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

On the program :

•The Open ceremony of the Children’s Art

Exhibition “The World of Family and Religion”
Participants:
-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 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.
 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 Children Artworks’ Contest and Temporary

Exhibition “What Is Life? It’s Water!”

October 2009 – March 2010

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

The exhibition included four

divisions:
“Holy Water”,
“Water in Tales, Myths
and Legends”,
“Water in the Bible Scenes”,
“Underwater Kingdom”
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”
 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.).

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

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.

Participants from another regions of the

Russian Federation – more than 500
people.

Organizations – 241.

More than 500 artworks of the creative

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.

 Project Participants:

• 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”
 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.
 Categories

– The Host of Heaven (patrons and guardians of the Motherland, peoples,

regions, cities and etc.: saints, legends and myths heroes).

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

Motherland).

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

– My Hero (guardians, patrons or protectors of a particular family, house or a

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.