subscribe to news Winter Fairytale has come to Expocentre

On the threshold of New Year, the 25^th edition of the Ladya. Winter Fairytale exhibition of Russian arts and crafts traditionally opened its doors at Expocentre Fairgrounds. The fair is organized by the Russian Handicraft and Art Association and supported by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Expocentre AO is a co-organizer of Ladya 2018 and Transneft is General Sponsor of the fair.

At the opening ceremony Chairman of the Board of the Russian Handicraft and Art Association Gennady Drozhzhin read a welcome address to the participants, organizers and visitors to Ladya 2018 from President of Russia Vladimir Putin. "Your trade fair, that brings together skilled craftsmen, painters, artisans, and talented people from different regions of Russia, always arouses keen interest in Moscovites and visitors to the capital, introduces strong age-old traditions of arts and crafts, and provides an opportunity to learn better authentic culture of our large multi-ethnic country," pointed out the head of the state.

The attendees listened to the welcome address from Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matvienko who, in her turn, emphasized the importance of activities aimed at preservation, revival, and development of arts and crafts in our country.

Other officials who took part in the opening ceremony said that Ladya had always been a great festival of folk arts. The participants in Winter Fairytale 2018 are more than 1,600 folk craft companies, artistic associations, and self-employed craftsmen from 68 regions of Russia. Well known folk art centres showcase their best works. They are Khokhloma and Gorodets paintings on wood, Gzhel and Kislovodsk porcelain, Veliky Ustyug niello silver, Rostov enamels, Vologda and Yelets laces, weapons of Zlatoust and Moscow smiths, artistic weaving, embroidery, and many others.

This time Ladya is arranged in a new format and located in five halls of Pavilion No.2. The first hall features wares on a sectoral basis: porcelain and ceramics, lacquer painting, artistic wood and bone carving, metal painting, artistic weaving, metal and leather working, crystal and glass processing, plus many others. City of Craftsmen opens the secrets of professional skills: leading artists and craftsmen demonstrate ancient techniques.

In the second hall more than 30 regions of Russia will present group stands and acquaint visitors with local history and traditions. The third hall consists of the creativity platform for young craftsmen, painters, and designers showcasing unique author's works.

The fourth hall features Education Forum where teachers and students can take part in workshops free-of-charge. It is particularly important for young talented people who try to engage themselves with arts and crafts. And, finally, the fifth hall hosts entertaining and educational platform with interesting workshops on different kinds of arts and crafts for younger visitors.

Ladya. Winter Fairytale 2018 runs from December 19 through 23.