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Video: Yellow Mill Vyacheslav Polunin: How the estate of the "chief fool" became a landmark in France
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
The Yellow Mill, like the Red (Moulin Rouge), is located in France, but you should not confuse it with the famous cabaret: this is a park in which its owner, Slava Polunin, created a unique creative laboratory, an estate living according to the laws of art.
Yellow Mill Gardens
The estate is located half an hour from Paris, in the town of Crécy-la-Chapelle. It covers an area of about four hectares and stretches along one of the tributaries of the Marne - the Gran Morin River.
A garden is laid out throughout the territory of the Yellow Mill, and it consists of parts of different colors and design: White Garden, Black, Purple … A red path leads through the gardens. From time to time, you come across various structures - a gypsy wagon, a dilapidated ship, a mirrored table, a bed drifting along the river.
In 2014, the Yellow Mill was awarded the status of a "Wonderful Garden" (Jardin remarquable) by the French Ministry of Culture, and the estate was included in guidebooks and tourist guides as a site of particular cultural value.
President of the "Academy of Fools"
The owner and director of the Yellow Mill is the world famous clown, mime, actor and director Slava Polunin. The one who was the clown "Asisya" organized the mime theater "Litsedei", and then the street festival "Caravan of Peace" - a city on wheels "with tents, tents, bonfires and dogs."
He is also the head of the "SNOW SHOW", the "Academy of Fools" and other projects that pursue the main goal of Polunin - "the global theatricalization of life."
The Yellow Mill appeared about twenty years ago, when the artist wandering around the world chose the suburbs of Paris, where he planned to create not just a house, but a fairy-tale world in which the spirit of creativity and freedom will reign, where it will be possible to continue the games begun in distant childhood …
Creative hostel
Volunteers live and work at the Mill - they receive shelter, food and the opportunity to realize their creative ambitions. Artists, actors, designers, musicians - through the estate there is a constant stream of those who are ready, together with Polunin, to give free rein to their imaginations.
Most of the Mill's volunteers are Russian-speaking, from those who came to France as a tourist, live here or wander around Europe and the world in search of ways of self-expression. The main idea of the Mill is to stage reality, to mix reality and fantasy.
Celebrities also do not ignore the Yellow Mill - on the contrary, they consider it an honor to be present at one of the Mill's events. The gates of the estate are thrown open for visitors during festivals and holidays, the theme and dress code of which is either a color (for example, yellow), then a country (for example, Georgia), or even open windows.
Slava Polunin continues to create and lead new projects, but the Yellow Mill remains his favorite brainchild and home with a unique fabulous atmosphere.
And also Vyacheslav Polunin and his wife Elena Ushakova were able to build a real Asisya's house, where happiness lives.
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When Asishai appeared on stage, the audience groaned with laughter. And then there was a ringing silence. Everyone understood that a touching story of a lonely man had just unfolded before his eyes. All the performances of the famous "Litsedei" were both funny and deeply philosophical. It seemed that the clown was playing himself, but in fact he had already met his Fuji, ready to share laughter and tears, victories and defeats with him