PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

June 15, 2007

Moscow, Kremlin

Welcome Address to Participants and Guests of Festivities in Honor of the 250th Anniversary of the Russian Academy of Arts

Dear participants of the jubilee General Assembly, Dear friends,

I congratulate you with a significant date – the 250th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Arts.

This jubilee is a big event for home fine arts, for the entire Russian culture. The Academy fostered by prominent state figures, great scientists and artists has united powerful creative forces, laid the foundations to the system of art education, played an outstanding role in establishing provincial art schools, institutions, museums and in search of talents who glorified this country.

Such fruitful enlightenment, remarkable teaching, tutorial traditions and surely an invaluable legacy of noted masters of painting and architecture are the achievements that the Russian Academy of Arts is especially proud of.

I am confident, that in future the Academy will duly serve lofty humane ideals of art as well as set high aesthetic and moral guiding lines.

I wish you inspiration, new successes and all the best.

Vladimir Putin

 

PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA ALEXY

June 15, 2007 5 Chistiy Pereulok, Moscow
N4599

President of the Russian Academy of Arts Zurab K. Tsereteli

Dear Zurab Konstantinovitch,

I sincerely congratulate you with a remarkable date – the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Through its history, the Imperial, now Russian Academy of Arts has made an invaluable contribution to the rich Russian culture, to the development and preservation of national traditions, spiritual and moral alliance of fraternal peoples of the Russian Federation. It is proved by permanent interest of a wide circle of viewers in works of art displayed in the biggest museum and exhibition halls in Moscow, CIS countries and in the world.

These days, problems of preservation of Russian culture, national art school are of major significance. And I am happy to be aware that many modern artists in their artworks continue the traditions of Russian art and through their creative activity promote moral development of modern Russian society in the spirit of Christian values.

The Russian Orthodox Church has always cherished and is cherishing artists, who dedicate their works to spiritual topics, decorate cathedrals and convents, preserve and increase our national spiritual and cultural legacy.

Congratulating the Russian Academy of Arts headed by you with this jubilee, I express my hope, that in future, on the basis of its 250-year traditions, it will train remarkable artists, keep up traditions and precepts of our great predecessors, will evolve modern art basing on Christian morality.

I am calling God’s blessing on You and Your work!

Sincerely yours,

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia