A delegation from Derzhavin University is participating in the annual International Art Plein Air event, hosted for the second time this year by their partner institution, the Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute (SamSPI).
Eight third-year students specializing in Design and Fine Arts & Computer Graphics have traveled to Uzbekistan for this creative trip. The delegation includes Elena Zueva, Vice-Rector for International Affairs; Vladimir Cheremisin, Head of the Department of Design and Fine Arts; and Anastasia Velkova, Associate Professor at the same department.
The project's primary goals are to foster international academic ties between the two universities, strengthen cooperation in educational and sociocultural spheres, create a unified educational space, and facilitate the exchange of professional expertise in art education.
"It is important to note that this trip by the Derzhavin team is a reciprocal visit. In April 2025, faculty and students from SamSPI visited Tambov, where they spent several days participating in workshops and plein air sessions, as well as exploring the region's cultural life at Derzhavin University," said Elena Zueva, Vice-Rector for International Affairs. "This exchange of experience has become a valued tradition and underscores the high level of mutual interest in our collaboration."
Throughout the week, students and faculty from both Russian and Uzbek universities will collaborate on creating artworks. The organizers have prepared a packed itinerary for the participants: in addition to outdoor plein air painting, the program features thematic workshops led by expert instructors, open lectures on contemporary art, and opportunities to explore the rich heritage of ancient Samarkand. The creative week in Uzbekistan’s cultural capital will conclude with a large-scale exhibition of works. The participants' best artworks will be added to the educational resource collections of universities in both countries.
The implementation of joint creative projects between Derzhavin University and the Samarkand State Pedagogical Institute was made possible by the working visit of Pavel Moiseev, Rector of Derzhavin Tambov State University, to Samarkand in April 2024. During that visit, the parties reached an agreement to hold regular inter-university *plein air* art sessions, alternating between locations in Uzbekistan and Russia.
