On 12 October, the inaugural «Hommage. Watch Russia» award ceremony was held at the Yermolova Theatre on Tverskaya Street. The historic building in the heart of Moscow gathered individuals whose work spans various corners of the country, from Kolomna and Suzdal to Nikola-Lenivets and Nizhny Novgorod.
A French hommage originally denoted a ritual of acknowledging vassal dependency, but over time it has come to mean respect and gratitude. At «Hommage. Watch Russia,» the magazine honoured its heroes, who in turn named the teachers, colleagues, and friends without whom their projects would not have been possible.
The hall was filled to capacity, listening to Vadim Eilenkrig. To the sounds of his trumpet, a golden logo of the award—a stylised letter «O», a circle from which stars seemed to fly—rotated against the violet backdrop of the stage. The stage lighting was also golden.
Setting aside his instrument, Eilenkrig assumed the role of host. He led with the same gentleness as he played: attentively listening, catching jokes, and supporting those who were nervous. The musician, educator, and host of «Club Shabolovka, 37» found himself among peers. Guests invited each other to exhibitions, reminisced about joint projects, and thanked friends in the audience. One could step up for an award even without formal attire.
Watch Russia’s publisher Maria Soboleva explained that she wanted to organise a ceremony of gratitude: «It’s important to say thank you in a timely manner.» Thus, the programme brought together museum affairs, theatre, architecture, design, education, and charity. The laureates, ranging from VDNKh to a small Kolomna manufactory, had much in common: the search for like-minded people, engagement with the audience, and the need to continue their endeavours year after year.
The first to receive awards were VDNH and the All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts, winners of the «Homage to the Place» accolade. They were represented by Elena Zhuk, the First Deputy General Director of VDNH, and Tatiana Rybkina, the museum’s director. VDNH recently hosted the «Art of the Stage» exhibition, which was prepared by 32 museums from 12 cities. The Museum of Decorative Arts holds a collection of over a quarter of a million artworks.
Representatives from Suzdal and Kolomna attended the «Homage to the Land» event. Dmitry Myshkin, the artistic director of the «Haymaking» premiere theatre festival, spoke about Suzdal: here, the performance is inseparable from the location where it takes place, the landscape becomes part of the production, and the audience becomes a participant.
Natalia Bakushina and Marina Volkova, who established the «Fragrant Delights» museum factory in Kolomna, discovered their niche in the history of soap-making ten years ago by reviving ancient recipes.
Architect Anton Kochurkin, curator of the «Archstoyanie» festival of landscape objects, has been honoured with the «Homage to Design» award. In Nikola-Lenivets, art has transformed the everyday life of the village: locals participate in creating installations, work in the art park, and host visitors. Kochurkin spoke of his next challenge – to create architecture that enhances human well-being.
The creators of the exhibition project «Tryn*Trava. Contemporary Russian Style,» Elina Tuktamisheva, Svetlana Popova, and Irina Bat’kova, recalled initial scepticism: Russian style was deemed unnecessary in Russia. Now, they are hosting their ninth exhibition. Its participants explore crafts and traditional materials for ideas applicable to contemporary objects.
Natalya Shastik, Editor-in-Chief of Watch Russia, introducing the «Homage to Culture,» described the laureates as messengers of light. Dmitry Breitenbicher, Deputy Chairman of the VTB Bank Board, upon receiving his award for the educational project about writers, «Classics. The Unfabricated Life,» remarked that he had not been introduced in such a manner before.
Julia Petrova, the director of the Museum of Russian Impressionism, was delighted to receive the award in its inaugural year, before it had become commonplace. This year also marked the museum’s tenth anniversary. Meanwhile, Elena Kharlamova, director of the Arkhangelskoye Museum-Reserve, arrived with colleagues and asked the audience to give them a round of applause. Oleg Lipovetsky, the artistic director of the Shalom Theatre, who received the award alongside his theatre, also started with his team, apologizing that listing all 137 employees by name would take too long.
However, his speech also made room for Yana Tumina, who directed the play «LEAR», and for friends who stay by his side during failures, and for his mother, who keeps an eye on his attire at important events. And for his wife, who looks after everything else. «Let’s bring light together,» Lipovetsky suggested, concluding with a wish for peace and a toast to life.
«May I be the third conductor of light?» asked Eilenkrig.
The Moscow Theatre of Young Spectators and its chief director, Pyotr Shereshevsky, were next to be honoured. He dedicated the award to his mentor, Irina Malochevskaya, with whom he had dined that day. She had told him, «Petya, I read about your successes, and it makes me feel a bit better.»
Actress Nelli Uvarova received the «Homage to Initiative» award for her social project «Naive? Very.» For nearly 16 years, its workshops have employed artists with developmental features, who create and sell their artwork. Yet even now, Uvarova admits, «every day we start as if from scratch.»
Faina Zakharova, the president of the Lifeline Charity Foundation, proposed presenting the results of 22 years of work: according to her, more than 75,000 children have received assistance. She also thanked her colleagues in the room.
The «Direct Speech» lecture series and the Russian Academic Youth Theatre (RAMT) with its educational projects were recognised for their contributions to enlightenment. Svetlana Bolshakova, co-founder of the lecture series, was recognised among guests, lecturers, and listeners alike. At RAMT, the interaction continues after the performance: in clubs and the editorial office of «RAMTograph», audiences learn to write about theatre and articulate their opinions.
Actress Alena Babenko presented an award to Veronika Vyatkina, co-founder and producer of the cultural charity festival «Star of Christmas.» During her speech, Babenko addressed Nelli Uvarova, saying, «If you need anything, I’m always here for you.»
At the ALFA HUMAN International Festival of Art, Music, and Science, Anastasia Razumovskaya represented the event. Upon receiving her award, she asked for a round of applause for Nizhny Novgorod and invited guests to the next season of the festival.
In the «Homage to Dialogue» category, the connections between the award participants became absolutely tangible. The first exhibitions of contemporary Russian art «SVOYASI», created by Natalia Yustitskaya, were hosted by the Museum of Decorative Arts. The same institution was thanked by the creators of the children’s project «Tryn*Travy». The museum garden was the venue for the «Russian KoT» arts festival, for which art director Maria Galperina was awarded. The architectural concept was developed by Kochurkin’s «8 Lines» bureau.
Sergei Gorkov, upon receiving an award for the Russian-Arab Business Council which he chairs, suggested we «build bridges, not walls.» The international arts festival «Inspiration» embodies this ethos on the theatrical stage by bringing troupes from other countries to VDNKh. This summer, the venue hosted theatre companies and dancers from China, India, and Chile. Gestures and movements allowed audiences to follow the performances without the need for translation. The festival’s general producer, Artur Grigoryants, thanked his mentor Alexander Popov and the team, before joining in a light-hearted jest about lighting: since the role of a conductor was taken, there was always room for a «semiconductor.»
Vladislav Shulaev, who presented the award to the nationwide theatrical programme «Big Tours», spoke about the distances and barriers within the country and about the programme that helps overcome them: audiences see performances from other theatres in their own city. The award was accepted by Vladimir Cherkasov, head of the touring programmes department at Rosconcert. Among the participants of the programme, he mentioned the Yermolova Theatre.
The latest to be honoured were musician and producer Stas Namin and composer Maxim Dunayevsky – recipients of the «Homage to the Elder» award. Dunayevsky shared that in his youth he worked without any awards, but now they come one after another. So, one must live a long life – at least for the sake of awards, if they are needed.
In the finale, Eilenkrig invited all the laureates onto the stage, beneath a golden «O». «And it became apparent how individual work over time becomes collective,» he said. After such an evening, Kochurkin’s desire to help people «rid themselves of neuroses» seemed entirely achievable. At the very least, there was an increase in calmness and confidence.
