“Here is a letter to Andrei Karlovich R., my old comrade and friend. You are going to Orenburg to serve under his command…” A.S. Pushkin, “The Captain’s Daughter.”

The Ministry of Culture of the Orenburg region and the State Autonomous Institution “Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts” have announced the children’s drawing contest “Pushkin goes to Orenburg” with the following themes: portraits and images of Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, his journey and stay in Orenburg, as well as illustrations and improvisations based on the works “The Captain’s Daughter” and “The History of the Pugachev Rebellion.”

The contest will be held from the announcement date until September 1, 2023. Children aged 6 to 17 are invited to participate.

A creative jury will determine the winners in three age groups:

– Group 1: ages 6 to 9;

– Group 2: ages 10 to 13;

– Group 3: ages 14 to 17.

Each participant can submit up to 5 works, which they can send all at once or in several stages before the submission deadline.

The requirements for the artworks include the following conditions: original works executed on paper, cardboard, or canvas of any size, but not smaller than A4 (200×300 mm). Any techniques and materials are allowed, such as colored pencils, watercolors, tempera, acrylic, oil, wax crayons, markers, ink, collage, appliqué, mosaic, and digital graphics. Soft graphic materials such as pastels, charcoal, sanguine, sepia, and sauce should be securely fixed. The works must be independently created by the children without the assistance of parents or educators.

The presentation of the works also has requirements: each work must be signed on the reverse side (by hand or with a printed label). The reverse side should include the participant’s surname, first name, patronymic, age, contact phone number, full name of one of the parents or legal representatives, residential address, title of the work, year of creation, materials used, and technique.

All submitted works may be exhibited at events dedicated to the 225th anniversary of A.S. Pushkin’s birth, on exhibition platforms in Orenburg, the Orenburg region, Russia, and at platforms of Rossotrudnichestvo abroad. They may also be published on the social media platforms of Rossotrudnichestvo, the Ministry of Culture of the Orenburg region, the Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts, as well as on electronic and print platforms of the contest partners. The works may be featured in print publications such as posters, invitations, booklets, leaflets, postcards, souvenirs, and others.

The participants selected by the jury as winners will be awarded a Participant Diploma signed by the director of the Orenburg Regional Museum of Fine Arts.

The best works (selected by the jury) will be exhibited at events dedicated to the 225th anniversary of A.S. Pushkin’s birth, in museums in Orenburg, the Orenburg region, Pushkin museums in Russia, and at platforms of Rossotrudnichestvo.

Winners who take the first place in three age categories will be awarded special prizes.