Artistic and industrial exhibition-forum “Unique Russia” opened in Moscow

100 years ago, in 1923, the first All-Russian Artistic and Industrial Exhibition was held in Moscow, organized by the All-Russian Academy of Artistic Sciences.

The exhibition attracted wide attention of the government, economic authorities, artists and students. The young Soviet state was faced with the urgent need to revive production, restore folk crafts, and for this it was necessary to organize a nationwide review of the Russian art industry, accounting for artistic and production forces. It was necessary to check what died or survived, what remained viable after the revolution. As a result of the exhibition, Russia once again confirmed its artistic talent, which, like a phoenix from the ashes, is reborn after historical catastrophes and upheavals.

Continuing the glorious traditions of exhibition business, on January 24, 2023, the 3rd Art and Industrial Exhibition was opened at the Gostiny Dvor exhibition center with the support of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the FADN of Russia, the Gokhran of Russia -Forum “Unique Russia”.

The purpose of the exhibition is to show Russia as a country of unique opportunities, which is constantly developing and carefully preserving the traditions of a multinational people, the diversity of culture and art. To present to the public all kinds of folk arts and crafts, jewelry, Orthodox, arts and crafts, painting, interiors, design and antiques.

The organizers of the exhibition are: the Foundation for the Preservation and Development of Culture, Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values ​​and Historical Memory “Unique Country”, the association of organizations of folk arts and crafts, artisans and artists “Heritage and Traditions”, with the support and participation of the Foundation for the development of the art industry and jewelry art.

“Unique Russia” is unique in everything: it is more than 20 exhibitions and art projects within one exhibition, the area is 10,000 sq. m, more than 1,200 participants from 57 regions of the Russian Federation, 1,500 artists from four creative unions and three associations, 35 business and cultural events, 37 shows of designer clothing collections, master classes, interactive historical quests, a goods fair and much more.

You can get acquainted with the diversity and richness of folk art in the Heritage and Traditions salon, which presents more than 250 art craft enterprises, creative unions, craftsmen and designers from 50 regions of Russia, both traditional authentic products of folk craftsmen, and modern handicrafts of young and talented artisans from all over Russia.

Visitors will be able to see the author’s ceramics and porcelain; lacquer miniature; enamel art; artistic processing of glass, metal, stone; masterly carving on bone and wood; lace and embroidery, artistic processing of fluff, exclusive jewelry; interior and decor items; designer, ethnic clothes and accessories. Collective regional stands are represented by Bashkiria, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Kaluga, Moscow regions and other regions of Russia. The highlight of the salon was a bright exposition of masters from the Crimea and Tatarstan. Masters of the Bogorodsk wood carving school will create their masterpieces right before the eyes of visitors. A rare and beautiful exposition of Uelen bone cutters, famous for their original technique, will be presented. “Kazakovskoe enterprise of art products” presents at the exhibition a full-fledged musical instrument – a Russian balalaika, made in the jewelry technique of refined filigree with an openwork pattern of thin silver wire. There is no such unique product anywhere in the world.

Master classes from the Russian Academy of Crafts will be held daily: jewelry, wood carving, gilding, furniture restoration, stove-setting courses, stained-glass windows, ceramic painting, enamel, as well as lectures on antique weapons, appraisal activities in jewelry and much more.

As part of the Unique Russia project, the International Exhibition of Traditional Art Golden Hands of the World is presented, where representatives of the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey demonstrate their skills. This was not done by chance, because the greatest value of civilization is the diversity of peoples living on Earth, each of which contributes to the development of world culture. Art is the universal language of mankind, and such projects help to reveal the richness of the cultural heritage of different countries, build bridges of mutual understanding and mutual respect between peoples.

Guests of “Unique Russia” will be able to visit other interesting projects, for example, “Masterpieces of Orthodox Art” or an exhibition of author’s art dolls. Of interest are the exhibitions “Artistic Metal of Russia”, “Antiques in a Modern Interior”, a display of traditional painting, sculpture and graphics. On the stands of patriotic sculptures “Alley of Russian Glory” there are 350 busts and sculptures of historical figures, Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of Russia, heroes of the Great Patriotic War, poets, writers, artists, composers, scientists and athletes. Warm, cute and fantastically beautiful exhibition project of embroidered paintings “Life is beautiful!” brought together like-minded women who embroider complex multi-color works, embodying absolutely everything on fabric – from copies of world-famous paintings to forgotten national ornaments, creating unusual, beautiful and inspiring.

As part of the cultural and historical project “One Hundred Years of the USSR. Best Experience” at the exhibition, it is planned to hold a mega-marathon “Century”, dedicated to the anniversary of the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The duration of the marathon is a multiple of the years of the anniversary: ​​100 years – 100 hours. The record will be recorded in the Russian Book of Records.

It is necessary to note the most important and relevant in our difficult times the exposition “Sisters of Mercy of Wartime”, organized by the Women’s Patriotic Society, the charitable foundation for helping war veterans “Soldier’s Life” and the Foundation for the Development of the Art Industry and Jewelry. The exposition shows the historical pavilions of the “Red Cross” at the leading all-Russian and world exhibitions of 1882, 1893, 1896 and other years. A separate section is devoted to the work of the sisters of mercy in the Crimean War, the Russian-Turkish War, the Japanese War, the First World War, the Great Patriotic War, as well as modern military conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria and the Special Military Operation in Ukraine.

During the war, at the cost of their own lives, the sisters of mercy save soldiers dying on the battlefield. The words of St. John Chrysostom: “Mercy is a sign of the Divine” characterize the activities of the sisters of mercy in the best possible way. They serve people in those moments when trouble comes. The exposition presents the portrait gallery “Faces of Mercy of Russia”, created by the charitable foundation “In the Name of the Sister of Mercy Ekaterina Bakunina”, and the work of Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts Salavat Shcherbakov, dedicated to the sisters of mercy, bringing love and kindness in all historical periods of our country. There is also a section devoted to the activities of the firm of Carl Faberge during the First World War, which collaborated with the Red Cross society, releasing various signs of this society.

The exhibition has a special section dedicated to charity and fundraising for the benefit of wounded soldiers and their families. According to a good old tradition, the organizers of the exhibition also made charity postcards, the proceeds from the sale of which, as well as from the charity lottery, will go to the benefit of the wounded during the SVO.

Traditionally, within the framework of the forum, a holiday of fashion, design and crafts of the unity of the multinational culture of the peoples of the Eurasian space – “Ethnopodium”, organized by the Eurasian Association of Ethnodesigners, will be held. It will be attended by original designers from the republics of Buryatia, Tyva, Crimea. There are also outfits sewn by craftsmen from the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, national and modern clothing models will be presented by the Krasnodar Territory, Sochi, Yekaterinburg, Stavropol and Krasnoyarsk Territories, the Samara Region and designers from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia, as well as model agencies from Moscow, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kyzyl. Fashion designers, ethnographers and artists skillfully embody the synthesis of tradition and modernity in bright and colorful collections of clothing and accessories, demonstrating a multi-color palette of ethnic costumes.

Official government officials, cultural figures, representatives of public organizations take part in the business program of the forum. Topics of round tables, conferences and discussions are varied and relevant: “Russian art industry. Challenges of the time”, “Young scientists in public health and healthcare”, “Labor prowess of Russia” with the participation of representatives from 85 regions of the country, a pedagogical forum dedicated to the Year of Teachers and Mentors and the Year of the Russian Language in the CIS, presentation of all-Russian competitions and projects “My City is my concern”, the conference “Development of the art industry and folk art crafts in the light of modern realities”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the first All-Russian art and industrial exhibition in Moscow in 1923, a forum of the Union of national and non-Olympic sports of the Russian Federation, and even a forum of creative industries.

The events of the Moscow Military Historical Society will help to educate patriotism: the round table “Volunteers are the driving force of patriotic education”, the forum “Modern practical tasks and the relevance of tools for patriotic education”, and others.

There will also be a charity concert in favor of the wounded.

For three years, the exhibition-forum “Unique Russia” has established itself as a large-scale cultural and socio-political event of the exhibition format, showing the beauty and richness of the regions of Russia, connecting the past, present and future of our country.

Mikhail Kovalyov.

Author’s photo