Winners of the "Soul of Russia. ProSmysly" contest announced at the National Centre RUSSIA
The final of the "Soul of Russia. ProSmysly" ("Soul of Russia. AboutMeanings") competition took place at the National Centre RUSSIA. This year, the contest was included in the Schedule of Main Events for the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia in the Russian Federation. Creative youth teams made up of students from the Faculty of International Economic Relations at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation took part in the competition.
The young specialists prepared comprehensive projects revealing the significance of Russia's historic industries as carriers of the country's cultural code. For each enterprise, they traced the connection between its history and mission and traditional values, while also developing strategies for international promotion based on the preservation and dissemination of national cultural traditions.
The importance of the project was highlighted by Igor Barinov, Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of Russia: "Our folk crafts — Gzhel, Gorodets painting, Yelets lace, Mstera jewellery, Dulevo porcelain and dozens of others — are not merely economic entities. They represent our cultural code. These are unique centres where craftsmanship has been carefully passed down from hand to hand for several centuries. Our common task today is to help these industries secure a strong place in the modern economy without losing their authenticity under any circumstances. In the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, this constructive work has strategic importance and directly corresponds to the goals of our shared national agenda."
The finalists visited Russian production sites, spoke with masters of traditional folk arts and crafts, immersed themselves in the country's traditional crafts and prepared videos reflecting their value and uniqueness.
Seven teams reached the final of the competition: "Basic Settings", "Heritage of Russia", "Significance", "Code Creators", "Matryoshkas", "Game Changers", "New Future" and "Origins". The winning team was "Code Creators", which presented a development strategy for the Russian Gzhel Porcelain Factory.
"We have enormous opportunities to promote various ethnic motifs and, above all, our unique Russian character and legacy. That is why it is so important that young people, by becoming involved in the project, propose entirely new and relevant ideas that are interesting to manufacturers. When ideas and meanings are generated together in this format, we understand that this work responds to the objectives of the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia. Today, together, we are creating engaging and effective projects aimed at promoting the values and goals of our country," said Anna Polezhayeva, Head of the House of the Peoples of Russia, speaking about the project.
The winners received invitations to attend the 29th St Petersburg International Economic Forum this year. The participants will present their initiative to the professional community. This is not simply a well-deserved prize, but a real working tool and a unique opportunity to scale their idea at the highest level.
"Everything Russian is fashionable right now, and this creates excellent opportunities for collaborations. Today, many interesting projects were presented that are developing both in our country and abroad. We have much to be proud of — we possess a rich legacy of traditions, crafts, talented artisans and designers. It is important to combine this legacy with modern trends. The future belongs to young people, and you understand best how to make this happen. We, in our turn, will certainly support all such initiatives. The National Centre RUSSIA and our regional branches have the Department Store project working, which is already represented on international platforms," said Anastasia Zvyagina, Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.
As part of the event, an exposition by the "iStok" media bank was also opened, featuring unique photographs by finalists of the "Unity of the Peoples of Russia" contest. Guests discovered a contemporary visual image of the country's multinational identity through professional photography.
The "Soul of Russia. ProSmysly" competition is organised by the House of the Peoples of Russia with the support of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of Russia. Project partners include Roscongress, Sistema Charitable Foundation, the National Centre RUSSIA, PSB Bank, the "RU.Location" project and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.
Event photobank
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