Naked Heart Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Naked Heart Foundation is a charity whose mission, broadly outlined, is "to provide a safe and inspiring environment in which to play for every child living in urban Russia." Or more specifically the "objects of the charity are to provide assistance to underprivileged children in russia through: the provision of recreational facilities, designed to improve their conditions of life; providing financial assistance to help with the medical care of such children; making distributions to charitable entities that further the afore-mentioned objects."
. She has explained her motivation behind its establishment in terms of her perception of the importance of play for children and the lack of playgrounds in Russia. She was inspired to found the charity after visiting Russia with her son Lucas and finding there were no suitable places for children to play. Ms Vodianova has also reported the 2004 Beslan School siege
as a motivation - she was in Russia at the time and the crisis had a profound effect on her.
, via a quotation, as providing some motivation for the Foundation. "A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that will tomorrow become his basic level of real action and morality. It is the essence of play that a new relation is created… between situations in thought and real situations."
. It has since built nearly 30 more Play Parks and Playgrounds. (The distinction between the Play Parks and Playgrounds being that the latter are smaller affairs.) Architect and artist Adam Kalkin provided the design for the recreation centers for the parks, to be built of shipping containers.
In July 2008 Petrozavodsk
joined the growing list of cities to have had a playground constructed. Petrozavodsk's playground included sandboxes, rope-way and a roller park.
; Natalie Imbruglia
; Eva Herzigova
; Mario Testino
; Diane von Furstenberg
; Andrei Shevchenko; Paolo Roversi
, Alfonso Cuaron
; Rustam Tariko. Around $6 million were raised for the Foundation.
Founding
It was founded by the model and actress Natalia VodianovaNatalia Vodianova
Natalia Mikhailovna Vodianova is a Russian model and philanthropist who now permanently resides in the United Kingdom.-Early life:Born in Gorky, Soviet Union , Natalia Vodianova grew up in a poor district of the city with her mother and two half sisters, one of whom has cerebral palsy...
. She has explained her motivation behind its establishment in terms of her perception of the importance of play for children and the lack of playgrounds in Russia. She was inspired to found the charity after visiting Russia with her son Lucas and finding there were no suitable places for children to play. Ms Vodianova has also reported the 2004 Beslan School siege
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
as a motivation - she was in Russia at the time and the crisis had a profound effect on her.
Philosophy
The organisation's basic argument is that play should be viewed as necessity rather than a luxury and that there has been insufficient attention paid in Russia to making sure that many children have safe environments to play in. The organisation's website identifies Lev VygotskyLev Vygotsky
Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky was a Soviet psychologist, the founder of cultural-historical psychology, and the leader of the Vygotsky Circle.-Biography:...
, via a quotation, as providing some motivation for the Foundation. "A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that will tomorrow become his basic level of real action and morality. It is the essence of play that a new relation is created… between situations in thought and real situations."
The Play Parks and Playgrounds
The organisation built its first Play Park in 2006 in Nizhny NovgorodNizhny Novgorod
Nizhny Novgorod , colloquially shortened to Nizhny, is, with the population of 1,250,615, the fifth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg...
. It has since built nearly 30 more Play Parks and Playgrounds. (The distinction between the Play Parks and Playgrounds being that the latter are smaller affairs.) Architect and artist Adam Kalkin provided the design for the recreation centers for the parks, to be built of shipping containers.
In July 2008 Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk
Petrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
joined the growing list of cities to have had a playground constructed. Petrozavodsk's playground included sandboxes, rope-way and a roller park.
The Love Ball
There have been several high profile events to raise funds for the foundation - most notably the Love Ball. The Foundation's Love Ball (12–14 February 2008) was perhaps the largest charity event in Russian history. This was organised as a three day event that culminated with a Valentine’s evening Love Ball. This gala dinner had over 400 guest attending including Lucy LiuLucy Liu
Lucy Alexis Liu is an American actress and film producer. She became known for playing the role of the vicious and ill-mannered Ling Woo in the television series Ally McBeal , and has also appeared in several Hollywood films including Charlie's Angels, Chicago, Kill Bill, and Kung Fu Panda.-Early...
; Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
; Eva Herzigova
Eva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová is a Czech model and actress.-Early life and career:Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia . She began her modeling career after winning a modeling beauty contest in Prague in 1989, at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased...
; Mario Testino
Mario Testino
-Early Life:Testino grew up in Lima, the eldest son of a businessman. When he was young he wanted to be a priest. Testino recalls being unpopular at school because of his flamboyance. He was good at math and went on to study economics at Universidad del Pacífico, where his insistence on wearing...
; Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg
Diane von Fürstenberg, formerly Princess Diane of Fürstenberg , is a Belgian-American fashion designer best known for her iconic wrap dress. She initially rose to prominence when she married into the German princely House of Fürstenberg, as the wife of Prince Egon of Fürstenberg...
; Andrei Shevchenko; Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi
Paolo Roversi is an Italian-born fashion photographer who currently lives and works in Paris.Born in Ravenna in 1947, Paolo Roversi’s interest in photography was kindled as a teenager during a family vacation in Spain in 1964...
, Alfonso Cuaron
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón Orozco is a Mexican film director, screenwriter and film producer, best known for his films Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y tu mamá también, and A Little Princess.- Early life :...
; Rustam Tariko. Around $6 million were raised for the Foundation.