The 15th exhibition of photographs ‘St Petersburg in the world, the world in St Petersburg...’ held online
The 15th annual exhibition of photographs ‘St Petersburg in the world, the world in StPetersburg...’ has opened in the Tauride Palace – the headquarters of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the CIS Member Nations. The exhibition presents the best works of students from Russian and foreign universities. In order to counter the spread of the novel coronavirus infection, the exhibition is also presented online.
The photo contest, which resulted in the organisation of the exhibition, had entries from: foreign citizens, including representatives of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States; and Russian students from St Petersburg University and other educational institutions of higher education in St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
In total, about 500 works were submitted. The members of the professional jury shortlisted 49 of the best works for the final of the contest and the exhibition. The winners were identified in five nominations: ‘The City over the Free Neva...’; ‘The glimpses of student life...’; ‘Friendship without borders’; ‘Multinational St Petersburg’; ‘My remote house’.
This year, students from nine universities in St Petersburg and from seven foreign countries took part in the contest: the Republic of Estonia; the Republic of Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan; the Kyrgyz Republic; Mongolia; the People's Republic of China; as well as from various regions of the Russian Federation (Tatarstan, Magadan).
Aleksandr Belenkii is Chairman of the professional jury and Assistant Professor at St Petersburg University. He noted that the performance level is improving every year and that among the photographs presented by students there are many really high-level photographs made with an unusual technique.
Vladimir Savinov, Head of the Department for Youth Affairs, emphasised that the photo contest is being held for the 15th jubilee time. However, this in no way affects the variety of photographs.
The photographs are always new, there are many of them. The stream of student consciousness, emotions and impressions, which students are ready to translate into their photographs, does not exhaust.
Vladimir Savinov, Head of the Department for Youth Affairs at St Petersburg University
Elena Kuzina, Deputy Head of the IPA CIS Council Secretariat, drew attention to the international composition of the contest entry list and expressed hope for its further expansion. ‘I would like to wish that there were as many participants from the Commonwealth countries as possible,’ stressed Elena Kuzina.
Aleksei Silkin is First Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Interethnic Relations and Migration Policy in St Petersburg. He compared the current trends to capture the surrounding life and post photos on social networking services with keeping a diary. He also suggested that photographs such as those featured in the exhibition can make up an urban photo chronicle. ‘Traditionally, many students from other regions and countries study in St Petersburg, and they help us, those who have lived here for a long time, to look at our city in a new way,’ says Aleksei Silkin.
St Petersburg University organised the exhibition and timed it to coincide with the International Day for Tolerance. The event is also supported by: the Council Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS Council Secretariat); and the Council of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
Winners
- Sofia Aul, the winner in the nomination ‘My remote house’ (Russia, St Petersburg University)
- Ruimeng Xu, the winner in the nomination ‘The City over the Free Neva…’ (the PRC, St Petersburg University)
- Mariia Khugashvili, the winner in the nomination ‘The glimpses of student life...’ (Russia, St Petersburg University)
- Mikhail Bokov, the winner in the nomination ‘Friendship without borders’ (Russia, St Petersburg University of the Russian Interior Ministry)
- Marina Nilova, the winner in the nomination ‘Multinational St Petersburg’ (Russia, St Petersburg University)
- Sergei Nazarliev, the special prize for ‘St Petersburg is a city of youth’ (the Kyrgyz Republic, North-West Institute of Management of the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration)
- Aliia Usmanova, the special prize ‘For disclosing the topic of interethnic relations in different nominations’ (Russia, St Petersburg University)
- Elena Medvedeva, the special prize ‘For developing an interesting obscure subject: training future keepers of the law’ (Russia, St Petersburg University of the Russian Interior Ministry)