"A Legend about Artamonov". In Nizny Tagil Museum of local history some years ago an iron bicycle was exhibited. It stayed at the museum for a long time, and museum visitors were told that the bicycle had been made by Demidov's serf - Efim Miheevich Artamonov in 1800, some 30 years before first pedal bicycles were invented. The legend said that Demidov's serf drove to Ekaterinburg on his bicycles "and all the horses he met on the road were frightened and not only reared up, but rushed at the fences and made much damage and trouble to the passers-by." After the precise study of all historic documents about the museum's bicycle and about Artamonov, scientists of the museum proved that the bicycle itself had been made in the second half of the XIX th century and the story about it is nothing more but a legend. Nevetheless, the stonecutter Vasiliev vividly saw in his mind a strong young "kerzhak" (old - believer) with a red beard dressed in a red Russian shirt - "kosovorotka", he is proudly holding his head up starting into his long trip to Neviyansk or to Ekaterinburg. An old kazak, having seen that iron bicycles, is so astonished that he froze either saluting or scratching his head. A village woman with pails full of water splashed her hands from surprise. Thus a nice legend gave birth to this composition.
     Its sketch was thought over and compiled, then the figures were modeled out of plastilain, after that the stone were chosen and at last details were carved and assembled into the whole composition. Now you can see and estimate this work too. Some more words about the stones, which were used for making this composition. Artamonov's face and hands are carved out of marble. The hair, beard and eyebrows - out of aventurine, the eyes out of gemmatite - "krovavik", the trousers, shirt and rucksack - out of jasper, the boots - out of morione. Kazak's face and hands are out of marble, the hair, eyebrows and beard - out of sard, the eyes - out of gemmatite - "krovavik", the cap - out of jasper and obsidian, the shirt and trousers - out of jasper, the boots - out of morione. The old woman's face and hands are made out of marble, for the eyebrows cachalong is used, jasper - for the eyes, agate - "perelivt" - for the shawl, and for the dress and the jacket - granite, agate - "perelivt", charoite are used. The yoke is made out of nephrite, the pails - out of stone wood, the water in the pails is expressed by rock crystal. The seat and the pedals of the bicycle are expressed by tiger's eye. The basement is out of nephrite.