The “Blooming Metropolis” exhibition held in Almaty

Today, the “Blooming Metropolis” city exhibition was held at the Almaty Libraries’ A.P. Chekhov Central City Library, organized jointly by Almaty Libraries and the “ByArT” art studio.

The ceremonial event was attended by renowned poet Ulyqbek Yesdaulet, as well as special guests from Europe – Igor Otchenash, Stepan Frank, and Ariel Borschevsky, the grandson of Sofia Magarill, together with his family members Anastasia Barshchevskaya and Gusha Giorgi. Winners of the competition also took part in the event.

The competition was announced in April, and submissions were accepted until April 23. A total of 109 artworks from 21 schools across the city were submitted. Among them, 70 pieces that most vividly and skillfully portrayed the beauty and landmarks of Almaty were selected for the exhibition.

During the event, nearly 70 school students were awarded special diplomas and presented with books.

One of the competition winners, Adel Rabatova, a student of Gymnasium No. 35, shared her impressions:

“I submitted my artwork titled ‘The Ballerina at the Pen Theatre’ to this competition. I truly admire Almaty’s towering buildings and the artists who bring life to the city, which is why I chose this theme. I am very happy to have participated in the ‘Blooming Metropolis’ competition. Seeing my work displayed at such a large exhibition was a special source of pride for me,” she noted.

Presenting the awards, Igor Otchenash highly praised the young talents and expressed his warm wishes:

“Your paintings clearly reflect your boundless love for your hometown. This is my first time visiting Almaty. I was deeply impressed by the harmony between tradition and modern style here. It feels like a city of the 22nd century. I truly felt at home here.”

The event became one of the important initiatives aimed at unlocking children’s creative potential, fostering cultural values among the younger generation, and promoting art.