The Russian Academy Of Arts

The President of the Russian Academy of Arts, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Zurab Tsereteli has been honored with the International “Giuseppe Sciacca” Award for his significant contribution to the promotion of art. The award ceremony at the presence of Their Eminences the Cardinals Diego Castrillon Hoyos and Antonio Canizares Llovera, ecclesiastical, civil and military authorities took place in the Vatican City, in the Great Hall of the Pontifical Urbaniana University on November 12th, 2011.

This event has become a deserved completion of Russia-Italy Cross Culture Year 2011 that included three solo shows by Zurab Tsereteli in Palermo, Ancona and Rome highly appreciated by the Italian public.

The Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Ancona (Marche, Italy), noted Italian art historian Armando Ginesi initiated the award of the International “Giuseppe Sciacca” Prize to the eminent Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli as a new impulse for strengthening creative contacts between the Russian Academy of Arts and Academies of Fine Arts in Italy. Many distinguished Italian artists had been elected Honorary Members of the Russian Academy of Arts.

On November 11, 2011 Zurab Tsereteli visited the Roman Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma), where he met with its Director Gerardo lo Russo and was presented with the Prize “For the Life in Art”. The definition of the Prize awarded under the auspices of Diletta Vittoria Association to the most prominent figures of modern art is “The Creation of Great Works of Art Comes from a Big Heart”. “The Prize is being awarded to the artist from Russia Zurab Tsereteli for his ability to turn everything he touches into art”.

In Italy there are two sculptures by Zurab Tsereteli: the monument to the Russian novelist Nickolai Gogol in the park of Villa Borghese in Rome and monument to St. Nicholas the Miracle-Worker in font of the Cathedral with the Saint’s relics in Bari.

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