In the painting the viewer sees Orlov Trotters training on a frozen-over pond. The artist painted the surroundings of the Shakhovskoye village in the Uzlovsky district of the Tula region. It is not quiet on the ice on a fair day — horse trainers took the horses out for a run. In the sky covered with heavy snow clouds, the bright winter sun is shining. In the distance, on the skyline, a forest and village buildings can be seen. Oryol Trotters put to special racesulkies and winter sleds, are sensitive to the shouts of the driver and cover the distance quickly.
Master trainings before the competition are held in a prize racesulky. It should be light (about 15–20 kg with the wheels), stable in motion and yielding in the team pole. Training takes place in winter, so Orlov Trotters are put to race sleds that are different from a normal racesulky in high tractive resistance and design integrity. In order to prevent the sleds from tipping over because of team poles going up, safety belt is used.
The scene depicted on the canvas is from a 1930s photograph taken at the Shahovskoye Horse Farm. The horse farm appeared in the village at the beginning of the 19th century, originally it was the property of the princely family of Obolensky, but in 1890, it was closed. In 1924, the farm was reestablished as a company for breeding Orlov Trotters. The main achievements of the enterprise include 32 trotters of class 2.10. Horses of Shakhovskoye Horse Farm have repeatedly participated in competitions and twice won the ‘Bars’ prize, one of the most prestigious competitions among Orlov Trotters.
The canvass was painted by Fyodor Ustinovich Kuznetsov, a native of the village of Komarevo, Arsenyevsky district of Tula region. Born on March 6, 1928, the artist mastered the profession of a miner and painted as an amateur. In 1955, he entered the correspondence department of the All-Union Institute of Arts, and having graduated from the Institute, he created many interesting and extraordinary works. He participated in various exhibitions. He painted a portrait of Bokovikov who was a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, and was awarded a medal of the All-Union amateur arts festival dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Victory.
Master trainings before the competition are held in a prize racesulky. It should be light (about 15–20 kg with the wheels), stable in motion and yielding in the team pole. Training takes place in winter, so Orlov Trotters are put to race sleds that are different from a normal racesulky in high tractive resistance and design integrity. In order to prevent the sleds from tipping over because of team poles going up, safety belt is used.
The scene depicted on the canvas is from a 1930s photograph taken at the Shahovskoye Horse Farm. The horse farm appeared in the village at the beginning of the 19th century, originally it was the property of the princely family of Obolensky, but in 1890, it was closed. In 1924, the farm was reestablished as a company for breeding Orlov Trotters. The main achievements of the enterprise include 32 trotters of class 2.10. Horses of Shakhovskoye Horse Farm have repeatedly participated in competitions and twice won the ‘Bars’ prize, one of the most prestigious competitions among Orlov Trotters.
The canvass was painted by Fyodor Ustinovich Kuznetsov, a native of the village of Komarevo, Arsenyevsky district of Tula region. Born on March 6, 1928, the artist mastered the profession of a miner and painted as an amateur. In 1955, he entered the correspondence department of the All-Union Institute of Arts, and having graduated from the Institute, he created many interesting and extraordinary works. He participated in various exhibitions. He painted a portrait of Bokovikov who was a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, and was awarded a medal of the All-Union amateur arts festival dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Victory.
