Vladimir Lugovykh was born on July 31, 1941 into a family of teachers in the village of Maminskoye, Kamensky district, Sverdlovsk region. After school and the army service, he worked for 30 years as a locksmith at the ‘Plastmass’ plant. In the 1970s, he became interested in wood carving, became an active participant in the creative association of carvers in the Sverdlov House of Culture.

After retirement, Lugovykh began his work at the ‘Gamayun’ Museum Center as a master of wood carving. He also taught this skill to others, taught gently and delicately, helped each student to develop his own style.

Vladimir Lugovykh created the relief “Vasilisa the Wise” presented in the exhibition in 1993. It is based on the plot of a Russian folk tale. When Vasilisa was a little girl, her mother died. Before her death she blessed her daughter and gave her a doll. Soon Vasilisa’s father married again, and her stepmother did not like the girl. She gave her a lot of work hoping to drive the girl to an early grave, but the doll helped Vasilisa and gave her good advice. When the girl grew up, her stepmother sent her into the forest to the witch Baba Yaga. Again the doll helped Vasilisa to please the evil old woman and not to become the witch’s dinner. One day Baba Yaga found out that Vasilisa was a blessed daughter.

On the board, the craftsman cut out a scene in which Baba Yaga drives Vasilisa away. The composition is divided into three levels. In the lower left part, Vasilisa runs away, clutching a doll to herself, in the middle — Baba Yaga flies over the girl and chases her, and in the upper part there is a hut on chicken legs.