International Day of Friendship: INRTU Students Explore Russian Art at Victor Bronstein Gallery
Today, July 30, the world celebrates International Friendship Day. Ahead of the holiday, international students fr om India, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kyrgyzstan at INRTU visited the Victor Bronstein Gallery, wh ere they explored works by contemporary artists of Siberia and the Russian Far East.
It should be noted that the International Day of Friendship was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. In Russia, events strengthening interethnic relations are organized annually on this day.
The tour to the Victor Bronstein Gallery was organized by INRTU’s Center for International Services, which helps international students and faculty adapt to life at a Russian university.
Students viewed the works by Dashi Namdakov, a contemporary Buryat artist, sculptor, and jeweler whose works are known worldwide. They were also intrigued by the paintings of Balzhinima Dorzhiev fr om Buryatia, who primarily depicts native landscapes and female figures.
INRTU students were especially impressed by the “Ay‑Tyyn” exhibition created by the renowned Yakut sculptor Alexey Fedoseev. His works, made of metal and wood, are inspired by local beliefs and traditions.
INRTU International Student Council head Garba Ahmad Yakubu, who came from Nigeria to study aircraft engineering, visited the gallery with keen interest.
According to Garba Ahmad Yakubu, the international students at INRTU live in harmony and are always helping each other:
“For this purpose our council was created — to work together in solving difficulties related to housing, visas and adaptation. We organize city excursions and sporting events, and celebrate African Day and Nowruz. Today we were able to spend time in the gallery in an interesting and productive way. Thus international students feel supported, and their education far from home becomes comfortable”.
Kasiet Asangazieva from Kyrgyzstan, who is studying Biotechnology at INRTU, was deeply impressed by the excursion.
“This is my second visit to the Viktor Bronstein Gallery. Here an aesthetic contemporary space is created, and through art one can fully immerse oneself in the culture of a country represented by many peoples. The gallery hosts a permanent exhibition of Dashi Namdakov, whose works I greatly admire. I’m drawn to the artist’s distinctive style and the Buryat motifs reflected in his works,” said Kasiet.
Kasiet Asangazieva shared her adaptation story at a Russian university:
“It was difficult for me to settle in during the first two months. However, I then decided to actively participate in university events and get to know other foreign students. Now I am part of the International Student Council, and most of my friends are students from Ghana, Nigeria and CIS countries. We communicate in English and Russian”.Notably, INRTU’s International Student Council will join a summer camp on Olkhon Island (August 25–29), wh ere international students from all over the country will discuss environmental issues at Lake Baikal.
