He glorified his people by his art. Thanks for him the Erzya people became known all over the world. Erzya was born in 1876 in an ordinary poor family in the village Baevo. His childhood and youth passed in hard work, learning and self-education. When he became a sculptor, he devoted many of his sculptures to the Mordvinian women. They were so beautiful.
Many historical events in Russia were reflected in Erzya's art:" The victims of the 1905 Revolution", "Lenin's portrait" and others. His favourite material was wood. The Mordvinian peasants were famous for their woodwork. But he found the best wood "Kevbracho" in Argentina. So he went there and created many beautiful works, devoted to his native land.
Erzya had every rich imagination: he saw a future hero in a formless piece of wood. He made many sculptures of the great people. A person attracted him, because they had a very rich spiritual life. He tried to reflect an inner state of the man.
My favourite Erzya's sculpture is "The Moisey." This work was made of a very big piece of wood. The sculpture presents Moisey as austere, wise man, who understood all life's secrets. He suffered and is very experienced." Moisey" has frowning brows, a thick beard and disheveled hair and it creates a particular image. This work is one of the best of Erzya's works.
Living abroad, Erzya was missing his Motherland. At the age of 76 he came back to Russia. He bequeathed his heritage people. You can see many of his works in the museum after S.D.Erzya in Saransk (the capital of Republic of Mordovia).Many people have visited this museum to admire his art.
I hope that my composition will help to understand a Mordvinian soul and character, because Stepan Dmitrievich Erzya is one of the best persons in this nation. He never forgot his native land and he always remembered his native people.
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