Vera Award 2008

Awarding ceremony of the first VERA Art Prize
on the results of the Second Moscow International Festival of Arts “Traditions and Modernity”

On March 13 in the Theater Hall of the Moscow International House of Music took place the solemn ceremony of awarding the art prize “VERA” on the results of the Second Moscow International Festival of Arts “Traditions and Modernity”, which was held from March 7 to 11 in the Central Exhibition Hall “Manezh”. The ceremony was a beautiful and joyful conclusion to the Festival.
The bronze statuette “VERA” is the first visual arts award. The award symbolizes the belief in creativity, love and success. The award is a visible embodiment of self-belief for the nominees and an incentive for further creativity. Victor Mitroshin, Honored Artist of Russia, the author of prizes for many Russian and foreign competitions, worked on the creation of the image of “Vera”.
In 2008, the award is being presented in 21 nominations in six areas. More than 600 artists from Russia, a number of CIS countries, Europe, Asia and the USA competed for the award. The jury’s decision was not without a surprise – two artists became laureates at once for their “fresh look”.
Among the participants: Namdakov Dashi, Aidarov Ilyas, Obrosov Igor, Gelman Mikhail, Goncharov Igor, Ngo Xuan Binh, Mamedov Katab, Tsedro Dmitry, the project “Dolls of the World”, the Parade of Star Puppets under the direction of Pchelnikova Svetlana and others.
VERA Prize winners will have the opportunity to present their works in exhibitions in France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Italy, Belgium, Latin America, Egypt, Cyprus, Austria and Germany.
The gala evening was attended by members of the Festival organizing committee and jury members:
Eleonora Valentinovna Mitrofanova, Head of the Russian Center for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
Mark Leivikov, Chairman of the Board of the International Foundation “World for Culture and Peace”;
Salakhov Tair Timurovich, People’s Artist of the USSR, Russia and Azerbaijan, winner of the State Prizes of the USSR and Azerbaijan, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Arts;
Irina Antonova, Director of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. He is a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, a member of the Russian Academy of Education;
Elena Flerova, Member of the Union of Artists of Russia, academician, professor, honorary member of the Russian Academy of Arts, winner of silver and gold medals of the Russian Academy of Arts;
Petrescu George, Expert of the Romanian National Commission for UNESCO, Professor, art historian;
Šugaík Jiří, Honored Sculptor of the Czech Republic;
Petrov Efim Georgievich, Vice-President of the National Committee of Public Awards, President of the Department of Security in the field of culture and spiritual education of the Academy of Security, Defense and Law Enforcement, member of the Union of Writers of Russia, member of the Presidium of the International Union of Pop Art Workers;
Sergey Nikolaevich Markarov, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Moscow Public Foundation for the Support of Culture and Development of Contemporary Art, “UNESCO Artist of the World”;
Taratuta Mikhail, international correspondent;
Akritas Albina Georgievna, Member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Arts, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Honored Artist of the RSFSR, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation;
Efrem Zverkov, Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Arts, laureate of the Repin State Prize of the RSFSR and the State Prize of the Russian Federation, People’s Artist of the USSR;
Koshelev Dmitry Gennadyevich, Member of the Presidium of the National Committee of Public Awards, Vice-President, Colonel of the Department of Security in the field of culture and spiritual education of the Academy of Security, Defense and Law Enforcement, Member of the Presidium of the International Union of Pop Art Workers.
The main persons of the event were the organizer of the Festival of Arts “Traditions and Modernity” Vera Nikolaevna Kiseleva, and, of course, the winners of the award “VERA”.
Guests at the remarkable event were also representatives of the political and business elite of the country, prominent cultural figures, collectors, gallerists, artists, representatives of embassies and cultural centers of the participating countries.
Famous musicians and performers took part in the festive concert dedicated to the award ceremony of the Second Moscow International Festival of Arts “Traditions and Modernity”:
Tamara Gverdtsiteli, People’s Artist of Russia and Georgia, Children’s Theater “Ecol”, Sergei Markarov, famous pianist, “UNESCO Artist of the World”, The Akademik Band jazz orchestra conducted by Anatoly Kroll, Alexei Kozlov, famous Soviet and Russian saxophonist and jazzman, founder of the first Soviet jazz band Arsenal, Anna Kolobova, a corps de ballet dancer at the Bolshoi Theater, Gregory Conson, renowned virtuoso violinist, Igor Sarukhanov, Honored Artist of Russia, Yuliana Rogacheva, Triumph Award winner, Victoria Morozova, Russian theater and film actress, Anton Makarsky, Russian theater and film actor, Alexander Panayotov, Russian popular singer and many others.

Dmitry Kharatyan, Honored Artist of Russia, and Irina Apeksimova, Russian theater and film actress, led the ceremony.

An important part of the evening was the awarding of honorary orders and insignia by the National Committee of Public Awards for outstanding contribution to the development of culture and art to some members of the organizing committee and jury of the Festival, namely:

Vera Nikolaevna Kiseleva – the Order of Peter the Great, 1st Class “For Merit and Great Personal Contribution, For Strengthening and Development of the State of Russia”;
Mark Georgievich Leivikov – Order of Peter the Great, 1st Class “For Merit and Great Personal Contribution, For Strengthening and Development of the State of Russia”;
Tair Teimurovich Salakhov – by the Order of Lomonosov of the 1st degree “For Services and Great Personal Contribution, for Strengthening and Development of the Russian State”;
Elena Nikolayevna Flerova – Order of Catherine the Great, 1st degree “For Contribution to Art”;
Yuri Nikolayevich Rudnev – Order of Peter the Great, 1st Class “For Merit and Great Personal Contribution, for Strengthening and Development of the State of Russia”
The awarding was conducted by the president of the Department of Security in the field of culture and spiritual education, academician of ABOP – Efim Petrov and vice-president of the Department of Security in the field of culture and spiritual education of ABOP, member of the Presidium of the National Committee of Public Awards, colonel of ABOP – Dmitry Koshelev.
The Moscow International Arts Festival and the VERA Award have confirmed their status as one of the most outstanding annual events in the cultural life of Russia, CIS, Europe, Asia and America.

All the guests noted the extraordinary scope of the event and expressed their confidence that the festival has a great future ahead of it.
During the Festival, the exhibition was visited by about 30,000 people. The charity auction “Parade of Star Dolls for Children” was successfully held within the framework of the Festival, where 13 dolls were sold for a total amount of 115600 USD. The auction was held on March 9 at 19.00 in the VIP-Club “National”, the proceeds of which will be transferred to the Morozov Children’s Hospital in Moscow.
Thanks to active activities and developing projects, the Festival remains an event whose cultural impact and public resonance grows every year. The festival has established itself as a bright and dynamically developing cultural project, which for the second time gathers in Moscow practically all artistic forms and directions. Successful holding of the Festival gives a great incentive to the organizers to work on the project of further development of the Moscow International Festival of Arts “Traditions and Modernity”.