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Ladya’2009: socially significant project, vital for the development of folk arts and crafts

On 9–13 December 2009 Expocentre hosted an ever successful exhibition and fair for Russian Arts and Crafts Ladya’2009. The exhibition and fair, organized by the Russian Handicraft and Art Association with the support of the Government of Moscow, was held for the 8^th time. Over the years Ladya has become a major event, featuring folk arts and crafts, that attract attention not only of specialists but of general public as well; and the most convincing evidence to that is the show floor crowded with visitors throughout all five exhibition days. For many years Expocentre has been taking part in organizing Ladya exhibition and fair and rendering all possible support to this socially significant project, vital for the development of folk arts and crafts, and for the Russian culture.

Every Ladya exhibition and fair has a great public response. Ladya’2009 received welcome addresses from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Prime-Minister Alexandr Zhukov, RF Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko, Minister of Culture Alexandr Avdeyev, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, governors and other federal and regional government officials.

The opening ceremony of Ladya’2009 was attended by presidential aide Yury Laptev, President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Evgeny Primakov, Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Svetlana Zhurova, Secretary of State and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Sergei Naumov, Deputy Minister of Culture Andrei Busygin and other high-ranking officials.

The exhibition was visited by officials from federal ministries and agencies, heads of executive bodies of the Russian subjects and foreign diplomatic missions.

Ladya keeps surprising the participants with diversity, originality and richness of its exposition. This year it presented over 600 world-renowned craft enterprises and individual craftsmen from 60 Russia’s regions, as well as state educational institutions preparing craftsmen and artists for the craft enterprises.

The central display of the exhibition featured several thematic areas, such as: ‘Moscow’, ‘St. Petersburg’, Orthodoxy in the works of Russian craftsmen’, ‘Preserving traditions of the folk arts’, ‘Folk toys’, ‘Russian hunting. Traditions and modern times’. These themes became the nominations of the Russian contest, the results of which were announced on the last exhibition day. The exhibition also incorporated an award ceremony of the Russian contest for the Young Talents’2009 Award held by the Russian Handicraft and Art Association.

The whole atmosphere of Ladya’2009 was creative. The ‘Town of Craftsmen’ section featured leading artists and craftsmen from craft enterprises showing their art. Alongside the works of renowned experts, the exhibition put on display the works of students and graduates from educational institutions, preparing specialists for folk arts and crafts enterprises.

The 2009 edition of Ladya exhibition was the first to host the Felt Festival. Every exhibition day saw fashion shows of clothes, produced by crafts enterprises and students of vocational educational institutions, and concerts of folk ensembles. The visitors of the exhibition were able to take part in tastings, tea parties and other interesting and exciting events.

Additionally, Ladya’2009 became a platform to discuss topical issues facing crafts enterprises. The exhibition incorporated workshops addressing challenges in business activity of the enterprises. Leading artists and prominent specialists in folk arts and crafts reported on production technologies and artistic devices, as well as on development trends in the Russian folk arts and crafts.

Ladya is the only specialized exhibition in Russia, most comprehensively presenting Russia’s world-renowned regions of folk arts and crafts. Ladya’2009 has definitely made its contribution to preserving the Russian folk crafts and to developing Russia’s folk arts and multinational culture.

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