Publications

Sergey Vinogradov Elisabetta Fabbri. Photo courtesy of Vologda State University “I was astonished by power of the Vologda church, and its spirit,” said the famous Italian architect Elisabetta Fabbri having visited the dilapidated Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit. While spending a few days in Vologda, the Master of Architecture, a member of the Venice Order of Architects and Conservation Professionals, the conservation architect of Teatro alla Scala and other opera houses in Italy, and the recipient of the presidential order supported the restoration of the church and gave valuable...

Svetlana Smetanina Photo credit: artchive.ru This spring marks 125 years since the release of the highest decree of Emperor Nicholas II on the establishment of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. The uniqueness of the museum was that literally the whole country collected exhibits for its collection - from peasants, who gave away ancient household items, to representatives of the upper classes, who donated the richest collections of paintings to the fund. These days, the Russian Museum is exploring new territories both in Russia and abroad. It confirms that for Russian art there are no borders. The idea to...

Isaak Dunayevsky. Photo credit: multiurok.ru Anna Genova 120 years ago, Isaak Dunayevsky, perhaps the most famous Soviet composer of popular songs, was born in the quiet Ukrainian town. “Could you think thirty-five years ago that a small musician, a fan of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Borodin, would be able to become a master of the easy genre? But it is my extensive musical background that helped and still helps me to create light music by serious means,” Dunayevsky wrote in his memoirs. Light music quickly becomes obsolete. Fortunately, there are exceptions, and such exceptions...

Sergey Vinogradov Over the 10 years since its establishment, the Vologda Lace Museum has become one of the world centers of lacemaking. In the past year, the Museum opened an exhibition and gave a master class in Iran, trained lacemakers from the USA and Estonia, exhibited and accepted unique Maltese lace as a gift, as well as participated in other international projects. In the summer of 2020, Vologda will host the Vita Lace, an international lace festival, which will bring together the creme de la creme of global lace community from Finland to Australia. Artisans, who had made Vologda lace famous worldwide 40+ years ago, shared...

Sergey Vinogradov International Puppet Theatre Festival “Ryazanskie Smotriny” (Showing-off in Ryazan), one of the largest and the most reputable festivals in Russia and whole Eastern Europe, will open in Sergei Yesenin’s home land on September 14th. Current “show” marks a milestone, not by its number, but by years: the Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary, and Petrushka, its symbol, shines out of posters like never before. According to the puppet masters, during years of the festival’s existence the genre of puppet show has experienced absolute slump and unbelievable upswing. And it is still on the rise. ...

Svetlana Smetanina Vladimir Menshov, the maker of such iconic movies as Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears and Love and Dove, turns 80 on September 17. His life is an example of a remarkably successful creative and personal destiny. It's no coincidence that this year 900 people attempted to win admission to his workshop at the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (aka VGIK), while enrollment is set to 30. Menshov is known as a very principled person; and he teaches his students the same thing - only a powerful person can create a truly serious film. Vladimir Menshov. Photo credit: twimg.com As to Vladimir Menshov, he admits...