News
On 20 January the Festival of special needs people’s art “Special Talents” took place at the culture center “North Chertanovo”. Maria’s Children students from psychoneurological institution №16 together with our art teachers attended the event. Their works participated in the competition and the jury highly appreciated them. All the winners were awarded diplomas! Famous singer Diana Gurtskaya congratulated the competitors, the event’s atmosphere was very cheerful and friendly.
On 21 January Maria’s Children took part in the X Anniversary Festival of Applied Arts “We are Together” presenting art of special needs children and youth, having health limitations but with unlimited creative drive! The event took place at the Hall of Ecclesial Assemblies of the Christ the Savior Cathedral.
On 25 January, the Russia’s Student Day, our graduates - now students of different colleges - were invited by the “Moscow Cinema” chain to the preview of the new movie by Feodor Bondarchuk “Attraction”. It appeared to be fantastic in all senses! According to our young people, you can find everything in it: special effects, love, good sense of humor… They recommend it to their friends with great pleasure. We thank “Moscow Cinema” for such gift and the film makers for the joy of watching this exciting story.
In the very beginning of February our graduates had a lucky chance to attend an unusual master-class of a professional photographer from New York Sasha Sicurella. She had already held similar master-classes in nineteen countries all over the world in the framework of her “I AM” art and photography project
This week our volunteers – artists Nastya Frieva and Tanya Polomarchuk - finished painting walls in two dormitories in boarding school 31 for children with locomotor disorders.
Starting from the New Year, in the end of each day the MoscowFresh company delivers unsold vegetables and fruit to those in need: five days a week – to our studio and two days a week - to the children’s home in the Filimonki settlement near Moscow.
On 21 April, shortly before the Defender’s Day, local leisure clubs held a special event for veterans of labor and pensioners. It took place at the Center of Social Cervices of Tverskoy district.
On the 22nd of February Maria’s Children Art Center and neighboring leisure clubs “Socialisation”, “Kid’s Atelier”, “Shapeau-Sintez”, “Retrospective”, arranged a “Sweet-tooth” backyard festival for local residents dedicated to the Butter Week (Maslenitsa). It took place in a mini-park “By the Stone” between houses 12 and 14 on Maly Karetny lane. The guests danced Russian folk circle-dances, dressed Maslenitsa, drew pictures of it, played games and enjoyed pancakes. Those who couldn’t join the festival due to health problems were not forgotten as well: the organizers kindly delivered pancakes and sweet treats to the Veterans’ Council, for disabled people. Our young students from psychoneurological institution N11 also attended the event.
On the 25th of February a bright Maslenitsa (Butter Week) festival for local residents took place in Shchemilovsky Park on Delegatskaya street. It was arranged by the Tverskoy district administration and local leisure clubs, including Maria’s Children Art Center.
Yet another winter camp in Sorochany has passed. This time we invited 20 children from the Family care assistance center “Sputnik” to spend a week full of sports, arts and friendship.
On the 13th of March a “Public recognition-2017” award ceremony took place at the Maly (Minor) Theatre on Bolshaya Ordynka street. Maria’s Children Art Center, representing the Tverskoy district of the Moscow Central administrative division, took the II prize in the nomination “Volunteers of the Year”. Maria’s Children old friend and help-mate from the USA Debbie Sears was awarded the laureate diploma on behalf of volunteers.
On the 15th of March an exhibition of photography, paintings and Applied and Decorative arts opened at the Public Chamber of Russia. All the artists are winners of the First charitable competition “Special Talents – 2017”. “Maria’s Children” presented 18 works of their students - pictures and ceramics - at the display.
On the 18th of March we spent a wonderful day at the “Lipki” recreation center in the Moscow region together with children from the Family care assistance center “Sputnik” and members of Agroterra company.
On 8 April volunteers from Maria’s Children Art Center and Pelican Foundation took part in the Clean Up Day organized by Administration of Tverskoy District of Moscow. We picked up litter at Schemilovsky Park near our studio.
Students from the Moscow State University of psychology and education Olga Medvedeva and Elena Arkhipova started to hold art-therapy sessions for orphanage graduates and volunteers at our studio. The first session was devoted to getting to know each other and everyone tried to create a graphical image of his or her name.
On 2 - 8 April a group of our volunteers went on a regular trip to Beslan and its environs (the North Ossetia). This time our Moscow team was joined by Ginevra and Italo from Italy, Guillaume from Canada, Simon from the Great Britain and Chip from the USA.
On 15 of April, Saturday, we celebrated 20th Anniversary of Maria’s Children Art Center on the “Bryusov Ship”.
On 25 April a group of young people from the psychoneurological institution N16 attended an exhibition of Sergey Andriaka Watercolour School at the Central Manege.
We are lucky!! Thank you so very much to the rent-a-ski "On Dmitrovka” and its wonderful director Anastasia Danilova for such a generous present – 9 pairs of mountain skis and 5 snowboards! Waiting impatiently for the next winter and the winter camp!
On 20-25 April we made our regular trip to England where we took part in the annual Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations in Stratford-upon-Avon for the 8th time. This year our graduates presented “The Knights’ Dance”, based on a musical fragment from the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” by the famous Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev.
On the 3rd of May Maria’s Children Art Center and other leisure centers of the Tverskoy district held an event devoted to the Victory Day at the public mini-garden “By the Stone”.
On Sunday, 21th of May, we gathered children from all the orphanages we cooperate with and sailed to the Bay of Joy on board of ship “Prince George”.
On the 24th of May young adults from the psychoneurological institution №11 took part in the plein air at the “Kuskovo” manor.
The first summer day in Moscow was full of events devoted to the Children’s Day. In the Tverskoy district it was celebrated at the Miussy Square, in front on the Youth’s Art Center.
Today a group of young adults from the psychoneurological institution №11, our artists and volunteers went to the Prioksko-Terrasny State Biosphere Nature Reserve.
On 22 June our volunteers and staff members took part in the traditional “Memory Watch” dedicated to victims of the Great Patriotic War.
From 15 to 29 July Maria’s Children traditional (19th) Summer camp “Our Family” took place. Children from the Family Care Assistance Center “Yunona” (Moscow), children’s home “Solnyshko” (Filimonki settlement) and children’s home of Mozdok (North Ossetia), as well as 5 children from psychoneurological institution, spent two weeks, full of bright events, love and care, at the Sorochany Resort in the Moscow region. Volunteers from Moscow, Beslan, Mexico and USA joined our team to make these days unforgettable and fill the kids and each other with warmth and joy for the year to come.
On 26 July a group of people from the psychoneurological institution N16 visited the Moscow Zoo.
On 27 of July a big picnic for young people from the psychoneurological institution N16 and foreign students was arranged at the Moscow State Museum-Reserve Kolomenskoe.
On the 2nd of August we had an unforgettable walk around the Tverskoy boulevard and nearby lanes with the young people from psychoneurological institution N11. It was a real journey for them!
On the 4th of August our students from the psychoneurological institution N16 attended a multimedia exhibition “Wonders of Russia” at the State Historical Museum
Not so long ago Charitable Foundation Pelican acquired it’s own minibus, which means that more children will now have opportunity to come to our studio and study arts, and, what’s no less important, we be able to do more travelling!
Well, the thirst journey of our graduates on the new bus was a success!
Today our graduates went to the “Station MARS” at the Moscow Planetarium where they were offered to join an exciting quest. They had to transform into scientists, journalists, engineers and medical advisors, whose aim was exploration of Mars. The process appeared to be very emotional, each team tried to promote its project. It was not as easy as everyone thought, but, nevertheless, very funny, interesting and breathtaking!
On the 9th September Maria’s Children took part in the annual festival timed to the Town Day – “Kind Moscow”. This time we managed to raise 21 650 Roubles, which will be used to organize daily art classes with children from orphanages and adults from psychoneurological institutions.Thank you to everyone who donated and to the festival administration!
In September we accompanied a group of adults from the psychoneurological institution №16 and children from the boarding school №31 to the cultural center “Veshnyaki”, where exhibition in remembrance of an outstanding artist Anatoly Sukhorukov took place. This artist is famous for his illustrations to fairy tales by Alexander Pushkin, Peter Ershov, Evgeny Permyak.
Today our students from the psychomeurological institution №16 had a Delicious Day. Staff members from the Marriott Hotel Novy Arbat came to the studio and brought products from which we made delicious sandwiches and desserts. Then we ate them with great pleasure!
1 October is the International Day of Older Persons. By the invitation of the Tverskoy district administration our handicrafts teacher Maria Ivanovna Pimenova held a master-class on felting at the Center of Social Services “Tverskoy”, this time switching from children to grannies. Besides, grannies are just grown up girls, they are fond of jewellery and handicrafts as well and so they were happy to make woolen brooches-poppies and healing (almost magic!) red bracelets. Wish you good health and longevity, our dear grandmas and grandpas!
Today it was the fifth annual Children’s Day at Yandex, arranged in the memory of Ilya Segalovich and timed to his birthday.
On the 9th of November the annual Charity Ball of Maria’s Children Art Center and Charitable Fund “Pelican” took place in gorgeous interiors of the Smirnov’s Mansion on Tverskoy boulevard. The evening’s programme included gourmet dinner, dance performances by children from the Filimonki children’s home, live music, loud and silent charity auctions of Maria’s Children and Pelican students works, lottery, gift fair and dances.
This time our dear guests donated 7 millions rubles! We cordially thank all those who helped us and are now supporting children and orphanage graduates, young residents of psychoneurological institutions and special needs children.
Last week-end a group from psychoneurological institution №16 visited an exhibition of showpieces from Polytechnic Museum “Rossiya Delaet Sama” (Russia creates itself), which took place at VDNKH. The visit was full of discoveries, visual and even tactile impressions.
On 10 December the Russia’s biggest annual Christmas fair took place at Gostiny Dvor in the heart of Moscow. This time our stand reminded a mini-picture gallery where we displayed paintings of our students, a collective patchwork and a felt picture.
There is a tradition to give presents on the New Year eve. Presents can be unusual, for example… a beautiful music! On the 17th of December by the invitation of Oleg Germanovich Smirnov, Honoured artist of Russia, director of the state quartet named after Mikhail Glinka, a group from Autonomous non-profit organization “Deti (Children)" – kids undergoing rehabilitation after oncohaemotologic diseases and their parents – went to a wonderful concert at the Teacher’s House.
Today a group of young people from the psychoneurological institution №16 visited our old friends at the Marriott Arbat Hotel. Both guys and staff members of the Marriott’s restaurant were very glad to see each other. This time we experienced what it is to be a pizzamaker.
In the beginning of May we got acquainted with little Timur. He was born in Moscow in the family of Uzbek citizens, rightless labor migrants. The boy was born with a serious pathology of breathing organs (innate pulmanory stenosis).
In November-December “Maria’s Children” took part in charity Christmas fairs at which we raised funds for continuation of our programmes.
“New Year Mood” – that’s how a street festival at the public mini-garden “By a Stone” on Maly Karetny lane was called.
