On 19 March 2016, the State Hermitage brought the Year of Argentinian Culture in Russia to a close with a festive evening in the Staraya Derevnya Restoration and Storage Centre.
Over the course of 2015, Hermitage volunteers prepared and carried out a cultural programme devoted to Argentina, including a musical reconstruction “The Tango – the Soul of Argentina” as part of the Night of Museums. Everyone who wanted was able to attend special lectures and concerts of Argentinian music, to take part in numerous competitions, master classes in dancing the tango and the “Hermitage Milonga”.
The evening opened with words of welcome from Yulia Kantor, head of the State Hermitage’s Historical and Informational Service, and Pablo Anselmo Tettamanti, Ambassador of the Republic of Argentina to Russia.
An important part of the occasion was the presentation of awards to the winners of the competition “Buenos Dias, Argentina!”: in the computer graphics and animation competition schoolchildren of all ages were offered subjects that allowed them to become closer acquainted with the history, nature and culture of Argentina: “My Virtual Journey or the Seven Wonders of Argentina”, “Adventures in Patagonia or the Amazing Fauna and Flora of Argentina”, “Little Discoveries that Changed the Wider World” and “Famous Argentinians: Secrets of Success”. The entries were assessed in three categories: digital painting and graphics, multimedia presentation, computer animation and video. In all, around 70 schoolchildren took part in the competition.
The evening continued with a cultural programme: a variety of competitions and master classes in preparing dishes from Argentina’s traditional cuisine, face-painting and Argentinian dances – the chacarera and the tango.
