Visitors to the National Centre RUSSIA discovered the secrets of traditional folk crafts at the "Great Lent Meetings"

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The thematic Easter program "Great Lent Meetings" took place on Palm Sunday, 13 April, at the Gastronomic Rows of the National Centre RUSSIA. In the run-up to Easter, guests of all ages at the National Centre RUSSIA took part in educational lectures and workshops held by leading masters of traditional folk crafts from across the country. The series of events was organized by FHUB Russia as part of the "New Year Trees of Russia" project with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

The "Great Lent Meetings" are aimed at reviving the traditions of the 18th–19th centuries, when during Lent people sought spiritual enrichment through art and creativity. "Great Lent Meetings" project was launched at the International RUSSIA EXPO. This year, the tradition continued at the National Centre RUSSIA.

"The tradition of Great Lent gatherings emerged in the 18th–19th centuries to help people better understand our native customs and our legacy. Today, we are returning to this tradition, and within the framework of our project, artists speak firsthand about the country’s folk crafts and immerse our guests in the captivating creative process of making their own items, which they can then take home as a fond keepsake," said Bela Smetanina, co-author and curator of the "New Year Trees of Russia" project, head of special projects at the International Buyers Hub and the Resource Centre Fashion Hub Russia, and candidate of art history.

The event began with the lecture "Golden Khokhloma," after which everyone had the opportunity to try their hand at painting a wooden item in the Khokhloma style.

"Traditional folk crafts are a unique cultural phenomenon that many other countries do not have. That is why it is essential to talk about them and demonstrate them through examples — both to children and adults. After all, everything stems from folk art; it inspires theatre, ballet, and other forms of creativity. And of course, folk creativity is deeply connected to our land, it holds sacred meanings associated with positive energy, and it expresses the culture, character, and soul of the peoples of our country," said Vyacheslav Dolgov, Chairman of the Board of the National Union of Traditional Folk Crafts, Deputy Director General of Pavlovo-Posad Shawl Manufactory JSC, and Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Inspired by the lecture on the history of Zhostovo painting, participants created their own Easter souvenir — a tray painted in this popular technique that originated in 1825 in the village of Zhostovo near Moscow.

"Our factory takes part in many events and workshops, because our main goal is to inspire people to be creative. It's always a pleasure to hear so many positive responses like 'Oh, I did it! I didn’t expect that from myself'. And we always invite people to come back again and again, so they can better understand folk traditions and learn something new," said Mikhail Lebedev, Chief Artist of Zhostovo since 1984, exposition participant, member of the Union of Artists of Russia, and Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation.

The "Great Lent Meetings" concluded with a lecture on the history of the Gzhel Porcelain Factory and a workshop titled "The Magic of Gzhel Painting," during which participants hand-painted Easter crafts using the traditional white and blue colors characteristic of the Gzhel technique.

"Gzhel originated from the craftsmanship of Old Believers and changed many times. Originally, Gzhel products were multicolored. It was only in the 20th century, when Gzhel began to develop as a production industry, that the white and blue painting became the standard — it allowed for products to be completed in a single firing cycle. Gzhel remains very popular even today, as evidenced by the fact that our factory once contributed to the prize fund for the FIFA World Cup," said Sergei Simonov, Chief Artist of the Gzhel Porcelain Factory, Honoured Artist of Russia, and creator of the legendary hockey trophy for the "Izvestia" prize.

All the items hand-painted during the workshops could be taken home by the participants of the "Great Lent Meetings" as souvenirs.

Workshops and other events held as part of the educational programmes of the National Centre RUSSIA are available free of charge with prior registration on the website russia.ru. Up-to-date information about events can be found in the "Events" section.