About Watch Russia
The mission of any business is to create, to improve the world, and to enable others to create. To do so in one’s own country is always great, of course. Members of the community and Noôdome club space firmly believe this. Here’s how they explore the Russian cultural code and support contemporary national art.
The Noôdome community emerged at a pivotal time when the entire world was undergoing a transformation. Today, in 2025, the COVID-19 pandemic seems like a bizarre dream but, back then, the planet, possibly for the first time in history, was unified by a common calamity. Loneliness and detachment from life prompted awareness of our mutual importance. The need to be close, exchange thoughts and ideas, and inspire one another became paramount. In response, in 2019, social entrepreneurs Veronica Zonebend and Ruben Vardanyan founded Noôdome.
Although the pandemic came to an end, the community persisted. Noôdome united a diverse group of individuals: businesspeople, actors, musicians, scientists, NGO representatives, and others. The cornerstones of this community are shared values aimed at improving the world around them. These values include succession, cultural dialogue across generations, respect for history, and territorial development. Here, words translate into action.
Noôdome accom-modates five specialized laboratories supported by the community’s leaders. These labs focus on topics ranging from NGOs and philanthropy to education, territorial development, partnerships, and cultural codes. In the Cultural Code Lab, participants engage with artists, creators, and business people to discuss the broader meanings and origins of Russian cultural identity: how our cultural-symbolic field develops, differs across generations, and influences individuals. These discussions not only help clarify the country’s culture but also foster personal growth and inspiration.
The Laboratory for Territorial Development is one of the most active topics within Noôdome. Its participants are concerned primarily with preserving historical heritage in Russian regions. Importantly, this involves not only Moscow and its surroundings but also other areas: the Urals, North, South, the Volga Region, etc. Group members share their experiences, discussing both successful cases and problematic spots. Gathered here are architects, artists, investors, and cultural figures seeking joint solutions for troubled properties, such as dilapidated estates. They also work to breathe new life into historical sites through contemporary art.
Incidentally, a separate programme track in Noôdome is dedicated to this precise topic. Within this framework, community members and invited experts discuss, for example, how art can transform urban spaces and become a new attraction point. The first meeting within this topic took place in April 2025 and focused on public art. The discussants included Ilsiyar Tukhvatullina, chief architect of Kazan; Oleg Berkovich, Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region; artist Grigory Orekhov, founder of the Vyksa new urban culture festival and artist Sabina Chagina, a participant in Noôdome. Needless to say, this was not the first such event. Local art processes are regularly discussed at Noôdome in various formats: be it a business breakfast on the relationship between art and business or an open conversation with popular TV host Andrey Malakhov, who is better known in Noôdome as a community member actively developing his hometown of Apatity.
Special bonds link Noôdome with Nizhny Novgorod. The residence of one of its ambassadors, Artyom Filatov, founder and head of the Tikhaia studio, is located here. In 2023, he was named Artist of the Year by Cosmoscow but he became an ambassador of Noôdome even earlier. Another link tying Noôdome to Nizhny Novgorod is art historian and curator Marina Loshak, also an ambassador of the community. She helped to organize several exhibitions in this city so, together with the Region’s Deputy Governor Oleg Berkovich, participated in discussions in 2023 about how establishing a creative cluster helped the city and Region rediscover themselves. Ultimately, Nizhny Novgorod serves as a prime example of how a city steeped in history not only preserves its heritage but stays modern, so is rightfully dubbed one of Russia’s street-art capitals.
Noôdome integrates contemporary Russian art into its space and considers supporting Russian craftspeople integral to its identity. That is why the local interiors, famous for their exceptional photogenicity, feature many subtle yet surprisingly aesthetic details. So Noôdome supports and promotes local brands.
One of the most familiar and striking elements is, of course, the renowned creations by designer Denis Milovanov, a member of the Noôdome community. His distinctive and instantly recognizable furniture adorns several locations. The most remarkable piece is a big dining table made from a 200-year-old oak.
Linen fabrics used during private dinners and in negotiation studios are produced at a factory with a history of a century-and-a-half. They were introduced to the space by Alexandra Falishtynskaya, a community member. She not only manufactures linen fabrics but also establishes a dialogue between tradition and modernity by collaborating with artists and craftsmen.
Another iconic detail in Noôdome’s interior is unusual furniture made of birch bark, which has become a symbol of this space. Its creator is designer Anastasia Koshcheyeva from Siberia. Svetoch birch bark lamps by Moya brand adorn the Noôcafé restaurant, creating a unique warm atmosphere.
And here, in the restaurant, you can also find tableware from Russian manufacturers. For example, tea sets by Dymov Ceramics created by community friends Vadim Dymov and Yevgenia Zelenskaya. These ceramics are produced in Suzdal, a city that Vadim and Yevgenia help develop and refer to as their place of strength. Furthermore, each table features porcelain napkin holders, pepper shakers and salt cellars created by Maria Myasishcheva, a Moscow-based artist and great-granddaughter of the renowned aircraft engineer Vladimir Myasishchev.
Perhaps one of the most recognizable and eye-catching elements in Noôdome’s interior is Andrey Budko’s famous handmade Hear My Roooar rug. With its vibrant patterns and unusual six-legged leopard motif, it transforms the fifth floor space.
Beyond works by Russian designers, Noôdome frequently hosts entire exhibitions of contemporary Russian art. Over several seasons, the Mirror exhibition has gone through multiple iterations. Organized collaboratively with the LOBBY Moscow art-concierges, the project consists of contributions by community members themselves, forming a collective portrait of them.
Currently, one Noôdome floor features the Imago Mundi exhibition, showcasing works by contemporary Russian artist Darya Konovalova-Infante. She describes her series as illustrations of universal human history captured in singular episodes.
Another way Noôdome supports Russian craftsmen and artists is through its Noôselection programme. Community members select like-minded partners aligned with their values, be it makers of Russian delicacies or friendly museums. Examples include Artyom Filatov’s Tikhaia studio from Nizhny Novgorod and the Poltory Komnaty St. Petersburg museum. Additionally, each year the community draws up a universal wish-list of original gifts for its members. Typically, a significant portion of this list consists of items crafted by Russian artisans, such as jewellery by Russian designers, wooden children’s toys, products from the Krestetskaya Strochka Novgorod fabric factory, Russian china, and clothes from the Granny’s project, handmade by women over 60 from across Russia. Many of these items are unique, one-off creations linked to Russian culture and traditions.
Noôdome proudly boasts its own restaurant occupying almost the entire fifth floor of the Romanov Lane space. Named Noôcafé, it caters exclusively to community members and their guests. Specializing in Russian culinary traditions and modern reinterpretations of classic dishes, the restaurant prioritizes seasonal and farm-to-table specialties prepared using local ingredients. Adhering to locavorism principles, Noôcafé sources foods produced in the vicinity. The restaurant’s chef enjoys reinterpreting historical and culinary legacies, serving traditional dishes with a twist.
Good wine complements delicious meals. Accordingly, Noôcafé offers a separate and quite impressive selection of Russian wines. Composed of several dozen labels from various regions, from Kuban and Crimea to the Rostov Region, the wine list was thoughtfully curated by the restaurant’s sommelier.
The community originated from travel. Each summer, the founders’ families and friends embarked on river cruises across Russia. These trips brought together diverse yet similar people, discovering more commonalities than expected. Shared experiences naturally bond people, leading to the conception of Noôdome.
These voyages remain an annual tradition: each summer, the community undertakes a weeklong sailing expedition rediscovering Russia. Yet, river cruising is not the sole adventure; Noôdome has developed a separate travel programme. Members intimately acquainted with specific regions arrange these excursions, offering fellow travellers a personal perspective. Whether visiting Kolomna, St. Petersburg, distant Baikal, or Apatity, each journey is accompanied by a unique narration by someone connected to the area. This approach helps participants discover their country not as mere dots on a map but as something intimate, familiar, and extraordinarily special.
