Our land is famous for its unique people and original undertakings. This time it was decided to organize the all-Ukrainian blacksmiths championship in course of the traditional festival of blacksmiths art. The winners of the 1st championship became Yevgeniy Yermak from Donetsk, Anatoliy Lednev from Simferopol, and Vladimir Grynchishyn from Ivano-Frankovsk.
The festival aims have been one and the same for seven years of its holding. They are to demonstrate blacksmiths art and to popularize national traditions. Our masters of blacksmith art made one more present for this festival. The Zodiac Signs Alley was opened in the Forged Figures Park (behind the City Council building), the Donetsk purlieu. A new tradition has appeared. All the newly married couples come to the Park to take some photos. It is quite understandable as the Forged Figures Park in Donetsk is a unique place…
The Forged Figures Park was the place where eight best blacksmiths of the country competed in their professional skill. They had to perform seven competition exercises. They elongated and melted iron rods, made knots out of them or shaped them as a circle, nut, and so on. In the end the independent jury headed by the specialists from Ivano-Frankovsk accounted all the points and announced the competition results. The first prize got Yevgeniy Yermak from Donetsk and Anatoliy Lednev from the Autnomous Republic of Crimea. The second prize got Vladimir Grynchishyn from Ivano-Frankovsk.
Yevgeniy Yermak who comes of a family of blacksmiths told he didn’t aim to win the champion title. He just wanted to show his skill in work with hammer, that he has been working with for 19 years. Now he is mastering a new tool, the sledgehammer weighting 45 kilos. This Audience Admiration Prize was instituted and presented to the professional blacksmith by Dmitriy Khaladzhi. Yevgeniy spent the cash bonus for the victory at the championship on the present for his daughter.
The idea to hold the all-Ukrainian championship belongs to Victor Burduk. The chief blacksmith of Donbass assures this experimental championship will become traditional. Moreover, it will be developed and, possibly, foreign blacksmiths will participate in it...

Viktor TACHINSKIY. The Day newspaper №76, Tuesday, May, 16, 2006