Alexei Kryukov, winner of the 2023 Presidential Prize for young culture professionals
The Presidential Prize was awarded to Alexei Kryukov for preserving and developing the traditions of Russian realism in art. Alexei Kryukov is an artist. He was born on September 25, 1987, in Pogar, the Bryansk Region. Alexei graduated from the Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 2016 (the Portrait Class taught by Merited Artist of Russia Dmitry Slepushkin) and completed an internship at the academy under the tutelage of People’s Artist of Russia Ilya Glazunov in 2018. Alexei Kryukov has received several awards.
Even as a student, the young artist often visited Donbass, to paint portraits of the militia, legendary commanders, ordinary soldiers and children of war, as well as to portray the daily life of military personnel at the frontline and the dangers facing residents of local cities every day. He has created an entire chronicle of those turbulent years.
His paintings reflect his enormous gift as a colourist, his incredible skills and creative courage. Alexei is confident working on complicated compositions and sometimes creates the effect of improvisation for better emphasis. His remarkable scenes have a profound civic voice, deep meaning, talent and ambition.
In the series of works dedicated to his contemporaries, one can discern the artist’s deeply caring attitude, strong emotions evoked by the topic, and professional integrity. The honest and emotional paintings are rooted in the timeless spiritual values of our people, instilling a sense of pride in the viewers for their country. The artist compellingly and deeply addresses the themes of loyal service to the Fatherland, recreating an image of a warrior ever ready to defend Russia with his life.
Alexei Kryukov’s paintings have been displayed at multiple solo and group exhibitions across Russia.
Mengi Ondar, winner of the 2023 Presidential Prize for culture professionals
The Presidential Prize was awarded to Mengi Ondar for her contribution to preserving, developing and promoting the cultural legacy of the Tuvan people.
Mengi Ondar currently serves as Deputy Director of the Kongar-ool Ondar Centre for the Development of Tuvan Traditional Culture and Crafts.
Mengi Ondar was born on January 5, 1989, in the town of O-Shynaa, the Tes-Khemsky District of the Tuvan ASSR. In 2011, she graduated from the Tuvan State University, and completed her PhD studies at the same university in 2019. She holds a PhD in Linguistics and teaches the Tuvan language and literature at the Alexei Chyrgal-ool Kyzyl Arts College. She has received several regional awards.
Mengi Ondar has dedicated more than ten years to reviving the art of traditional storytelling. As part of the Ancestors’ Legacy project, she created electronic databases of the Tuvan folk song corpus and the Tuvan folklore sub-corpus. These were developed during a folklore and ethnographic research expedition across the Republic of Tuva, Mongolia and China. Her monograph, The Language of Tuvan Heroic Tales, was a fundamental work she used to develop teaching materials.
One of Mengi Ondar’s primary priorities is to foster the ethnic identity and patriotic beliefs of the younger generation. Her education-related projects include research into the ethnic and cultural significance of education in the system of extracurricular cultural activities in the Republic of Tuva. She has also created audiobooks and a series of animated films based on Tuvan children’s tales, which are available in the public domain.
Under Mengi Ondar’s guidance, the Keepers of Tuvan Traditional Culture awareness project produced a series of five documentary films on folk craftspeople whose mission is to raise new generations of Tuvan masters. The films highlight Tuva’s place as part of the great Russia and tell the story of its people, who take pride in their Motherland.
Mengi Ondar’s versatile work has made a significant impact in restoring lost elements of traditional culture, reviving the Tuvan language and integrating an ethnic and cultural component into educational programmes. Her work has played a vital role in developing Tuva’s musical and literary folklore, promoting cultural diversity and affirming Russia’s status as one of the cultural centres of the Turkic world.
Thanks to Mengi Ondar’s initiatives, the cultural heritage of the Tuvan people has become an integral part of contemporary cultural landscape in Russia.
Alexander Ramm, winner of the 2023 Presidential Prize for young culture professionals
The Presidential Prize was awarded to Alexander Ramm for his contribution to Russian music and educational activities.
Alexander Ramm is a cellist.
He was born on May 9, 1988, in Vladivostok. He graduated from the Pyotr Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in 2012 and the Hanns Eisler Higher School of Music in Berlin. Alexander is a soloist of the St Petersburg House of Music, a soloist of the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic, and a winner of several professional prizes and awards.
Alexander Ramm is a young and talented cellist, and one of the most popular Russian musicians. He has a broad repertoire covering more than two centuries, from Ludwig van Beethoven to Rodion Shchedrin. He is the world’s only cellist who performs all of Benjamin Britten’s suites in one concert. His repertoire includes dozens of music pieces, and his performances are known for their highly academic manner, elegance and creative interpretation.
For many years, Alexander Ramm has been working with outstanding Russian musicians and performing at major concert venues, frequently touring Russia. He believes that it is particularly important for him to perform in locations where local audiences rarely have access to philharmonic concerts.
In 2023, Alexander Ramm was on the jury for the 17th Pyotr Tchaikovsky International Contest, becoming one of the youngest jury members in the history of the competition.