Young Artisans School to open at the National Centre RUSSIA

The Young Artisans School will open next year at the National Centre RUSSIA, where children will discover folk crafts and learn to make things that carry the maker's heart and the traditions behind them. Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, announced the plans during "The Power of Craft: Preserving Heritage for the Future", a discussion and performance held at the Centre as part of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future".

"Our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, has asked us to work with young people. The children who come to the National Centre RUSSIA today, explore the expositions, admire the beautiful goods on display and see what people have achieved will be the ones who shape our Motherland tomorrow. These children, with their eyes alight, are our future. We already run the Young Journalists School and the Young Tour Guides School, and next year we will set up the Young Artisans School. I truly believe we can make folk crafts fashionable. After all, every piece made by hand by a skilled artisan is one of a kind. It carries the heart of its maker and traditions passed down through the centuries, from generation to generation. We hope women artisans from different regions of Russia will teach at the Young Artisans School. That will take us one step closer to keeping folk crafts alive and thriving, so they continue to inspire us with all the most beautiful things our land produces," said Natalia Virtuozova, Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.

The flagship "Department Store" project is open at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow and at its branches, showcasing traditional crafts from different regions of the country, including tableware, crystalware, Dymkovo toys, shawls and much more. Each piece reflects traditions and skills passed down from generation to generation. The work of Russian artisans is also well received abroad. In 2026, the National Centre RUSSIA took part in international expositions in Shanghai, Harbin, New Delhi, Ashgabat and Tashkent. These trips showed just how popular traditional Russian crafts are with international visitors.

The National Centre RUSSIA was established on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to preserve the legacy of the International RUSSIA EXPO, showcase the country's achievements and tell the stories of the people who make them possible. Helping children and young people develop is one of the Centre's main priorities. They can learn about the country's history and achievements, gain practical skills, discover their talents and find their calling. The Young Journalists School and the Young Tour Guides School are already running at the Centre. There, school pupils create their own material, speak with affection about their home country and share what they know with others.