Loading ...The Tri-City Herald [Kennewick, Washington] reports:
During a recent trip to Russia, Tri-City photographer John Clement had the opportunity to shoot some breathtaking photos of the Black Sea resort town of Sochi, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Though his visit was an inspiring photographic experience, there was an unsettling element to the place that he and others hope to see changed.
“I learned that ethics and morality are not a priority in Russian society,” Clement said. “I found that very disturbing.”
Clement accompanied his friend Richard Scheuerman from Seattle on the trip as part of a Youth for Christ ministry mission.
During their visit, the two men met a Russian teacher and youth pastor in Sochi who is on his own mission — one that is meant to revive ethics and morality in a new generation of Russians.
Nicholai Markin, 43, came up with a curriculum he feels is perfect for teaching those virtues, plus make it a fun experience for children. The curriculum is based on the classic Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.
“The Narnia stories impacted the lives of my family and helped us to become better people,” Markin said.
He plans to introduce his pilot program to the Russian school system next year, but first he needs to raise money to finance the project because he doubts the Russian government will fund it, Markin said.
There are story royalties to pay, along with about 150 to 200 copies of the books, which cost about $14 each, he said.
He also feels strongly that a Narnia puppet theater would be an inspiring offering to children.
“A set would cost about $1,500 to $2,000, and we would need two,” Markin said.
Local schools do their best to raise funds to cover their basic needs, but that’s about it, he said. Teachers can’t afford to supplement any extra programs, either, he added.
“Russian teachers’ salaries are very low, maybe 10 times lower than their American colleagues,” Markin said.
Clement and Scheuerman hope to help Markin get his project off the ground with a fundraising auction. The date and venue for the auction hasn’t been determined, but should take place sometime after the first of the year, Clement said.
“I have quite a few Russian items I acquired in an estate sale a number of years ago,” he said. “Items range from pins with the old USSR logo to political matroska dolls, original artwork by Russian artists, koklama hand-painted wood utensils and more.”
Clement also plans to offer some of his photographs for the auction, including some taken during his Russian expedition. All the money raised from the sale will be donated to Markin’s Narnia project.
Anyone who wishes to donate to the Narnia project can obtain more information via e-mail from Clement at john@johnclementgallery.com or Markin at nick_baikal@yahoo.com.
Markin’s goal might seem a difficult target to reach considering Russia’s economic strife. But he refuses to give up, believing that quiet vigilance will prevail.
“If we manage to get funding, we could buy puppets and start using the puppet stage, showing plays for kids in the orphanage near (Sochi),” he said. “We could also hand out books and toys to those orphans and organize seminars to teach schoolteachers to use this Narnia curriculum.
“Narnia is my passion. C.S. Lewis was able to convey, in a very outstanding way, eternal values in that series. It impacted the lives of my family and helped us to become better people.”
As far as Clement and Scheuerman are concerned, Markin’s pursuit couldn’t be more noble.
“Nick’s curriculum idea is a good one and I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Clement said.
A photo essay of Clement’s photographs from Sochi can be viewed at www.tricityherald.com.