Open Northern-Western Regional Children Contest of drawings and literary creative works  “INDIA BY MY EYES” started On September, 25th in St.Petersburg . The Consulate General of India in St.Petersburg  and The Regional Non-Governmental Organization “St.Petersburg Branch of the International Non-Governmental Organization “The International Center of the Roerichs”” organized and held The Contest, which took place first in St.Petersburg (September, 25th,2012), then in the Leningrad Region, and at the same time the Contest was held in Novgorod Region (Novgorodskaya Oblast), Pskov Region (Pskovskaya Oblast), Vologda Region (Vologodskaya Oblast), Murmansk Region (Murmanskaya Oblast), Arkhangelsk Region (Arkhangelskaya Oblast), the Republic of Karelia and the Republic of Komi.

The Contest target audience is children and schoolchildren of comprehensive schools, art schools, schools of the arts and art studios, residents of St.Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Novgorod Region, Pskov Region, Vologda Region, Murmansk Region, Arkhangelsk Region, the Republic of Karelia and the Republic of Komi. The Contest aims to attract the Northern-Western Region children and schoolchildren’s attention to studying of history, culture and nature of India, to give children an opportunity of creative self-actualization through artistic drawing and literary creative work (an essay).

The principal condition of the Contest is its openness, children make their creative work in real time, i.e. artistic creative work for 3 hours and literary creative work (an essay) for 1 hour. In St. Petersburg the Contest was held in The Russian Academy of Arts and in the Central Children Library of History and Culture of St. Petersburg (St.Petersburg, Marata St., 72); in the Leningrad Region it was held in the Art School named after N. Roerich in Volosovo.

The Contest was opened by its organizers: by the Consul-General of the General Consulate of India in St. Petersburg Mr.Vishvas Sapkal and by the Chairman of The Regional Non-Governmental Organization “St. Petersburg Branch of the International Non-Governmental Organization “The International Center of the Roerichs”” E.A.Tomsha. Mr.Vishvas Sapkal noted that India as well as Russia is a unique country. India has got an enormous territory and consists of 25 states and 7 union territories, each of them has its own culture, language and traditions. The multicultural India is united and diverse. Different religions coexist in India. Peoples of India and Russia have spiritual ties which help the people to understand each other.

E.A.Tomsha, the Chairman of the St. Petersburg Branch of the International Centre of the Roerichs, stressed that the Contest includes children aged from 11 to 17; this is of great importance for future studying of India, its culture and history and for strengthening of Indian-Russian cooperation.

The Contest was attended by the representatives of the City Government organizations and the cultural public of St. Petersburg. Among them were: Bulkina A.V., the Youth Policy Committee of St. Petersburg; Sklyarenko A.N., academic work pro-rector of the Russian Academy of Arts; Androkhanova V.O., development department chief of the Research Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts; Vasyukova M.L., chief of the Children Library of History and Culture of St. Petersburg. They noted that the Contest showed great interest of the St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region children to India, its culture and history. The children’s works were of bright color, various in topics, of saturated colorful image. The participants of the Contest tried to express their love and their imagination about India in red, green, yellow, blue and orange colors of various tints which showed beauty of rich nature of India, its diverse animal wild nature, grand historical monuments and kind, well-wishing people. Young painters and writers, the participants of the Contest, said that the Contest helped them to widen their knowledge about India, its nature, culture, history and about its people. India has become closer to the Russian children and the children understood that art unites all people of the world and makes them a big united family.

The Contest winners will be awarded in the Consulate General of India in St. Petersburg on January, 26th, 2013, on the Republic Day of India.  The Contest organizers hope that the Contest will assist in development and strengthening of friendship and mutual understanding in relationship between children of two countries – India and Russia.