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People, Places, Initiatives: Watch Russia Awards the «Hommage» Prize for the First Time

The first «Hommage. Watch Russia» ceremony took place at the Yermolova Theatre, honouring individuals, places, and initiatives that shape the cultural environment of the country. Among the awardees were Maxim Dunayevsky, Stas Namin, VDNKh, the Museum of Russian Impressionism, Archstoyanie, Shalom Theatre, the «Naive? Very» project, the Russian-Arab Business Council, and many others.

© Hommage. Watch Russia Award

Translated with AI assistance

On 12 October, the M.N. Yermolova Moscow Drama Theater hosted the inaugural ceremony of the «Hommage. Watch Russia» awards. The event brought together representatives from theatres and museums, design and charity, architecture and gastronomy, local manufacturing, cultural festivals, and international initiatives.

The foundation of the award is the desire to recognise individuals and projects that not only achieve professional success but also create a new environment around them: they preserve and reinterpret heritage, develop territories, find a contemporary language for culture and design, initiate new social projects, and build connections between people, cities, and countries.

«In preparing materials for Watch Russia magazine, we pay special attention to themes that present a new Russia – one that cannot be encapsulated by a few familiar images. It is composed of very different stories – from theatre in Arkhangelsk, the new life of historic architecture, contemporary object design, small local production, to international festivals. The laureates of the first ‘Hommage’ precisely showcase this vast, vibrant and modern country,» says Natalia Shastik, Editor-in-Chief of Watch Russia.

The award encompassed six main categories – «Homage to Place», «Homage to the Land», «Homage to Culture», «Homage to Design», «Homage to Initiative», and «Homage to Dialogue». A separate honorary category was «Homage to the Elders» – awarded to individuals whose longstanding contributions to culture remain significant today.

We present the winners of the Award in each category.

Tribute to the Elder

• Maxim Dunayevsky – for his outstanding contribution to Russian culture.
• Stas Namin – for his outstanding contribution to Russian culture.

A Tribute to the Place

• Elena Zhuk, VDNKh – for transforming a historical heritage into a vibrant cultural space.
• Tatyana Rybkina, All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts – for preserving and contemporarily interpreting Russian artistic crafts and material culture.

Tribute to the Land

• Dmitry Myshkin, Senokos Theatre Festival – for transforming the land of Suzdal into a space for contemporary art and live theatrical dialogue.
• Natalia Bakushina and Marina Volkova, Dushistyia Radosti Museum and Manufactory – for reviving the traditions of Kolomna craftsmanship.

A Tribute to Design

• Anton Kochurkin, International Festival of Landscape Objects «Archstoyanie» – for a new understanding of the connection between architecture, art, and landscape.
• Elina Tuktamisheva, Svetlana Popova, and Irina Batkova, «Tryn*Trava. Contemporary Russian Style» – for shaping the modern language of Russian object design.

A Tribute to Culture

• Yulia Petrova, Museum of Russian Impressionism – for a fresh perspective on Russian art.
• Elena Kharlamova, Arkhangelskoye Museum-Reserve – for preserving the artistic landscape of a Russian estate.
• Dmitry Breitenbicher, VTB, the documentary series «Classics. The Unimagined Life» – for reintroducing Russian classical literature into the realm of vibrant cultural dialogue.
• Oleg Lipovetsky, Shalom Theatre – for a contemporary theatrical discussion on culture, memory, and identity.
• Petr Shereshevsky, MTYUZ – for transforming the theatre stage into a space for intellectual dialogue.

A Tribute to the Initiative

• Nelli Uvarova, project «Naive? Very» – for transforming art into a space for professional realisation and social integration.
• Faina Zakharova, Lifeline Charity Fund – for her outstanding contribution to Russian philanthropy.
• Marina Brusnikina, Kirill Rybkin, Alla Lisitsina, and Olga Bigildinskaya, educational projects of the Russian Academic Youth Theatre – for nurturing a new generation of theatre-goers.
• Svetlana Bolshakova, «Direct Speech» lecture series – for fostering a culture of public discourse and restoring the lecture as an intellectual event.
• Veronika Vyatkina, «Star of Christmas» charity festival – for preserving the Christmas tradition and its vibrant continuation in contemporary culture.
• Razumovskaya, Alfa Human International Arts Festival – for creating a space for artistic dialogue and supporting contemporary culture.

A Tribute to Dialogue

• Natalia Yustitskaya, «Svoyasi» project – for exploring the Russian cultural code through the language of contemporary art.
• Sergey Gorkov, Russian-Arab Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia – for fostering sustainable dialogue between Russia and the Arab world.
• Artur Grigoryants, «Inspiration» International Arts Festival – for transforming art into a space for international cultural dialogue.
• Maria Galperina, «Russian Kot» Arts Festival – for a new interpretation of Russian tradition in contemporary artistic practices.
• Vladimir Cherkasov, «Big Tours» program – for creating a unified theatrical space in Russia and developing cultural dialogue between regions.

«I think it’s important that people from completely different professions and generations have come together on the same stage. Usually, we view culture, business, charity, design, and regional development as separate worlds. But a modern country is created precisely at the intersection of these efforts. The Watch Russia ‘Ommage’ Award allows us to see them together – and to understand how much today happens thanks to the personal initiative of specific individuals,» says Watch Russia publisher Maria Soboleva.

The inaugural «Hommage. Watch Russia» award brought together in one space actors and musicians, museum directors and filmmakers, designers and restaurateurs, philanthropists, festival creators, and individuals dedicated to developing Russian regions and international relations. It is from such diverse stories that the image of modern Russia, as portrayed on the pages of Watch Russia magazine, is composed.

The strategic partner for the inaugural «Ommage. Watch Russia» Award was the theatrical PR agency «Tri Sestry», with the communication partner being the PR agency Agenda. The ceremony’s partners included Lotte Hotel Moscow – a luxurious five-star hotel in the heart of Moscow; RBG Russian Beauty Guru – a Russian decorative cosmetics brand created by makeup artists and made in Russia; KIOKO – a premium tea with a Japanese essence; and CAT – a travel design laboratory offering comfort and service even in the most challenging expeditions.

«Hommage. Watch Russia» is a tribute to the people, places, and projects to which we owe thanks.