On January 24-27, 2007, the Moscow International Festival of Fine Arts “Traditions and Modernity” started for the first time in Russia in the Central Exhibition Hall “Manezh” in Moscow. The festival fully met expectations: it was a bright, interesting, intriguing and unforgettable event in the cultural life of Russia. The Russian Academy of Arts, galleries of Alla Bulyanskaya, Anastasia Chizhova, Alexander Shilov, Ars Longa, artists Stanislav Govorukhin, Misha Levin, Mikhail Abakumov, sculptors Grigory Pototsky, Alexander Burganov, Vladimir Surovtsev, as well as the Surikov Moscow State Academy of Arts, the Kiselev Club for the Development of Contemporary Art, the Portrait Museum, etc. presented their works in the exposition of the festival. The festival justified its international status: visitors could see works by authors from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Israel, Lithuania, Armenia, Canada, Great Britain, Egypt and the USA. During the four days of the festival about 20000 guests visited the Central Exhibition Hall. The opening ceremony alone was attended by 5000 people, including prominent politicians, musicians and actors, such as A.A. Tyagunov, T.T. Salakhov, Ambassador Extraordinary Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to Russia Plamen Grozdanov, V.B. Rushailo, Director of the Research Institute of Children’s Oncology and Hematology named after Blokhin M.D. Aliev, Natalia Andreichenko, Andrei Makarevich and many others. The opening ceremony was attended by lovely young artists from the creative center “Ekol”, as well as children from the Blokhin Oncology Center. The festival was also visited by Nikos Safronov, Dmitry Malikov, Stanislav Govorukhin, Vladimir Konkin, Lyudmila Narusova and Svetlana Svetlichnaya. The festival was held in a friendly and warm atmosphere. The guests of Manezh had an opportunity to take part in various forums and master classes led by famous artists. For example, at the master class of Andrei Molchanovsky’s creative workshop everyone could feel themselves in the role of a sculptor and create a beautiful horse out of clay with their own hands. There were also forums of the Modern Masterpiece Gallery, which included the presentation of a short film about the artist Igor Mayorov, the International Children’s Art Gallery of Moscow at the All-Russian Association of International Cultural and Social Relations, the Aves Gallery and others.
Drawing attention to the fact that 2007 was declared the “Year of the Child”, on the last day before the closing ceremony the organizers held a Charity Auction for the benefit of the Blokhin Research Institute of Children’s Oncology and Hematology.
The festival had a competitive character, which shows that the unique idea of the Foundation to hold a ceremony of awarding statuettes in the field of fine arts was realized! During the festival there was a painstaking work of the jury, which consisted of the vice-president of the Russian Academy of Arts, People’s Artist of the USSR, Russia, Azerbaijan, winner of the State Prizes of the USSR and Azerbaijan Salakhov T.T., chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Photographers, Honored Artist, winner of the Lithuanian Government Prize in the field of art Antanas Sutkus, Bulgarian artist, professor of the Bulgarian National Academy of Arts, holder of prestigious State Prizes and awards of Bulgaria, international awards, member-corresponding member of the Lithuanian National Academy of Arts. The result was the closing ceremony on January 27, where the winners in 13 categories were announced and 9 participants received special prizes.
The concert was hosted by Dmitry Kharatyan and Marina Esipenko. The concert was opened by Sergey Markarov, a famous pianist, holder of the title “UNESCO Artist of the World”, winner of first prizes in piano class at the Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Also performed and presented statuettes “Vera” VIA “Samotsvety”, Anton Makarsky, Alexander Panayotov, Anastasia Volochkova, Vladimir and Marina Devyatovy, Oleg Mityaev and others. The concert was closed by laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation Igor Butman.
Festival dates: January 24 – January 27, 2007 – Central Exhibition Hall “Manezh”, Moscow.
Number of participants: More than 250 participants
Number of exhibits: 2315 exhibits
Number of participating countries: 8
Participating countries: Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Greece, Lithuania, Russia, Turkey, Estonia, USA.
