Anatoly Zhukov

Stone worker

When dedication and persistence pays off

Anatoly creates his own stone works and restores old ones
He never limits himself to one technique
His works can be seen at a museum in Ekaterinburg

Anatoly Zhukov has been working with stone for over 30 years and his craftsmanship is proof of the importance of dedication. From the Urals, a region famous for its mineral wealth, his first encounter with stone as a material was at school. However he had many jobs – locksmith, artist, decorator and industrial designer – before finally turning to stone work. Now one of the most acclaimed masters in Ekaterinburg and in Russia, Anatoly remains very modest. “I don’t teach people deliberately, but when people ask me for help, I always try to, so some people consider me their teacher,” he says. In 2013 he won the highest award of the Carl Fabergé Memorial Foundation for preserving and developing the traditions of Fabergé.

Interview

Where do you get ideas from?: From nature and the beauty of stone itself. Stone directs you as to how it should be shaped; you just follow. Lately I’ve been drawn to the aesthetics of stone, so I keep its original texture. That applies to quartz, mocha stone and flint.
Do you use any specific techniques?: By observing stone processing at a factory where I worked as a young man, I learned many skills quite early. By the 90s I could use a large variety of stone work techniques: carving cameos and intaglios, round sculpture, Florentine and three-dimensional mosaic and others.
What might people not realise about your work?: I restore stone objects and recreate masterpieces. I recently recreated a map of France made of precious and semi-precious stones. The original was crafted for the 1900 Paris Exposition and gifted to France. Making this replica took three masters, including myself, two years of work.
Do you have any tips for beginner stone carvers?: Trust the material, listen to stone, consider its characteristics and natural patterns. Do not take advantage of it to satisfy your own whims. Treat stone with respect.

Anatoly Zhukov is an expert artisan he began his career in 1982