Moscow, Russia—UPF-Russia held a webinar dedicated to both the UN International Day of Peace and the Year of Folk Art and Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of Russia.
The online conference, which was held on September 28, 2022, attracted about 1,000 viewers.
The moderator, UPF-Moscow Chair Dmitry Samko, said that in difficult times this year of folk art and cultural heritage is especially significant for the general public.
In her welcoming address, Maria Nazarova, the head of UPF-Russia, noted the importance of the projects that UPF’s International Association of Arts and Culture for Peace (IAACP) undertakes. Mrs. Nazarova also presented a short summary of the Theory of Art from the Unification Philosophy.
The main speakers were two artists and Ambassadors for Peace from the city of Samara: Ekaterina Samitina and Olga Beketova. They talked about the creative path, motivation and inspiration from creating paintings and holding exhibitions. They also mentioned how important it is now to share something beautiful and to build bridges of friendship and understanding through art. The two artists are planning many more projects, and they are inviting all caring artists to participate.
Well-known Israeli artist Irina Markova-Chagall gave the closing remarks. Her works are in public institutions and private collections around the world. Like her famous relative Marc Chagall, Irina Markova-Chagall generously donates her works and actively participates in social activities. In her remarks she focused on the recent International Day of Peace and the need for public diplomacy to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.