Dialogue of Centuries: First World War and Peace of Today

In the history of civilization there are a number of milestones that are events dramatically changing the course of fate. For the descendants to understand what has changed and where the path of humanity has turned the distance of a hundred years might be necessary. The events are reaching us through historical works, chronicle, memoirs of contemporaries. But nothing better than literature and art can transfer the spirit of time, its aspirations and despair, mistakes and discoveries and of course images of living people and life itself.

The First World War is one of such milestones. It was the epoch of modernist style … industrialization, urbanization, secularization, new literature and art, development of state institutions, entrance of masses into public life, rationalist reorganization of life. And suddenly comes the war …

The anniversary of the beginning of the First World War is an occasion to look back into the near past and understand why we were at the crossroads. Without the War the Revolution, Civil War, white and red terror and all the range of following trials would not have happened. But this epoch is not only the War, it is a cultural challenge as well. It is so close that in every family and every generation we feel its influence.

PROJECT GOALS:

• Increase the interest of society to literature and arts, international classics, their role in cultural and spiritual search for answers to challenges of past and present times.
• Link the generations through history, traditional values, common artistic and cultural and educational activities.
• Link artistic people and organizations to create a common cultural space.
• Help young people see that war and violence are not the way out of difficult situations, and do not solve neither local, nor global problems, to the contrary aggravating them.

Young artists and experienced masters from different countries will take place in the project. Artists will work at places of war events, as well as create compositions on the given topic. Graphic artists will create a series of illustrations to world classic books, depicting the epoch of the First World War. In the course of summer artistic workshops project participants will get to know the events of the war, history and culture of the beginning of the XXth century - philosophy, literature, art. A series of mobile art exhibitions will be the results of the artists’ work.

At the same time a museum-library programme will be prepared. Its aim is to prepare a cycle of  cultural and educational events, accompanying the mobile exhibitions: book expositions, literary readings, musical evenings, demonstration of video and photo presentations, chronicle and art films, theatrical performances, presentations by historians, philosophers, literary critics, scientists, discussions and debates.

MAIN PROJECT EVENTS:

• international summer artistic workshops;
• exhibition committee work on the final exposition;
• informational workshop for library and museum employees;
• a number of mobile exhibitions and cultural and educational events in museums and libraries;
• literary readings.

Leaning on the artistic forces and initiative of participants and partners in the regions, the Project plans to cover a wide CIS and other countries audience and provide public response to the given topic.

The Project is open to suggestions and initiatives. If you are interested in the topic, share the goals of the Project and want to cooperate, please, contact Project Coordinator Natalia SVIATKINA by phone: +375 29 667 57 80, +375 17 210 00 62 or by e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .