The Long-lasting Program “The World of Religion through the Children’s Eyes”

Under the program 5 projects, including contests and artworks exhibitions have been held since 2008.

The program is specially focused on the children aged 5 – 15 years.

In 2008 the first exhibition was entitled “The World of Family and Religion”.

On the program:

•The Open ceremony of the Children’s Art Exhibit ion “The World of Family and Religion”

Part icipants: -The Children Art School “Alexandrino”.-The Children Art School № 2.-K.K. Grot Board School for Children with visual impairments .-The Charitable Foundation “Kedr”.-“The Cultural Centre “Danko”.

•The “Looking Glass” Children's Musical Theatre.

“The Family’s Day at the Museum of the History of Religion”13 May 2008

The Project“The Very Beginning – The World Tree”

October 2008 – March 2009

Number of the contest’s participants: more than 600 people

The world tree represents the comprehensive concept of the world, the world model, where each being, thing and event has their own place. It’s a kind of bridge or stair to the other world, the world of gods. It unites three spheres – underworld (with evil monsters and spirits), the world (with people and animals) and heavens (with birds, good deities and spirits).

Various World Trees are recounted in various cultures:

in Egyptian (Sacred Sycamore), Norse (sacred ash Yggdrasil), Slavic, Indian, Chinese (tree with the golden cocks), Buddhist (the Bodhi tree), Jewish (the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Edem), Christian (the Tree of life) cultures and in folklore as well.

Use these interactive opportunities designed to help participants:

Museum Taught Session

“When the Trees Were Tall”

• Theory part designed to help children explore the differences in religions; discover the myths and legends about trees in various cultures. • Applied part highlighted the exhibits of the museum collection.

The first visiting classes for the students of the Art schools and board schools.

Use these interactive opportunities designed to help participants:

Resource books focused on various target groups based on the special nature of children perception

• The resource book “When the Trees Were Tall” (age 8 – 15) encouraged students to make links in descriptions of the World Tree in the myths and legends of various peoples.

• “The Fairy Tale of Prince Zakhar and the Sky-high Tree” (age 5 – 8) Make a fairy journey together with the famous characters by Alexander Pushkin and Korney Chukovsky, guess riddles and learn more research facts.

The Children Artworks’ Contest and Temporary Exhibition “What Is Life? It’s Water!”

October 2009 – March 2010

Number of the contest’s participants: more than 1 100 people, number of artworks – 420.

96 organizations of Saint-Petersburg, the Leningrad region and other regions of the Russian Federation.

The exhibition included four divisions: “Holy Water”,“Water in Tales, Myths and Legends”,“Water in the Bible Scenes”,“Underwater Kingdom”

Guided tours and programs designed to explore the role of waters in the mankind’s history and its perception in various religions.

Contest Jury

The Awarding Ceremony of the Winners and Opening Ceremony of the Exhibition “What Is Life? It’s Water!”

The exhibition interactive guided tour for the individuals “Sadko – the Risky Tour”

In 2010–2011 the National Children Artworks’ Contest and Temporary Exhibition “If There Is a Life in the Sky” were held.

October 2010 – March 2011

Number of the contest’s participants: more than 1 500 people from various regions and cities of the Russian Federation (Novy Urengoy, Kazan, Dzerzhinsk, Stary Oskol, Kaliningrad, Komsomolsk-na-Amure and etc.).

Six categories: •“The Celestials”, •“Angels above a City”, •“Cosmos”, •“Bible Scenes”, •“Sky Romance”, •“Myths, Legends and Fairy Tales”. The Family Category “Fathers and Sons” was firstly emphasized..

Contest Jury

The Awarding Ceremony of the Winners and Opening Ceremony of the Temporary Exhibition “If There Is a Life in the Sky?”

Museum Interactive session “The Beautiful Far Away”

The Virtual Contest gallery was firstly placed on the Museum web site

The Fourth National Children Artworks’ Contest and Temporary Exhibition“An Eagle, an Ox and a Lion”

October 2011 – March 2012

Total Participants – more than 1 800 people. Part icipants from another regions of the Russian Federat ion – more than 500 people.

Organizations – 241. More than 500 artworks of the creat ive teams of Saint-Petersburg, the Leningrad region and other regions of the Russian Federation.

The Contest investigated the images of animals in various cultures’ religious beliefs, mythology and folklore.

Use these interactive opportunities designed to help participants:

• Methodical plan of the guided tour “An Eagle, an Ox and a Lion” (for children aged 7 – 12 years).

• Museum game for children and parents “To Defeat the Dragon” (for children aged 7-12 years).

• Free paper and digital resources designed to help kids and parents in self-directed learning the contest’s theme out of the Museum exhibition (for children aged 10-15 years).

In 2012 the contest became the interregional project. Pereslavl-Zalesky State Historical, Architectural and Art Open-Air Museum got involved in it.

In 2012 on-line voting was firstly held on the Museum web-site. About 2 000 web-site visitors (children, teens, students, adults) voted for the best artworks on the virtual gallery “An Eagle, an Ox and a Lion”.

The Firth National Children Artworks’ Contest and Temporary Exhibition “The Hosts of Heaven and Earth”

October 2012 – October 2013.

• The State Museum of the History of Religion

• The Kizhi State Open-Air Museum

• The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan

• Pereslavl-Zalesky State Historical, Architectual and Art Open-Air

Museum

• The Russian and Finnish Project “Kalevala 21”

Project Participants:

The Contest “The Hosts of Heaven and Earth” is concerned with 1150 years of the Russian Statehood

The artworks exploring the images of guardians, patrons or protectors of a particular family, house or a

person, patrons of the Motherland (cities, regions, local cultures etc.) are welcome to the contest.

CategoriesCategories

– The Host of Heaven The Host of Heaven ((patrons and guardians of the Motherland, peoples, patrons and guardians of the Motherland, peoples, regions, cities and etc.: saints, legends and myths heroes)regions, cities and etc.: saints, legends and myths heroes). .

– The Host of Earth The Host of Earth ((historical characters – patrons and protectors of the historical characters – patrons and protectors of the Motherland). Motherland).

– Fictitious Character Fictitious Character ((characters of the world fiction, myths and legends). characters of the world fiction, myths and legends).

– My HeroMy Hero ((guardians, patrons or protectors of a particular family, house or a guardians, patrons or protectors of a particular family, house or a person, heroes of the family legends etc.). person, heroes of the family legends etc.).

Steps of the partners’ cooperation work. Project “The Hosts of Heaven and Earth”

2012-2013

3-5 October 2012 The first meeting of the parties and workshop.

18 November 2012 “The Children’s Day at the Museum” focused on the International Tolerance Day (thematic children workshops designed according to the local material by the projects’ parties).

15 October 2012 The Children Artworks’ Contest “The Hosts of Heaven and -20 January 2013 Earth”. Museum sessions, workshops, contest’s artworks.

January - February 2012 Call for Contest’s artworks.

Spring – Autumn 2013 Temporary exhibitions in Saint-Petersburg, Petrozavodsk, Kazan, Pereslavl-Zalesky, Finland.