Thanks to the cooperation agreement between Gzhel State University and Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, the program of student academic exchange continues.

In the second semester, Daniyar Babashov and Zhasmin Zhalgasova began to study at the faculty of arts and crafts and design, and GSU third-year students Alexandra Mosunova and Anna Kalugina went to Almaty. They shared their impressions of their studies in Almaty.

In the Academy of Arts we attend the following disciplines: "Drawing", "Painting", "Architecture", "Sculpture", "Production skills", "Computer graphics", "Designing". We work with red clay, we master the potter’s wheel. In classes on the discipline "Architectural environment" the teacher A. Nauryzbaeva taught us to think over a product that you create so that it can harmoniously fit into the interior of the living environment. On disciplines "Drawing" and "Painting" we are taught to depict a human figure in decorative processing. Here we mastered new computer programs and were able to work on graphic tablets. The discipline "Designing" at the Zhurgenov Kazakh Academy is also different from the work on the project that we performed at the university. Here, students design garden and park ceramics, which are then made in the material. In addition, we studied the national ornamentation of Kazakhstan and made a cold batik, in which Kazakh motifs are present.

Together with students, undergraduates and doctoral students of the Department of Decorative and Applied Arts of the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Design, we took part in the International Exhibition START in ART.KZ.

Very useful was the master class on jewelry art, which was held by Rooney Palar and Xenia Palar from Indonesia. They showed the technology of making jewelry. For us, this is a new experience, which in the future can be useful in the work.

On April 9, the Week of Science "Jourgen Readings" was solemnly opened at the Academy, where the results of research, problems, trends and prospects for the development of science in the field of culture and art were discussed, and the effectiveness of scientific activity was increased. We participated in this event.

There are many museums and sights in Almaty. Very impressive are the exhibits of the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in which four halls dedicated to paleontology and archeology; historical ethnography; history and ethnography of the people living in Kazakhstan, and the Great Patriotic War, modern development of the country.

In Kasteev State Art Museum of Kazakhstan., we examined the main exposition with interest, attended exhibitions of Kazakh and foreign artists, masters of applied art, which are held here, including Russian ones. For example, we attended the opening of the exhibition "Actual Realism" by artists from St. Petersburg Catherine and Konstantin Grachev.

In Almaty there are many theaters and among them such as the Republican German Drama Theater, Korean Theater of Musical Comedy, Lermontov Academic Russian Drama Theater etc. Performances that go on stage reflect life and life and you can get acquainted with the culture of other peoples without leaving your country. We visited the opening of the exhibition, which was dedicated to the work of Oscar Schlemmer (German artist, sculptor, choreographer and theater designer), and watched the production of the Bauhaus in the Deutsches Theater. In the State Academic Russian Drama Theater. M. Yu. Lermontov watched the play based on Griboyedov’s comedy "The woe from wit".

At the beginning of March in Kazakhstan mass celebrated the birthday of the spring Navruz. On the streets there were festivities, at which people sang Kazakh songs and danced. For us this custom was a revelation. There is a very hospitable friendly people, the university has a good teaching staff, we made friends with classmates.

Thanks to the university for the opportunity to study in Kazakhstan, to get acquainted with the culture and customs of the people of this country!

Alexandra Mosunova and Anna Kalugina,

students of the faculty of arts and crafts and design