Blacksmith: Only the lazy do not forge in Hrodna

Hrodna blacksmith Yuras Matsko has described the secrets of the profession.

Euroradio: Why is there so little information about blacksmithing? Isn’t it possible to learn the profession or aren’t blacksmiths needed now?

Yuras Matsko: There are a lot of people calling themselves blacksmiths now. Only the lazy do not forge or tan in Hrodna now. It has become fashionable. When I started working there were only two blacksmiths in Belarus: Alyaksandr Dubina in Hlybokaye and Valer Atrashkevich in Horadnya. I became the third one. However, as soon as it became an ordinary profession one could make money on, everyone turned blacksmiths. But the problem of their traditions still exists. May of them use the traditions of our ancestors’ smithery, others are engaged in pseudo-smithery. It depreciates our profession a bit because there are a lot of so-called blacksmiths but the energy they bring and the way they work are different.

Euroradio: Do you need to study for many years to learn to forge?

Yuras Matsko: Of course, you do. You need practice in the first place. Secondly, you need to stick to the smithery tradition. Modern technologies cannot replace smithery. I am a blacksmith. Some people replace smithery with modern technologies. I think that traditions are the most important thing in life.

Euroradio: Has the great number of blacksmiths affected you profession, has it brought any competition?

Yuras Matsko: It hasn’t. We can mention competition when goods of the same quality are sold at different prices. However, if the goods are different and the prices are the same, it cannot be called competition, it is speculation on the profession.

Euroradio: Who buys your goods? What do they order?

Yuras Matsko: There are usually commercial enterprises or private clients. They appreciate it and can pay for it. A blacksmith can make anything that does not shoot or does not have not be launched into space. We can make all the rest.