hat with a feather, who pretended to be dead in the Italian fairy tale “Bearskin.” A bride in a white dress standing motionless in the sky above the orange mountains - she is carried by the Chick from O. Tumanyan’s fairy tale. The book of English songs translated by Marshak is amazingly made - it depicts not only the heroes of the poems - the miller, Humpty Dumpty or Robin Bobbin, but also the narrator, such a funny guy: he winks at the audience, points his finger at what to look at, is surprised, laughs... So is the artist I felt the author's voice! And all these wonderful people usually act against the backdrop of houses.

Architectural education was not in vain - Evgeniy Grigorievich knew well how a house works, be it a hut, an Italian palace or an old mansion in a provincial Russian town.

“How he drew architecture in his books!..” recalls Olga Monina. “He could manipulate houses and towers like that!.. And he also really loved to depict a Russian hut in section, because he understood everything, about the rafters, about the load-bearing beams, about everything, about everything.”

The architectural dominant of the landscape distinguishes almost all of Monin’s illustrations, and where it is impossible to place a house, its role is played by trees: they also somehow represent a wall, a roof, a room, on them, under them, you can sleep in them, hide from enemies, pretending to be a cuckoo... And how beautiful and mysterious the night looks in Monin’s drawings! You have to peer into it: gray-black trees, a dark cave - and a clear moon illuminating the bicycle and the tiny gnome. Or sleeping black and gray houses, a deserted square - and a clever thief leading a horse under a colorful blanket (Italian folk tales “In My Land”). Or a huge, dark, fluffy tree, and through its crown the windows of the house glow (Ya. Akim, “Colorful Houses”). But my favorite thing is the Italian palaces of the Renaissance. Houses, squares, towers, cathedrals, castles, fortresses... All this glows with an alluring pink or orange, everything is beautiful, whimsical and fun. But his daughter, Olga Evgenievna, can better tell about the artist Monin’s personal relationship with the Italian Renaissance.

Conversation with the artist's daughter in the interior

The interior, as expected, is a kitchen. Only artists know how to organize space in such a way that a typical kitchen seems spacious, comfortable and luxurious. The main character of the interior is an ancient sideboard, reminiscent of the fabulous Moninsky palaces.

“Family,” Olga Evgenievna says about him. - Almost a relative.

Olga Monina is an artist, illustrates books and teaches at the Printing Institute, from which she graduated.

— Tell me, did Evgeniy Grigoryevich have any students? Has he ever taught?

- No, he never taught. Although his name was. This thought fascinated him even less than being a foreman at a construction site. The foreman must command, and for dad this is incredible. You need to put some kind of partition between the students and yourself so that they don’t sit on your head. And I can’t imagine how dad would do it. It would be impossible for him to say something unpleasant to his face - but what could he do without it? For dad, the company of friends was ideal. In creative houses, he was sometimes appointed group leader, and he led so successfully that many later recalled this time as the happiest in their lives.

— Did he exercise any leadership at home?

- No. To understand that he was dissatisfied with something, one had to have supernatural sensitivity. Well, for example, I once sewed myself a new jacket from a seamstress. He looked at him and said: “I seem to be completely behind fashion.” I then decided that he just didn’t really like the jacket, but in fact in his language it meant: “This is monstrous!”

— But, probably, there were some educational moments?

— Educational moments... I remember one. I was less than five years old, and there was some kind of French book about animals, which was laminated and covered with cellophane. And this cellophane came off a little, and I remember what a wonderful sound it made when I tore it off! One page, second, third... I was caught doing this and, apparently, scolded. There was nothing, no punishment, no screaming - they just told me that books weren’t treated like that, but I remembered it forever, it was my childhood nightmare! We still have this book, and my heart still aches when I see it. That is, the main thing that education consisted of was how to handle books. Respect for the word. - Yes, there was another such case. Actually, I was a quiet child, but then, at the age of 4, I somehow miraculously got hold of my father’s passport and cut it into small pieces – “for cinema tickets for myself and Misha.” I don’t remember who this Misha was and how the idea of ​​“tickets” came about, but I remember that everyone laughed wildly. And dad laughed! This is the reaction. And, laughing, he took me to the police station, which was in the next house, and there the appearance of a red-haired laughing man with a confused four-year-old girl and a freshly torn passport also amused everyone for some reason. In general, there were no problems! But with a book – yes, that’s a different matter.

— You are engaged in book illustration. Was your dad your first teacher?

- Literally - no. There was just a period when I copied everything from him. And he didn’t teach me himself, but sometimes he simply helped me out when I didn’t get an order: I still didn’t know how to draw, I panicked and tore up pieces of paper. He then drew me some children’s faces, which I couldn’t get my head around.

— Did Evgeny Grigorievich have a favorite book among his works?

— I really loved Italian fairy tales. He then changed his creative style - in 1978 the black drawing line disappeared, the drawing became softer, he tinted the sheet with gouache or watercolor and then rubbed it with a dry brush. And Italian Tales was one of his most brilliant books of this period. He really loved Italy. Trips there were complete happiness for him, because his friends, like Carpaccio, Piero de la Francesco - they all met him there. All these titans of the Renaissance were as important and close people to us as family members, and all their social problems and creative ups and downs were familiar and understandable, like, say, the adventures of my father’s friend Chizhikov or Losin.

— Which book, designed by Evgeny Grigorievich, has entered your life since childhood?

- Here is a book by Ovsey Driz, I posed there for a boy who ate something sour. And this is Yakov Akim, dad was friends with him all his life, these are the poems - “A girl was walking in the forest.” My dad drew this girl from me. And in the same book there is his self-portrait - a picture for a poem about the artist, here he is, so red...

— Didn’t dad have any books that he would write and illustrate? Both May Miturich and Suteev had such experiences...

- No. He wrote poetry. Shiny. I often wrote for the occasion - for friends’ birthdays, for some events, but these were real poems, complex, talented. Very interesting. I remember the exhibition in the Manege - the first after his death. There were amazing pictures, “literary”, funny, real jokes in painting.

- How did they appear?

“Dad was a good artist and was used to being in demand. And by the beginning of the 90s, the entire publishing system began to slip, tilt and fall apart. Moreover, this process took completely offensive forms. “New publishers” came to us - some completely wild young men, in shorts and T-shirts - they came, looked at something and said: “Mmm... this doesn’t suit us...” He was already about 60 years old by this time. Publishing houses collapsed. The book work is finished. There was something to be despondent about. And he... he began to paint pictures for himself. Switched from paper to canvas. And he began to compose some funny stories - in these pictures the text is very important, it goes together with the image. Well, for example, in the picture there is a courtly gentleman in the foreground, and a lady in the background. A shadow falls from the master. And the title is “Portrait of a gentleman who cast a shadow on a lady.” Or such pictures - it’s clear from the names that they are funny: “Portrait of Don Juan, who forgot the words of the serenade he was performing,” “Portrait of a gentleman with the illuminated tip of his nose,” “The rooks flew away.” This is how he composed jokes for himself, stylized for different eras - “Kings”, “Little Dutchmen”, “Naryshkin Baroque”, drew these pictures, not censored or controlled by anyone, sometimes quite frivolous. After all, when they were young, they played pranks very cheerfully, in a Bursatian way. And in general, when you’ve been illustrating all your life, a moment of fatigue comes and you develop things that don’t fit into a book. This is how dad made etchings for Shergin, with quotes. I hadn’t read Shergin at that time, but I knew these quotes by heart since childhood: “The Tsar and Kapitonka decided to fight, they tore off their clothes, they rolled the crown under the chest of drawers.” Shergin was very close to him with this wonderful sense of humor. And he also painted kitchen boards “according to Shergin,” according to his scenes. A series of boards, a series of etchings - it’s difficult to make a book out of this.

— And all this happened because of the publishing crisis of the 90s?

- Well, this crisis was not in vain. After all, when Detgiz and “Kid” were in ruins, a bunch of his books lay there. Some are just starting to come out. Some haven't come out yet. And something was completely lost. Kharms’ originals “Tiger on the Street” disappeared without a trace. And he also made a book, “Children’s Poems by Mandelstam,” of which only samples remain. The book was not published, the originals disappeared.

— At the opening day in the children’s library, one young artist, your daughter, called Evgeny Grigorievich “a titan of the Renaissance.” So she said: “I am the granddaughter of the Titan of the Renaissance!” What do you think she meant?

- You need to ask your granddaughter. The fact is that Monin was very versatile - he did book illustrations, paintings, did etchings very well, painted landscapes from life, wrote poetry. That is, it is clear that only book pictures were not enough for him. He was a Man of Art. Art was his main life. While dad and his friends were all young, cheerful, healthy and beautiful - there was also their friendship, family, children... and then, later, when illnesses and historical cataclysms began, it was emigration - to art, to these, to Giotto, to Brunelleschi, to Piero de la Francesco.

From an interview with Evgeniy Monin:

— I really love the Renaissance, not only the early, but also the later. This won’t surprise anyone: everyone loves it. And the fact that it is refracted with some irony in my work is the desire to get away from the problems of today and hide behind this screen. But still, I believe, despite the predilection and love for a particular era, it is absolutely necessary that it be felt that the work was made by a modern artist.

Evgeny Monin illustrated over 200 books, 24 of which were awarded diplomas at All-Union and All-Russian book art competitions. The artist's works are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin, the Central Slovak Art Gallery, art museums and galleries in Russia. For the series of illustrations “Italian Fairy Tales” the artist was awarded a special diploma “For outstanding achievements in book illustration”, and for the illustrations for the book “English Fairy Tales” he was awarded a silver medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. Evgeniy Monin’s personal exhibitions were seen in Russia, Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Japan and other countries. For participation in an exhibition of Russian art in Japan, the Honored Artist of Russia was awarded a diploma and a personal message from the governor of Tokyo. All this indicates that Monin’s works are modern not only in some technical techniques, but first of all - in thought, in the feeling of the world: a little strange, disturbing, but generally cheerful and dynamic, filled with poetry, beauty and voices from all centuries of the world culture.

Evgeny Grigorievich Monin - master of children's book graphics,
People's Artist of Russia, Corresponding Member
Russian Academy of Arts (1931-2002).

Monin E. G. was born in 1931 in Kharkov. He graduated from the Moscow Secondary Art School, and in 1956 from the Moscow Architectural Institute. He worked extensively and successfully in children's book publishing houses in Moscow.
More than 20 books by E. Monin have been awarded diplomas from All-Union and All-Russian children's book competitions. He is a multiple winner of the Quadrennial of Small Graphic Forms in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia), winner of a diploma and a personal message from the Governor of Tokyo for participating in an exhibition of Russian art in Japan. For his illustrations of English folk tales he was awarded a silver medal from the Russian Academy of Arts.

Artist E. Monin Watercolor 17x12 cm Illustration for a newspaper "Lived once" Price 3,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin Watercolor 7x10 cm Illustration for a newspaper "Lived once" Price 2,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin Watercolor 9x8 cm Illustration for a newspaper "Lived once" Price 2,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin Watercolor 10x10 cm Illustration for a newspaper "Lived once" Price 3,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin Watercolor 12x20 cm Illustration for children's magazine "Murzilka" No. 8, 1983 Price 6,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin 15x22 cm Illustration for children's magazine "Murzilka" No. 7, 1976 Price 7,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin 24x18 cm Illustration for children's magazine "Murzilka" No. 11, 1973 Price 7,000 rub.
Artist E. Monin Watercolor 24x18 cm Illustration for book Price 6,000 rub.

On this page of the site you can buy originals
book illustrations (book graphics) by Artist E. Monin,

Moscow, publishing house TSPA "Genesis", 2000
Tel. publishing house: (095) 282-51-35. Email: [email protected]

What is aggressiveness?

The word "aggression" comes from the Latin aggression, which means “attack”, “attack”. The psychological dictionary provides the following definition of this term: “Aggression is motivated destructive behavior that contradicts the norms and rules of the existence of people in society, harming the objects of attack (animate and inanimate), causing physical and moral harm to people or causing them psychological discomfort (negative experiences, a state of tension, fear, depression, etc.).”

The causes of aggression in children can be very different. Some somatic diseases or brain diseases contribute to the emergence of aggressive qualities. It should be noted that upbringing in the family plays a huge role, from the first days of a child’s life. Sociologist M. Mead has proven that in cases where a child is abruptly weaned and communication with the mother is reduced to a minimum, children develop qualities such as anxiety, suspicion, cruelty, aggressiveness, and selfishness. And vice versa, when there is gentleness in communication with a child, the child is surrounded by care and attention, these qualities are not developed.

The development of aggressive behavior is greatly influenced by the nature of the punishments that parents usually use in response to the manifestation of anger in their child. In such situations, two polar methods of influence can be used: either leniency or severity. Paradoxically, aggressive children are equally common in parents who are too lenient and those who are overly strict.

Research has shown that parents who sharply suppress aggressiveness in their children, contrary to their expectations, do not eliminate this quality, but, on the contrary, nurture it, developing excessive aggressiveness in their son or daughter, which will manifest itself even in adulthood. After all, everyone knows that evil only begets evil, and aggression begets aggression.

If parents do not pay any attention to the aggressive reactions of their child, then he very soon begins to believe that such behavior is permissible, and single outbursts of anger imperceptibly develop into the habit of acting aggressively.

Only parents who know how to find a reasonable compromise, a “golden mean”, can teach their children to cope with aggression.

Portrait of an aggressive child

In almost every kindergarten group, in every class, there is at least one child with signs of aggressive behavior. He attacks other children, calls them names and beats them, takes away and breaks toys, deliberately uses rude expressions, in a word, becomes a “thunderstorm” for the entire children’s group, a source of grief for teachers and parents. This rough, pugnacious, rude child is very difficult to accept as he is, and even more difficult to understand.

However, an aggressive child, like any other, needs affection and help from adults, because his aggression is, first of all, a reflection of internal discomfort, the inability to adequately respond to events happening around him.

An aggressive child often feels rejected and unwanted. The cruelty and indifference of parents leads to a breakdown in the child-parent relationship and instills in the child’s soul the confidence that he is not loved. “How to become loved and needed” is an insoluble problem facing a little man. So he is looking for ways to attract the attention of adults and peers. Unfortunately, these searches do not always end as we and the child would like, but he does not know how to do better.

This is how N.L. describes it. Kryazheva’s behavior of these children: “An aggressive child, using every opportunity, ... strives to anger his mother, teacher, and peers. He “doesn’t calm down” until the adults explode and the children get into a fight” ( Kryazheva N.L. "Development of the emotional world of children").

Parents and teachers do not always understand what the child is trying to achieve and why he behaves this way, although he knows in advance that he may receive rebuff from children, and punishment from adults. In reality, this is sometimes just a desperate attempt to win one’s “place in the sun.” The child has no idea how else to fight for survival in this strange and cruel world, how to protect himself.

The article was published with the support of the website Zel-mama.ru, dedicated to parenting issues, from preparation and management of pregnancy, childbirth, to hygiene issues, training and education of grown-up children. Thus, many parents in their practice are faced with age-related crises and with negativism in the performance of their own child, when he becomes uncontrollable to the point of doing everything in defiance of parental persistent requests. On the site you will learn what measures to take in case of negativism, the reasons for its occurrence and much more.

Aggressive children are very often suspicious and wary, they like to shift the blame for the quarrel they started onto others. For example, while playing in the sandbox during a walk, two children from the preparatory group got into a fight. Roma hit Sasha with a shovel. When asked by the teacher why he did this, Roma sincerely answered: “Sasha had a shovel in his hands, and I was very afraid that he would hit me.” According to the teacher, Sasha did not show any intentions to offend or hit Roma, but Roma perceived this situation as threatening.

Such children often cannot assess their own aggressiveness. They do not notice that they instill fear and anxiety in those around them. On the contrary, it seems to them that the whole world wants to offend them. Thus, a vicious circle results: aggressive children fear and hate those around them, and those, in turn, fear them.

At the Doverie PPMS center in the city of Lomonosov, a mini-survey was conducted among older preschoolers, the purpose of which was to find out how they understand aggressiveness. Here are the answers given by aggressive and non-aggressive children (see Table 1 on p. 4).

The emotional world of aggressive children is not rich enough; their palette of feelings is dominated by gloomy tones, and the number of reactions even to standard situations is very limited. Most often these are defensive reactions. In addition, children cannot look at themselves from the outside and adequately evaluate their behavior.

Thus, children often adopt aggressive forms of behavior from their parents.

How to identify an aggressive child

Aggressive children need understanding and support from adults, so our main task is not to make an “accurate” diagnosis, much less “give a label,” but to provide feasible and timely assistance to the child.

As a rule, it is not difficult for educators and teachers to determine which of the children has a higher level of aggressiveness. But in controversial cases, you can use the criteria for determining aggressiveness, which were developed by American psychologists M. Alvord and P. Baker.

Table 1. Understanding of aggression by older preschoolers

Aggression criteria (child observation scheme)

1. Often loses control of himself.
2. Often argues and quarrels with adults.
3. Often refuses to follow rules.
4. Often deliberately annoys people.
5. Often blames others for his mistakes.
6. Often gets angry and refuses to do anything.
7. Often envious and vindictive.
8. Sensitive, reacts very quickly to various actions of others (children and adults), which often irritate him.

It can be assumed that a child is aggressive only if at least 4 of the 8 listed signs have been manifested in his behavior for at least 6 months.

A child whose behavior shows a large number of signs of aggressiveness needs the help of a specialist: a psychologist or a doctor.

In addition, in order to identify aggressiveness in a child in a kindergarten group or in a classroom, you can use a special questionnaire developed for educators (Lavrentieva G.P., Titarenko T.M., 1992).

Criteria for aggressiveness in a child (questionnaire)

1. At times it seems that he has been possessed by an evil spirit.
2. He cannot remain silent when he is dissatisfied with something.
3. When someone does him harm, he always tries to repay the same.
4. Sometimes he feels like cursing for no reason.
5. It happens that he breaks toys with pleasure, breaks something, guts it.
6. Sometimes he insists on something so much that others lose patience.
7. He doesn't mind teasing animals.
8. It’s difficult to argue with him.
9. He gets very angry when he thinks that someone is making fun of him.
10. Sometimes he has a desire to do something bad, shocking others.
11. In response to ordinary orders, he strives to do the opposite.
12. Often grouchy beyond his age.
13. Perceives himself as independent and decisive.
14. Likes to be the first, to command, to subjugate others.
15. Failures cause him great irritation and a desire to find someone to blame.
16. Easily quarrels and gets into fights.
17. Tries to communicate with younger and physically weaker people.
18. He often has bouts of gloomy irritability.
19. Does not consider peers, does not yield, does not share.
20. I am confident that he will complete any task better than anyone else.

A positive answer to each proposed statement is scored 1 point.

High aggressiveness - 15-20 points.
Average aggressiveness - 7-14 points.
Low aggressiveness - 1-6 points.

We present these criteria so that the educator or teacher, having identified an aggressive child, can subsequently develop his own strategy of behavior with him and help him adapt to the children's team.

How to help an aggressive child

Why do you think children fight, bite and push, and sometimes in response to any, even friendly, treatment they “explode” and rage?

There can be many reasons for this behavior. But often children do exactly this because they don’t know how to do otherwise. Unfortunately, their behavioral repertoire is quite meager, and if we give them the opportunity to choose ways of behavior, children will gladly respond to the offer, and our communication with them will become more effective and enjoyable for both parties.

This advice (providing a choice in how to interact) is especially relevant when it comes to aggressive children. The work of educators and teachers with this category of children should be carried out in three directions:

1. Working with anger. Teaching aggressive children acceptable ways to express anger.

2. Teaching children the skills of recognition and control, the ability to control themselves in situations that provoke outbursts of anger.

3. Formation of the ability to empathy, trust, sympathy, compassion, etc.

Dealing with anger

What is anger? This is a feeling of intense resentment, which is accompanied by a loss of control over oneself. Unfortunately, in our culture, it is generally accepted that expressing anger is an undignified reaction. Already in childhood, this idea is instilled in us by adults - parents, grandparents, teachers. However, psychologists do not recommend holding back this emotion every time, since in this way we can become a kind of “piggy bank of anger.” In addition, having driven anger inside, a person will most likely sooner or later still feel the need to throw it out. But not on the one who caused this feeling, but on the one “who turned up at hand” or on the one who is weaker and will not be able to fight back. Even if we try very hard and do not succumb to the seductive way of “erupting” anger, our “piggy bank,” replenished day by day with new negative emotions, may one day “burst.” Moreover, this does not necessarily end in hysterics and screams. Negative feelings that are released can “settle” inside us, which will lead to various somatic problems: headaches, stomach and cardiovascular diseases. K. Izard (1999) publishes clinical data obtained by Holt, which indicates that a person who constantly suppresses his anger is more at risk of psychosomatic disorders. According to Holt, unexpressed anger can be one of the causes of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, urticaria, psoriasis, stomach ulcers, migraines, hypertension, etc.

That is why it is necessary to free yourself from anger. Of course, this does not mean that everyone is allowed to fight and bite. We just have to learn ourselves and teach our children how to express anger in acceptable, non-destructive ways.

Since the feeling of anger most often arises as a result of restriction of freedom, then at the moment of the highest “intensity of passions” it is necessary to allow the child to do something that, perhaps, is not usually welcomed by us. Moreover, much depends on the form in which - verbal or physical - the child expresses his anger.

For example, in a situation where a child is angry with a peer and calls him names, you can draw the offender together with him, depict him in the form and in the situation in which the “offended” person wants. If the child knows how to write, you can let him sign the drawing the way he wants, if he doesn’t know how, you can sign it under his dictation. Of course, such work should be carried out one on one with the child, out of sight of the opponent.

This method of working with verbal aggression is recommended by V. Oklender. In her book "Windows on a Child's World" she describes her own experience of using this approach. After carrying out such work, children of preschool age (6-7 years old) usually experience relief.

True, in our society such “free” communication is not encouraged, especially the use of swear words and expressions by children in the presence of adults. But, as practice shows, without expressing everything that has accumulated in the soul and on the tongue, the child will not calm down. Most likely, he will shout insults in the face of his “enemy,” provoking him to respond to abuse and attracting more and more “spectators.” As a result, the conflict between two children will escalate into a group-wide or even violent fight.

Perhaps a child who is not satisfied with the current situation, who is afraid for one reason or another to enter into open opposition, but nevertheless thirsts for revenge, will choose another path: he will persuade his peers not to play with the offender. This behavior works like a time bomb. A group conflict will inevitably flare up, only it will “mature” longer and involve a larger number of participants. The method proposed by V. Oklander can help avoid many troubles and will help resolve the conflict situation.

Example

The preparatory group of the kindergarten was attended by two girlfriends - two Alenas: Alena S. and Alena E. They were inseparable from the nursery group, but nevertheless they argued endlessly and even fought. One day, when a psychologist came into the group, he saw that Alena S., not listening to the teacher who was trying to calm her down, was throwing everything that came to her hand and shouting that she hated everyone. The arrival of the psychologist could not have come at a more opportune time. Alena S., who really loved going into the psychological office, “allowed herself to be taken away.”
In the psychologist's office, she was given the opportunity to choose her own activity. First, she took a huge inflatable hammer and began to hit the walls and floor with all her might, then she pulled out two rattles from the toy box and began to rattle them with delight. Alena did not answer the psychologist’s questions about what happened and who she was angry with, but she gladly agreed to the offer to draw together. The psychologist drew a big house, and the girl exclaimed: “I know, this is our kindergarten!”
No further help from an adult was needed: Alena began to draw and explain her drawings. First, a sandbox appeared in which small figures were located - the children of the group. A flower bed, a house, and a gazebo appeared nearby. The girl drew more and more small details, as if she was delaying the moment when she would have to draw something important for her. After some time, she drew a swing and said: “That’s it. I don’t want to draw anymore.” However, after hanging around the office, she again went to the sheet and drew a picture of a very small girl on a swing. When the psychologist asked who it was, Alena first answered that she didn’t know herself, but then added, after thinking: “This is Alena E. Let him ride. I give her permission.” Then she spent a long time coloring her rival’s dress, first drew a bow in her hair, and then even a crown on her head, while explaining how good and kind Alena E. is. But then the artist suddenly stopped and gasped: “Ah!!! Alena fell off the swing! What will happen now? The dress got dirty! (The dress is painted over with a black pencil with such pressure that even the paper cannot stand it, it tears.) Mom and Dad will scold her today, and maybe even beat her with a belt and put her in a corner. The crown fell off and rolled into the bushes (the painted golden crown suffers the same fate as the dress). Ugh, the face is dirty, the nose is broken (the whole face is painted over with a red pencil), the hair is disheveled (instead of a neat braid with a bow, a halo of black scribbles appears in the picture). What a fool, who will play with her now? Serves her right! There is no point in giving orders! I gave orders here! Just think, I imagined it! I also know how to command. Now let him go wash himself, but we are not as dirty as she is, we will all play together, without her.” Alena, completely satisfied, draws next to the defeated enemy a group of children surrounding the swing on which she, Alena S., is sitting. Then suddenly she draws another figure next to it. “This is Alena E. She has already washed herself,” she explains and asks: “Can I go to the group already?” Returning to the playroom, Alena S., as if nothing had happened, joins the guys playing.

What really happened? Probably, during the walk, the two inseparable Alenas, as always, were fighting for leadership. This time, the sympathies of the “spectators” were on the side of Alena E. Having expressed her anger on paper, her rival calmed down and came to terms with what was happening.

Of course, in this situation it was possible to use another technique, the main thing is that the child had the opportunity to free himself from the overwhelming anger in an acceptable way.

Another way to help children legally express verbal aggression is to play a game of name calling with them. Experience shows that children who have the opportunity to throw out negative emotions with the permission of the teacher, and after this hear something pleasant about themselves, the desire to act aggressively decreases.

The so-called “Scream Bag” (in other cases - “Scream Cup”, “Magic Scream Pipe”, etc.) can help children express anger in an accessible way, and the teacher can help conduct the lesson without hindrance. Before the start of the lesson, each child can go up to the “Scream Bag” and scream into it as loudly as possible. In this way he “gets rid” of his screaming for the duration of the lesson. After the lesson, children can “take back” their cry. Usually at the end of the lesson, children joke and laugh and leave the contents of the “Bag” for the teacher to
memory.

Every teacher, of course, has many ways of working with verbal manifestations of anger. We have listed only those that have proven effective in our practice. However, children are not always limited to a verbal (verbal) reaction to events. Very often, impulsive children first use their fists, and only then come up with offensive words. In such cases, we should also teach children how to cope with their physical aggression.

An educator or teacher, seeing that the children have “grown up” and are ready to enter into a “fight,” can instantly react and organize, for example, sports competitions in running, jumping, and throwing balls. Moreover, the offenders can be included in one team or be on rival teams. It depends on the situation and the depth of the conflict. At the end of the competition, it is best to have a group discussion during which each child can express the feelings that accompany him while completing the task.

Of course, holding competitions and relay races is not always advisable. In this case, you can use the available tools that need to be equipped for each kindergarten group and each class. Light balls that a child can throw at a target; soft pillows that an angry child can kick and hit, rubber hammers that can be used to hit the wall and floor with all their might; newspapers that can be crumpled and thrown without fear of breaking or destroying anything - all these items can help reduce emotional and muscle tension if we teach children to use them in extreme situations.

It is clear that in a classroom during a lesson a child cannot kick a tin can if he was pushed by a neighbor on his desk. But each student can create, for example, a “Leaf of Anger” (see. rice. 1). Usually it is a format sheet that depicts some funny monster with a huge trunk, long ears or eight legs (at the author’s discretion). The owner of the leaf, at the moment of greatest emotional stress, can crush it and tear it. This option is suitable if the child has a fit of anger during a lesson.

However, most often conflict situations arise during breaks. Then you can play group games with the children (some of them are described in the section “How to play with aggressive children”). Well, in a kindergarten group it is advisable to have approximately the following arsenal of toys: inflatable dolls, rubber hammers, toy weapons.

True, many adults do not want their children to play with pistols, rifles and sabers, even toy ones. Some mothers do not buy their sons weapons at all, and teachers prohibit them from bringing them to the group. Adults think that playing with weapons provokes children into aggressive behavior and contributes to the emergence and manifestation of cruelty. However, it is no secret that, even if boys do not have pistols and machine guns, most of them will still play war, using rulers, sticks, clubs, and tennis rackets instead of toy weapons. The image of a male warrior, living in the imagination of every boy, is impossible without the weapons that adorn him. Therefore, from century to century, from year to year, our children (and not always only boys) play war. And who knows, maybe this is a harmless way to vent your anger. In addition, everyone knows that the forbidden fruit is especially sweet. By persistently prohibiting games with weapons, we thereby help to arouse interest in this type of game. Well, we can advise those parents who are still against pistols, machine guns, and bayonets: let them try to offer their child a worthy alternative. Maybe it will work! Moreover, there are many ways to work with anger and relieve a child’s physical stress. For example, playing with sand, water, clay.

You can make a figurine of your offender from clay (or you can even scratch his name with something sharp), break it, crush it, flatten it between your palms, and then restore it if desired. Moreover, it is precisely the fact that a child, at his own request, can destroy and restore his work that attracts children most of all.

Children also really like playing with sand, as well as with clay. Having become angry with someone, a child can bury a figurine symbolizing the enemy deep in the sand, jump in this place, pour water into it, and cover it with cubes and sticks. For this purpose, children often use small Kinder Surprise toys. Moreover, sometimes they first place the figurine in a capsule and only then bury it.

By burying and digging up toys, working with loose sand, the child gradually calms down, returns to playing in a group or invites peers to play sand with him, but in other, not at all aggressive games. Thus the world is restored.

Small pools of water placed in a kindergarten group are a real godsend for a teacher when working with all categories of children, especially aggressive ones.

Many good books have been written about the psychotherapeutic properties of water, and every adult probably knows how to use water to relieve aggression and excessive tension in children. Here are some examples of games with water that the children themselves came up with.

1. Using one rubber ball, knock down other balls floating on the water.
2. Blow a boat out of a pipe.
3. First drown, and then watch how a light plastic figure “jumps” out of the water.
4. Use a stream of water to knock down light toys that are in the water (for this you can use shampoo bottles filled with water).

We looked at the first direction in working with aggressive children, which can roughly be called “working with anger.” I would like to note that anger does not necessarily lead to aggression, but the more often a child or adult experiences feelings of anger, the higher the likelihood of various forms of aggressive behavior.

Training in recognizing and controlling negative emotions

The next very responsible and no less important area is teaching the skills of recognizing and controlling negative emotions. An aggressive child does not always admit that he is aggressive. Moreover, deep down in his soul he is sure of the opposite: everyone around him is aggressive. Unfortunately, such children cannot always adequately assess their condition, much less the condition of those around them.

As noted above, the emotional world of aggressive children is very scarce. They can hardly name just a few basic emotional states, and they don’t even imagine the existence of others (or their shades). It is not difficult to guess that in this case it is difficult for children to recognize their own and other people's emotions.

To train the skill of recognizing emotional states, you can use cut templates, sketches by M.I. Chistyakova (1990), exercises and games developed by N.L. Kryazhevoy (1997), as well as large tables and posters depicting various emotional states (see. rice. 2).

In a group or class where such a poster is located, children will definitely come up to it before the start of classes and indicate their condition, even if the teacher does not ask them to do so, since each of them is pleased to draw the attention of an adult to themselves.

You can teach children to carry out the reverse procedure: they themselves can come up with the names of the emotional states depicted on the poster. Children must indicate what mood the funny people are in. An example of such a poster is given at rice. 3.

Rice. 3. What is the mood of these little people?

Another way to teach a child to understand his emotional state and develop the need to talk about it is through drawing. Children can be asked to make drawings on the topics: “When I am angry”, “When I am happy”, “When I am happy”, etc. To this end, place on an easel (or simply on a large sheet on the wall) pre-drawn figures of people depicted in various situations, but without drawn faces. Then the child can, if desired, come up and complete the drawing.

In order for children to be able to correctly assess their condition, and at the right time to manage it, it is necessary to teach each child to understand himself, and above all, the feeling of his body. First, you can practice in front of a mirror: let the child say what mood he is in at the moment and how he feels. Children are very sensitive to the signals of their body and easily describe them. For example, if a child is angry, he most often defines his condition as follows: “The heart is pounding, the stomach is tickling, the throat wants to scream, the fingers feel like needles are pricking, the cheeks are hot, the palms are itchy, etc.”

We can teach children to accurately assess their emotional state and, therefore, respond in a timely manner to the signals that the body gives us. The director of the film "Dennis the Menace" Dave Rogers many times throughout the action draws the audience's attention to the hidden signal that the main character of the film, six-year-old Dennis, gives. Every time, before the boy gets into trouble, we see his restless running fingers, which the cameraman shows in close-up. Then we see the child’s “burning” eyes, and only after this does another prank follow.

Thus, the child, if he correctly “deciphers” the message of his body, will be able to understand: “My condition is close to critical. Wait for the storm." And if the child also knows several acceptable ways to express anger, he can have time to make the right decision, thereby preventing conflict.

Of course, teaching a child to recognize and manage his emotional state will be successful only if it is carried out systematically, day after day, for quite a long time.

In addition to the methods of work already described, the teacher can use others: talking with the child, drawing and, of course, playing. The section “How to play with aggressive children” describes games that are recommended in such situations, but I would like to talk about one of them in more detail.

We first became acquainted with this game by reading the book by K. Faupel “How to teach children to cooperate.” It's called "Pebble in a Shoe." At first, the game seemed to us quite difficult for preschoolers, and we offered it to teachers of 1st and 2nd grades to use during extracurricular activities. However, sensing the children’s interest and serious attitude towards the game, we tried to play it in kindergarten. I liked the game. Moreover, very soon it moved from the category of games to the category of daily rituals, the implementation of which became absolutely necessary for the successful course of life in the group.

It is useful to play this game when one of the children is offended, angry, upset, when internal experiences prevent the child from doing something, when a conflict is brewing in the group. Each participant has the opportunity to verbalize, that is, express in words, their state during the game and communicate it to others. This helps reduce his emotional stress. If there are several instigators of an impending conflict, they will be able to hear about each other’s feelings and experiences, which may help smooth out the situation.

The game takes place in two stages.

1st stage(preparatory). Children sit in a circle on the carpet. The teacher asks: “Guys, has it ever happened that a pebble got into your shoe?” Usually children answer the question very actively, since almost every child 6-7 years old has a similar life experience. In a circle, everyone shares their impressions of how this happened. As a rule, the answers boil down to the following: “At first the pebble doesn’t really bother us, we try to move it away, find a comfortable position for the leg, but pain and discomfort gradually increase, and a wound or callus may even appear. And then, even if we really don’t want to, we have to take off the shoe and shake out the pebble. It is almost always very tiny, and we are even surprised how such a small object could cause us so much pain. It seemed to us that there was a huge stone with sharp edges like a razor blade.”
Next, the teacher asks the children: “Has it ever happened that you never shook out a pebble, but when you came home, you simply took off your shoes?” The children answer that this has already happened to many people. Then the pain in the leg freed from the shoe subsided, the incident was forgotten. But the next morning, putting our foot into the shoe, we suddenly felt a sharp pain when we came into contact with the ill-fated pebble. Pain, more intense than the day before, resentment, anger - these are the feelings children usually experience. Such a small problem becomes a big nuisance.

2nd stage. The teacher tells the children: “When we are angry, worried about something, excited, we perceive it as a small pebble in a shoe. If we immediately feel discomfort and pull it out, the leg will remain unharmed. And if we leave the pebble in place, then we will most likely have problems, and considerable ones. Therefore, it is useful for all people - both adults and children - to talk about their problems as soon as they notice them.

Let's agree: if one of you says: “I have a pebble in my shoe,” we will all immediately understand that something is bothering you, and we can talk about it.

Think about whether you now feel any displeasure, something that would bother you. If you feel it, tell us, for example: “I have a pebble in my shoe. I don’t like that Oleg breaks my buildings made of cubes.” Tell me what else you don't like. If nothing bothers you, you can say: “I don’t have a pebble in my shoe.”

Children tell in a circle what is bothering them at the moment, describe their feelings; It is useful to discuss individual “pebbles” that children will talk about in a circle. In this case, each participant in the game offers a peer who is in a difficult situation a way to get rid of the “pebble.”

After playing this game several times, children subsequently feel the need to talk about their problems. In addition, the game helps the teacher to carry out the educational process smoothly. After all, if children are worried about something, this “something” will not allow them to sit calmly in class and absorb the information. If the children get the opportunity to speak out and “let off steam,” then they can calmly begin their studies. The game “Pebble in a Shoe” is especially useful for anxious children. Firstly, if you play it every day, even a very shy child will get used to it and gradually begin to talk about his difficulties (since this is not a new or dangerous activity, but a familiar and repetitive activity). Secondly, an anxious child, listening to stories about the problems of his peers, will understand that not only he suffers from fears, uncertainty, and resentment. It turns out that other children have the same problems as him. This means that he is the same as everyone else, no worse than everyone else. There is no need to isolate yourself, because any, even the most difficult, situation can be resolved through joint efforts. And the children who surround him are not at all evil and are always ready to help.

When the child learns to recognize his own emotions and talk about them, you can move on to the next stage of work.

Formation of the ability to empathy, trust, sympathy, compassion

Aggressive children tend to have low levels of empathy. Empathy is the ability to feel the state of another person, the ability to take his position. Aggressive children most often do not care about the suffering of others; they cannot even imagine that other people might feel unpleasant and bad. It is believed that if the aggressor can sympathize with the “victim,” his aggression will be weaker next time. Therefore, the work of a teacher in developing a child’s sense of empathy is so important.

One form of such work can be role-playing play, during which the child gets the opportunity to put himself in the place of others and evaluate his behavior from the outside. For example, if a quarrel or a fight occurred in a group, you can sort out this situation in a circle by inviting a Kitten, or a Tiger Cub, or any literary characters known to children. In front of the children, the guests act out a quarrel similar to the one that happened in the group, and then ask the children to reconcile them. Children offer various ways out of conflict. You can divide the guys into two groups, one of which speaks on behalf of the Tiger Cub, the other on behalf of the Kitten. You can give children the opportunity to choose for themselves whose position they would like to take and whose interests they would like to defend. Whatever specific form of role-playing game you choose, it is important that in the end children will acquire the ability to take the position of another person, recognize his feelings and experiences, and learn how to behave in difficult life situations. A general discussion of the problem will help unite the children's team and establish a favorable psychological climate in the group.

During such discussions, you can play out other situations that most often cause conflicts in a team: how to react if a friend does not give you the toy you need, what to do if you are teased, what to do if you were pushed and fell, etc. Purposeful and patient work in this direction will help the child to be more understanding of the feelings and actions of others and learn to adequately relate to what is happening.

In addition, you can invite children to organize a theater, asking them to act out certain situations, for example: “How Malvina quarreled with Pinocchio.” However, before showing any scene, children should discuss why the characters in the fairy tale behaved in one way or another. It is necessary that they try to put themselves in the place of fairy-tale characters and answer the questions: “What did Pinocchio feel when Malvina put him in the closet?”, “What did Malvina feel when she had to punish Pinocchio?” and etc.

Such conversations will help children realize how important it is to be in the shoes of a rival or offender in order to understand why he acted the way he did. Having learned to empathize with the people around him, an aggressive child will be able to get rid of suspicion and suspiciousness, which cause so much trouble both for the “aggressor” himself and for those who are close to him. And as a result, he will learn to take responsibility for his actions, and not blame others.

True, it would also do well for adults working with an aggressive child to get rid of the habit of blaming him for all mortal sins. For example, if a child throws toys in anger, you can, of course, tell him: “You are a scoundrel! You're nothing but problems. You always disturb all the children from playing!” But such a statement is unlikely to reduce the emotional stress of the “bastard.” On the contrary, a child who is already sure that no one needs him and that the whole world is against him will become even more angry. In this case, it is much more useful to tell your child how you feel using the pronoun “I” rather than “you.” For example, instead of “Why didn’t you put away the toys?” you can say: “I get upset when toys are scattered.”

Thus, you do not blame the child for anything, do not threaten him, or even evaluate his behavior. You talk about yourself, about your feelings. As a rule, such an adult’s reaction first shocks the child, who expects a hail of reproaches against him, and then gives him a feeling of trust. There is an opportunity for constructive dialogue.

Working with parents of an aggressive child

When working with aggressive children, the educator or teacher must first establish contact with the family. He can either give recommendations to parents himself, or tactfully invite them to seek help from psychologists.

There are situations when contact with the mother or father cannot be established. In such cases, we recommend using visual information that can be placed in the parent corner. Given on p. 17 tab. 2 may serve as an example of such information.

A similar table or other visual information can become a starting point for parents to think about their child and the reasons for negative behavior. And these reflections, in turn, may lead to cooperation with educators and the teacher.

The main goal of such information is to show parents that one of the reasons for the manifestation of aggression in children may be the aggressive behavior of the parents themselves. If there is constant arguing and screaming in the house, it is difficult to expect that the child will suddenly be flexible and calm. In addition, parents should be aware of the consequences of certain disciplinary actions on the child that await them in the near future and when the child enters adolescence.

How to get along with a child who constantly behaves defiantly? We found useful recommendations for parents on the pages of R. Campbell’s book “How to Deal with a Child’s Anger.” We recommend that both teachers and parents read this book. R. Campbell identifies five ways to control a child’s behavior: two of them are positive, two are negative and one is neutral. Positive ways include requests and gentle physical manipulation(for example, you can distract the child, take him by the hand and lead him away, etc.).

Table 2. Parenting styles (in response to a child’s aggressive actions)

Behavior modification- neutral method of control - involves the use promotions(for following certain rules) and punishments(for ignoring them). But this system should not be used too often, since subsequently the child begins to do only what he receives a reward for.

Frequent punishments and orders refer to negative ways of controlling a child’s behavior. They force him to excessively suppress his anger, which contributes to the appearance of passive-aggressive traits in his character. What is passive aggression and what dangers does it pose? This is a hidden form of aggression, its purpose is to enrage, upset parents or loved ones, and the child can cause harm not only to others, but also to himself. He will deliberately begin to study poorly, in retaliation for his parents he will wear things that they do not like, and he will act up on the street for no reason. The main thing is to unbalance the parents. To eliminate such forms of behavior, a system of rewards and punishments must be thought out in every family. When punishing a child, it is necessary to remember that this measure of influence should in no case humiliate the dignity of the son or daughter. Punishment should follow directly after the offense, and not every other day, not every other week. Punishment will only have an effect if the child himself believes that he deserves it; in addition, one cannot be punished twice for the same offense.

There is another way to effectively deal with a child’s anger, although it may not always be applied. If parents know their son or daughter well, they can defuse the situation during the child's emotional outburst with an appropriate joke. The unexpectedness of such a reaction and the friendly tone of an adult will help the child get out of a difficult situation with dignity.

For parents who do not have a good understanding of how they or their children may express anger, we recommend posting the following visual information on a classroom or group display (see Table 3).

Table 3. “Positive and negative ways of expressing anger” (recommendations by Dr. R. Campbell)

Cheat sheet for adults, or Rules for working with aggressive children

1. Be attentive to the needs and needs of the child.
2. Demonstrate a model of non-aggressive behavior.
3. Be consistent in punishing the child, punish for specific actions.
4. Punishments should not humiliate the child.
5. Teach acceptable ways to express anger.
6. Give the child the opportunity to express anger immediately after a frustrating event.
7. Learn to recognize your own emotional state and the state of those around you.
8. Develop the ability to empathize.
9. Expand the child’s behavioral repertoire.
10. Practice the skill of responding in conflict situations.
11. Learn to take responsibility.

However, all of the listed methods and techniques will not lead to positive changes if they are one-time in nature. Inconsistency in parental behavior can lead to worsening child behavior. Patience and attention to the child, his needs and requirements, constant development of communication skills with others - this is what will help parents establish relationships with their son or daughter.

Patience and good luck to you, dear parents!

How to play with aggressive children

In the first stages of working with aggressive children, we recommend selecting games and exercises with which the child could throw out his anger. There is an opinion that this way of working with children is ineffective and can cause even greater aggression. As our many years of experience in conducting play therapy show, at first a child can indeed become more aggressive (and we always warn parents about this), but after 4-8 sessions the “little aggressor” begins to behave more calmly. If it is difficult for a teacher to cope with a child’s anger, it is worth contacting a specialist and working in parallel with a psychologist.

The games listed below help reduce verbal and non-verbal aggression and are one of the possible ways to legally express anger: “Calling Names”, “Two Rams”, “Pushers”, “Zhuzha”, “Chopping Wood”, “Yes and No”, “Tuh- tibi-spirit”, “Break into the circle”.

Psychologist Ya.A. Pavlova recommends that teachers include aggressive children in joint games with non-aggressive ones. At the same time, the teacher should be nearby and, if a conflict arises, help the children resolve it right on the spot. To this end, it is useful to have a group discussion about the event that led to the aggravation of the relationship. The next step might be to decide together how best to get out of this situation. By listening to peers, aggressive children will expand their behavioral repertoire, and by seeing during the game how other boys and girls avoid conflicts, how they react to the fact that someone else, and not them, wins the game, how they respond to offensive words or jokes from peers, aggressive children understand that it is not at all necessary to resort to physical force if you want to achieve something. For this purpose, you can use games such as “Golovoball”, “Pebble in the Shoe”, “Let’s say hello”, “King”, “Tender Paws”, and others.

To relieve excess muscle tension, you can use games that promote relaxation, which are described in the chapter “How to Play with Anxious Children.”

Outdoor games

“Name-calling” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: relieve verbal aggression, help children express their anger in an acceptable form.

Tell the children the following: “Guys, passing the ball around, let’s call each other different harmless words (the condition of what names can be used is discussed in advance. These can be the names of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms or furniture). Each appeal should begin with the words: “And you, ..., carrot!” Remember that this is a game, so we won’t be offended at each other. In the final circle, you should definitely say something nice to your neighbor, for example: “And you, ..., sunshine!”
The game is useful not only for aggressive, but also for touchy children. It should be carried out at a fast pace, warning the children that this is only a game and they should not be offended by each other.

“Two Rams” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: relieve non-verbal aggression, provide the child with the opportunity to “legally” throw out anger, relieve excessive emotional and muscle tension, and direct the children’s energy in the right direction.

The teacher divides the children into pairs and reads the text: “Sooner, sooner, two rams met on the bridge.” The participants in the game, with their legs spread wide apart, their torsos bent forward, rest their palms and foreheads against each other. The task is to confront each other without budging for as long as possible. You can make the sounds “Bee-ee”.
It is necessary to observe “safety precautions” and carefully ensure that the “rams” do not hurt their foreheads.

“Good Animal” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: contribute to the unity of the children's team, teach children to understand the feelings of others, provide support and empathy.

The presenter says in a quiet, mysterious voice: “Please stand in a circle and hold hands. We are one big, kind animal. Let's listen to how it breathes! Now let's breathe together! When you inhale, take a step forward, when you exhale, take a step back. Now, when you inhale, take 2 steps forward, and when you exhale, take 2 steps back. Inhale - 2 steps forward. Exhale - 2 steps back. This is how the animal not only breathes, its big, kind heart beats just as clearly and evenly. Knock - step forward, knock - step back, etc. We all take the breath and heartbeat of this animal for ourselves.”

“Tuh-tibi-spirit” (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: removing negative moods and restoring strength.

“I will tell you a special word in confidence. This is a magic spell against bad mood, against resentment and disappointment. For it to really work, you need to do the following. Now you will start walking around the room without talking to anyone. As soon as you want to talk, stop in front of one of the participants, look into his eyes and three times, angrily, say the magic word “Tuh-tibi-duh.” Then continue walking around the room. From time to time, stop in front of someone and again angrily and angrily say this magic word.
For the magic word to work, you need to speak it not into emptiness, but looking into the eyes of the person standing in front of you.
There is a comical paradox in this game. Although children are supposed to say the word "Tuh-tibi-duh" angrily, after a while they can't help but laugh.

“Ask for a toy” - verbal version (Karpova E.V., Lyutova E.K., 1999)

Target: teach children effective ways of communication.

The group is divided into pairs, one of the pair members (participant 1) picks up an object, for example, a toy, notebook, pencil, etc. Another participant (Participant 2) must ask for this item. Instructions to participant 1: “You are holding in your hands a toy (notebook, pencil) that you really need, but your friend also needs it. He will ask you for it. Try to keep the toy and give it away only if you really want to do it.” Instructions to participant 2: “When choosing the right words, try to ask for the toy in such a way that they will give it to you.”
Then participants 1 and 2 switch roles.

“Ask for a toy” - non-verbal option (Karpova E.V., Lyutova E.K., 1999)

Target: teaching children effective ways to communicate.

“Walk with a compass” (Korotaeva E.V., 1997)

Target: developing in children a sense of trust in others.

The group is divided into pairs, where there is a follower (“tourist”) and a leader (“compass”). Each follower (he stands in front, and the leader behind, with his hands on his partner’s shoulders) is blindfolded. Task: go through the entire playing field forward and backward. At the same time, the “tourist” cannot communicate with the “compass” on a verbal level (cannot talk to it). The leader, by moving his hands, helps the follower keep the direction, avoiding obstacles - other tourists with compasses.
After finishing the game, children can describe how they felt when they were blindfolded and relying on their partner.

“Bunnies” (Bardier G.L. et al., 1993)

Target: give the child the opportunity to experience a variety of muscle sensations, teach them to focus on these sensations, distinguish and compare them.

An adult asks the children to imagine themselves as funny bunnies in a circus, playing imaginary drums. The presenter describes the nature of physical actions - strength, pace, sharpness - and directs the children's attention to awareness and comparison of the muscular and emotional sensations that arise.
For example, the presenter says: “How hard the bunnies beat on the drums! Do you feel how tense their paws are? You feel how firm the paws are and don’t bend! Like sticks! Do you feel how the muscles in your fists, arms, even your shoulders have tensed?! But there is no face! The face is smiling, free, relaxed. And the tummy is relaxed. He’s breathing... And his fists are beating tensely!.. And what else is relaxed? Let’s try knocking again, but slower, to catch all the sensations.”
In addition to the “Bunnies” exercise, it is recommended to carry out muscle relaxation exercises, which are described in detail in the section “How to play with anxious children.”

“I see...” (Karpova E.V., Lyutova E.K., 1999)

Target: establish a trusting relationship between an adult and a child, develop the baby’s memory and attention.

Participants, sitting in a circle, take turns naming objects that are in the room, beginning each statement with the words: “I see...”.
You cannot repeat the same item twice.

“Tender Paws” (Shevtsova I.V.)

Target: relieve muscle tension in the arms, help reduce the child’s aggressiveness, develop sensory perception, and promote harmonization of relationships between the child and the adult.

An adult selects 6-7 small objects of different textures: a piece of fur, a brush, a glass bottle, beads, cotton wool, etc. All this is laid out on the table. The child is asked to bare his arm up to the elbow; The teacher explains that an “animal” will walk along your hand and touch you with its affectionate paws. You need to guess with your eyes closed which “animal” touched your hand - guess the object. Touches should be stroking and pleasant.
Game option: the “animal” will touch the cheek, knee, palm. You can change places with your child.

“Pushers” (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: teach children to control their movements.

Say the following: “Get into pairs. Stand an arm's length apart from each other. Raise your arms to shoulder height and rest your palms on your partner's palms. At the leader’s signal, start pushing your partner, trying to move him from his place. If he moves you, return to your starting position. Step one foot back and you will feel more stable. Anyone who gets tired can say: “Stop.”
From time to time, you can introduce new variations of the game: pushing, crossing your arms; push your partner only with your left hand; pushing back to back.

“Zhuzha” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: teach aggressive children to be less touchy, give them a unique opportunity to look at themselves through the eyes of others, to be in the shoes of the one they themselves offend, without thinking about it.

“Zhuzha” sits on a chair with a towel in her hands. Everyone else is running around her, making faces, teasing her, touching her. “Zhuzha” endures, but when she gets tired of all this, she jumps up and starts chasing the offenders, trying to catch the one who offended her the most, he will be “Zhuzha”.
An adult should ensure that the “teasing” is not too offensive.

“Chopping wood” (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: help children switch to active activity after long sedentary work, feel their accumulated aggressive energy and “spend” it during play.

Say the following: “How many of you have ever chopped wood or seen adults do it? Show how to hold an axe. What position should your arms and legs be in? Stand so that there is some free space around. We'll chop wood. Place a piece of log on a stump, lift the ax above your head and bring it down with force. You might even scream, “Ha!”
To play this game, you can break into pairs and, falling into a certain rhythm, hit one lump in turn.

“Golovoball” (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: develop cooperation skills in pairs and threes, teach children to trust each other.

Say the following: “Get into pairs and lie on the floor opposite each other. You need to lie on your stomach so that your head is next to your partner's head. Place the ball directly between your heads. Now you need to pick it up and stand up yourself. You can only touch the ball with your heads. Rise up gradually, first on your knees and then on your feet. Walk around the room."
For children 4-5 years old, the rules are simplified: for example, in the starting position you can not lie down, but squat or kneel.

"Airbus" (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: teach children to act coherently in a small group, show that the mutual friendly attitude of teammates gives confidence and calm.

“How many of you have flown on an airplane at least once? Can you explain what keeps a plane in the air? Do you know what types of airplanes there are? Would any of you want to be a Little Airbus? The rest of the guys will help the Airbus “fly.”
One of the children (optional) lies belly down on the carpet and spreads his arms to the sides, like the wings of an airplane.
Three people stand on each side of him. Have them squat down and slide their hands under his legs, stomach, and chest. On the count of three, they simultaneously stand up and lift the Airbus off the field...
So, now you can quietly carry the Airbus around the room. When he feels completely confident, have him close his eyes, relax, “fly” in a circle and “land” slowly on the carpet again.”
When the Airbus is “flying,” the presenter can comment on its flight, paying special attention to accuracy and respect for it. You can ask Airbus to independently select those who will carry it. When you see that the children are doing well, you can “launch” two Airbuses at the same time.

“Paper balls” (Fopel K., 1998)

Target: give children the opportunity to regain vigor and activity after they have been doing something while sitting for a long time, reduce anxiety and tension, and enter a new rhythm of life.

Before starting the game, each child must crumple a large sheet of paper (newspaper) to form a tight ball.
“Please divide into two teams and have each of them line up so that the distance between the teams is approximately 4 meters. At the leader's command, you begin to throw balls towards the opponent's side. The command will be like: “Get ready! Attention! Let's start!
The players of each team try to throw the balls on their side to the opponent’s side as quickly as possible. When you hear the command “Stop!”, you will need to stop throwing balls. The team with the fewest balls on the floor wins. Please do not run across the dividing line.”
Paper balls can be used more than once.

“Dragon” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: Help children with communication difficulties gain confidence and feel part of a team.

The players stand in a line, holding each other's shoulders. The first participant is the “head”, the last one is the “tail”. The “head” should reach out to the “tail” and touch it. The dragon's "body" is inseparable. Once the "head" grabs the "tail", it becomes the "tail". The game continues until each participant plays two roles.

Games at desks

“Eye to eye” (Kryazheva N.L., 1997)

Target: develop a sense of empathy in children, set them in a calm mood.

“Guys, join hands with your desk neighbor. Look only into each other’s eyes and, feeling your hands, try to silently convey different states: “I’m sad,” “I’m having fun, let’s play,” “I’m angry,” “I don’t want to talk to anyone,” etc.
After the game, discuss with the children which states were transmitted, which of them were easy to guess and which were difficult.

“Little Ghost” (Lyutova E.K., Monina G.B.)

Target: teach children to express their accumulated anger in an acceptable form.

"Guys! Now you and I will play the role of good little ghosts. We wanted to misbehave a little and scare each other a little. When I clap, you will make this movement with your hands (the teacher raises his arms bent at the elbows, fingers spread out) and pronounce the sound “U” in a scary voice. If I clap quietly, you will say “U” quietly, if I clap loudly, you will frighten loudly.
But remember that we are kind ghosts and only want to joke a little." Then the teacher claps his hands: “Well done! We joked enough. Let's be kids again!"

Drawings by Dmitry Maistrenko

Folk tales of Italy, England, France, Armenia.

His works are in the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Museum of Fine Arts. Pushkin, Central Slovak Art Gallery. Evgeniy Monin’s personal exhibitions were successfully held both in Russia and in other countries - in Finland, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Japan. More than twenty of his books have been awarded diplomas at All-Union and All-Russian children's book competitions. He is a multiple winner of the Quadrennial of Small Graphic Forms in Banská Bystrica (Slovakia), winner of a diploma and a personal message from the Governor of Tokyo for participating in an exhibition of Russian art in Japan. For the series of illustrations “Italian Fairy Tales”, Evgeny Monin was awarded a special diploma “For outstanding achievements in book illustration”, and for the illustrations for the book “English Fairy Tales” he was awarded a silver medal of the Russian Academy of Arts.

As a boy, I drew like all children. Mom said that all the wallpaper and walls were painted. The walls were white, I drew on them with a pencil. Moreover, they were painted with animals that I had never seen before - elephants, rhinoceroses. I remember my first teacher well. It was during the evacuation, in Perm. I was sitting and drawing, and an elderly man, as it seemed to me then, came up to me and offered to give drawing lessons. He was not an art teacher. He was a professional artist. And he kind of took me into his circle. And under his leadership I painted diligently all year, and I remember him very fondly.

A good text immediately becomes yours as soon as you read it, as soon as you see the phrase and understand what you can do here. And, besides, it begins to torment you and only lets go when you find some kind of figurative solution. I would consider the fairy tales of Boris Shergin ideal for myself, but what about foreign classics? I dreamed all my life, but never made Gargantua and Pantagruel. Most of all I love to illustrate fairy tales, both Russian and foreign. These are fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, Wilhelm Hauff and our Russian storyteller Stepan Pisakhov.

I really love the Renaissance, not only the early, but also the later. This won’t surprise anyone: everyone loves it. And the fact that it is refracted with some irony in my work is the desire to get away from the problems of today and hide behind this screen. But still, I believe, despite the predilection and love for a particular era, it is absolutely necessary to feel that the work was made by a modern artist.

I am, perhaps, the darling of fate. The reason for everything is my environment in which I found myself, my good friends. In addition to and, these were also, Yuri Molokanov, and many, many others. We lived as a big happy family. My closest friendship is with the poet. We were very friendly with the writer. Once I was answering some interview questions, where I was asked who is your teacher in the field of book illustration, I was somewhat confused because I didn’t have a teacher. And one day I asked a wonderful St. Petersburg artist if he would mind if I called him a teacher. He said he wouldn't mind. This is, of course, a joke. But I loved this artist very much, I was friends with him.

“He met knights and kings, loved to talk with giants and jesters. But most of all, the artist loved to free beautiful princesses locked in a cave by a terrible fire-breathing dragon. All the dragons, vampires, sorcerers and other evil spirits were afraid of our artist like fire: he had a cheerful disposition and knew how to make fun of some villain in his drawings so much that everyone around him began to laugh uncontrollably at him. And we know that anyone, even the most terrible cannibal, if he is ridiculed, immediately loses all his strength.” (With)

“Evgeniy Monin is a magician. He created his own world - autumn: umbrellas, wind, rain, golden maple leaves... A world of giants and eccentrics, noble gentlemen and brave robbers, angular, thin, funny, lanky, impetuous - just like himself.” (c) Yulia Govorova

Images

Name Fairy gardener Author Ovsey Driz Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1975 Publishing house Baby		Name Fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm Author Brothers Grimm Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1976 Publishing house Baby		Name Italian folk tales Author Italian folklore Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1981 Publishing house Children's literature

Name The Steadfast Tin Soldier Author G.H.Andersen Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1983 Publishing house Baby		Name Colorful houses Author Yakov Akim Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1989 Publishing house Children's literature		Name A boat is sailing to visit Author Yuri Kushak Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1990 Publishing house Baby

Name Daring little tailor Authors Brothers Grimm Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1978 Publishing house Baby		Name A letter to all children on one very important matter Author Julian Tuwim Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1979 Publishing house Baby		Name Hedgehog and the sea Author Sergey Kozlov Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1969 Publishing house Baby

Name Tiger on the street Author Daniil Kharms Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1990 Publishing house Baby		Name Spikelet Author Ukrainian fairy tale Treatment S. Mogilevskaya Illustrator Evgeniy Monin The year of publishing 1984 Publishing house Baby		Name Pawuk Ananze Author Bernard Binlin Dadie Illustrator Evgeniy Monin Translation and processing V. Pashchenko The year of publishing 1958 Publishing house Ditvidav