The Masters of Russia: Symphony of Form exhibition, a part of Yuri Vasilenko’s Masters of Russia Project, is being held at the Moscow Museum of Time and Clocks with an entire spectrum of jewellery and lapidary works. For the first time, the event is supported by both the museum and the Moscow Gemmological Institute.
This year marks the third edition of the exhibition, and according to Vasilenko, the title captures the very essence of the event.
"It is a symphony of diverse decorative and applied art styles, brought to life through form," he explained.
More than 50 artists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and other cities are participating in the event. Among them are the creative duo L&Si, Mikhail Milyutin, Mark Baldin, Eduard Akhmetshin, Dmitry Samorukov, Sergey Falkin, Olga Poptsova, and others.
The central theme of the exhibition is the harmony between lines and volumes, metals and stones, a unity of opposites expressed through the sculptural forms of the artworks. This principle served as the primary criterion for the selection process.
The displays feature lapidary and jewellery creations, rare collector-grade minerals, stone mosaics, faceted gemstones, striking enamel work, contemporary compositions, and interior decor objects.
The exhibition also includes a competition to determine the best piece within each designated category. Entries are evaluated by a jury of recognized experts, including Igor Kevchenkov (Russian Jewellery Company No. 1), Eduard Nikitin (a member of the Union of Artists of Russia and a laureate of the Russian Academy of Arts), and Nadezhda Akhmetshina (an art historian and member of the Creative Union of Artists of Decorative and Applied Arts).
The event also features an extensive business-oriented and educational programme with lectures, meetings with renowned jewellers and lapidary artists, masterclasses, screenings of documentaries about minerals and the history of the lapidary and jewellery arts, as well as B2B meetings.
The exhibition will bring together representatives of various Russian schools of lapidary and jewellery art in one venue. It will offer artists from different regions of the country the opportunity to showcase their work in Moscow, introduce visitors to the artistic traditions upheld by Russia’s finest lapidary artists and jewellers, highlight the creations of emerging talents, and provide masters with the chance to receive expert feedback from art historians, museum professionals, collectors, and members of the media.
The exhibition is organized by Clioexpo LLC, the Moscow Gemmological Institute (MGIN), and the Museum of Time and Clocks. It will run through December 4, 2026.
Galina Semyonova, Editor in Chief of the Russian Bureau, Rough&Polished
