Russian Cultural Program “Culture and Peace” presents divers artistic activities at Mustafa Ali Galley in Old Damascus

Activities of the Russian Cultural Program “Culture and Peace” kicked off on Wednesday at the Mustafa Ali Gallery in Old Damascus. The five-day event includes artistic activities by Russian artists and talented Syrian children.

Yesterday’s activities included an art exhibition for paintings by Russian artists from the Leningrad Lithography Museum in addition to a concert for the Russian Quartet Style musical band that presented Russian folk music. In addition, two artistic workshops titled “Healing by Art”, in which Syrian talented children took part, were also held.

Director of the Gallery, Sculptor Mustafa Ali, told SANA that these cultural activities are held by a Russian non-profit association. They indicate the deep rooted-Syrian-Russian cultural ties and affirm the need to enhance these relations in cooperation with all institutions, he added.

On her part, Maria Rutkina, a founder of the Russian Cultural Program, said that the event comes within the framework of the “The Russian Diplomacy… Russia-Syria” cultural program, which is funded by Russia’s Presidential Scholarship Fund with the aim of holding cultural workshops, concerts and artistic exhibitions in several areas in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Tatous over two weeks.

Erina Chechkina, another founder of the program, said the project was launched in 2019 by Russian citizens living in Syria aiming at highlighting the common factors of the cultures of the two countries.

Artist Olga Klutes, who supervises the two workshops for children, said she is pleased to deal with the Syrian children and get introduced to their inner world and talents since they are Syria’s future.

Hamda Mustafa