Architecture of Diplomacy winners honored in Moscow

The event started with a welcome address from Maria Zakharova, Official Representative of the MFA of Russia “We are open to collaboration with people who profess creativity and traditional values, who wish to express themselves not for the sake of destroying themselves or others, but for the sake of creation. We are open and ready to provide platforms for everyone, without any hint of division, let alone segregation. We are demonstrating what a country that wants to move into the future should be like,” she said.

Vyacheslav Fatin, Head of GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia, addressed the awardees with kind words of farewell, too, saying that: “We are happy to say that the competition is a success! We accept projects from 12 countries, from almost every continent of the globe. Particularly valuable is the fact that young and emerging artists from completely different countries chose universal meanings that are close to all of us as sources of creative exploration, namely the greatest diplomats, architectural monuments, and historical events.”

Nikolay Shumakov, President of the Russian Union of Architects, also spoke at the ceremony to note that the competition was getting larger each year as the number and quality of applicant projects were getting better and the variety of its themes was getting increasingly sophisticated.

The ceremony was also attended by the judge board members, such as Ye. Akopyan, Chairman of the Council of Young Diplomats of the MFA of Russia, D. Bak, Director of Dahl Museum of the History of Russian Literature, S. Kurasov, Rector of Russian State University of Design and Applied Arts (Stroganov University), O. Muratova, Head of the Rossotrudnichestvo Department of Cultural Initiatives, V. Tsereteli, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, S. Shitkov, Acting Rector of the Diplomatic Academy under the MFA of Russia, and D. Shvidkovsky, President of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences.

The event was attended not only by the laureates from Russian, but also by a delegation of Belarusian laureates. Diplomas and commemorative prizes from GlavUpDK will also be awarded at Russian diplomatic missions abroad in Georgia and Nicaragua.

This year the winners are as follows:

Juvenile Artists (12-18 years old)

·        A.М. Asoiani, Georgia, The Father of All Soldiers

·        A. Vlasova, Russia, Griboyedov in Diplomatic Service

·        A. Kozacha, Russia, Treaty of Peace and Love

·        M. Lomat, Belarus, Signing the Pact: Ermolov's House as a Witness to History

·        A. Steinsen, Nicaragua, The Great Victory

Young Artists (18-35 years old)

·        O. Brovchenkova, Russia, The First A. Grudinina, Russia, A.S. Griboyedov: Diplomat, Orientalist, and Poet

·        A. Gumen, Russia, International Conference

·       A. Zabolotskaya, Russia, A.A. Gromyko. Mr. No

·        V. Zaruba, Belarus, Borderless Diplomacy: Cooperation Between Two Countries

·        A. Katsaran, Russia, The Tehran Conference

·        K. Mokrova, Russia, Mr. No, A Time to Demand

·        N. Musoyan, Russia, The Portrait of Yuri Levitan, The House of the Merchant Kuleshov

·        Ye. Salaeva, Russia, Memory

·       Z. Tolkach, Belarus, Pertsova's House

·        A. Fedulova, Russia, The Connecting Thread, The Architecture of Diplomacy

·        A. Churilova, Russia, The Many Faces of Diplomacy. Berg’s Estate

In addition, A. Vlasova with Alexander Griboyedov in the Diplomatic Service and multiple winner N. Musoyan with The Portrait of Yuri Levitan won Choice of the MFA of Russia awards. Maria Zakharova presented the winners with personalized diplomas and commemorative gifts from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In total, the competition involved over 300 applicant projects from Russia from some other countries, such as Austria, Belarus, Georgia, Zambia, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Moldova,Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Syria, the United States of America, and Turkey.

In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the Diplomacy Through the Ages was in focus of creative exploration inspiring young people from all over the world to create artworks about the history, present, and future of diplomacy. Participants presented their own perspectives on foreign policy agencies, key historical events, and outstanding diplomats from different eras.

Participants and everyone interested in inter-ethnic relations also enjoyed the Architecture of Diplomacy Knowledge Marathon, a series of educational online sessions organized in partnership with the Diplomatic Academy under the MFA of Russia.

The award winning works will be presented at the GlavUpDK exhibition, to be held in Moscow on Gogolevsky Boulevard; visitors are welcome until September 7. Muscovites and all art lovers will be able to cast their vote and choose the winner in the special Audience Award.