On May 29, ahead of International Children's Day, the Zinaida Morozova’s Mansion on Spiridonovka Street hosted an official award ceremony for graduates of the first children's restoration workshops. The ceremony was organized by GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia and Moscow Department of Cultural Heritage.
The Head of GlavUpDK, V. Fatin, greeted young guests and their parents. He pointed out that the historical mansion they were in was rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in Moscow, so it was especially nice to celebrate young restoration artists' successes there.
The ceremony continued with the handing out of commemorative certificates: each child got one from the hands of A. Emelyanov, Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage. The certificates prove that the children completed the full course in the Children's Restoration Workshop on April 30 – May 31, 2026.
The most involved participants also got GlavUpDK's commemorative gifts from V. Fatin. In his farewell words, he emphasized, "I'm especially pleased to see your burning desire for that business. Many of you have already tried real work, made first steps toward the profession. I wish you to develop and grow, learn new things, and maybe, one day become those who preserve beauty and history for future generations. I'm very pleased to hand these gifts to you and say, well done!”
On the day of the ceremony, the Anteroom in the Morozova’s Mansion featured items made by workshop students: mosaics, gilt moldings, cleared and restored painting fragments, reconstructed gypsum elements, recreated murals and stained glass panels. An exciting tour around the mansion that was equally fun for both children and their parents helped them deepen their understanding of architecture.
This year, on instructions from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the Department of Cultural Heritage set up the first series of themed restoration workshops for children aged 6 to 10 years old. Their attendees visited iconic cultural landmarks in Moscow; on invitation from GlavUpDK, an interactive master class was offered for them in the mansion on 14 Sadovaya-Samotechnaya Street. It was called “Looking for Vrubel's Fireplace.” Young restoration artists inspected historical interiors, wrote their “Restorer's Diaries,” learned secrets of the maiolica, and assembled a mosaic panel based on the legendary fireplace.