Army Commander opens ‘Victory and Peace’ Art Exhibition at Russian Centre

The annual exhibition of paintings by students of the Art School of the Russian Centre for Science and Culture (RCSC) in Colombo was held under the topic ‘Victory and Peace’ to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

The event was inaugurated by the chief guest, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Mrs. Sujeewa Nelson and Prof. Kapila Gunawardena, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs.

Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yuri Materiy and the military attaché of the Russian Embassy Colonel Denis Shkoda were also present.

The exhibition was the first significant event organized at the Russian Centre in Colombo after the long period of restrictions on public events to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Ms. Anastasia Khokhlova, head of the Rossotrudnichestvo office in Sri Lanka, emphasized the relevance of the exhibition’s theme.

“The 75th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War and World War II is the main anniversary for many millions of people around the world. It is undoubtedly a common task to prevent falsification of historical facts, to ensure the continuity of truthful information on key events in world history and to pass on to future generations the basic values that have become possible in a multi-polar world”, she said.

The exhibition included more than 120 works by students of the Art School of the Russian Centre in Colombo aged 5 to 15 years, created during the year and united by the theme of ‘Victory and Peace’ under the professional guidance of its leader, talented artist and experienced teacher, Arjuna Jayasinha and his assistants Maheshi Fernando and Natalie Hettiarachchi.

The opening ceremony was followed by the distribution of certificates of participation to the young artists.

The exhibition will continue at the Russian Centre in Colombo until the end of September.