On 1 April 2023, the Small Atrium of the General Staff building of the State Hermitage was the venue for an intellectual marathon – the Day of Alania.
The Day of Alania was the continuation and culmination of the cultural programme accompanying the large-scale inter-museum project “The Alans’ Kingdom Treasures. To Mark the 1100th Anniversary of Alania’s Conversion to Christianity”. Within the programme, the Hermitage opened the exhibition “The Alans’ Kingdom through the Eyes of Children”, held a scholarly conference, several lectures, master classes and a photography competition.
“Today we have reached the splendid conclusion of a garland of events devoted to the Alans’ Kingdom,” Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage, said on opening the marathon. “Alans is a romantic word evoking a host of allusions. Their descendants have done much for the history of Ossetia and Russia. The Hermitage is playing a major part in the study and preservation of the cultural heritage of the Caucasus and Alania.”
“People in Ossetia greatly appreciate that events devoted to the historic anniversary of the conversion of Alania are taking place at such a high state level,” Taimuraz Tuskayev, Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania stated. “The interaction between the Hermitage and cultural figures from North Ossetia is providing a substantial result and fresh scholarly ideas.”
During the formal part of the event, Mikhail Piotrovsky was presented with the medal “To the Glory of Ossetia” that was instituted by decree of the Head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. On his part, the Hermitage Director expressed particular gratitude to Madina Atayeva, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the North Ossetian State University named after K.L. Khetagurov, the initiator and head of the exhibition project, and head of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania’s priority Culture Programme.
The further agenda for the cultural marathon consisted of two blocks: research and creativity. The first featured a presentation by Professor Andrei Vinogradov of the Higher School of Economics about the study and restoration of Alanic Christian churches. There was also a “Scholarly Sprint” – a series of five-minute talks by leading specialists in Alanic studies.
The creative block was made up a whole number of interactive encounters. Sofya Shashunova and Yelena Korzh, specialists in archaeological reconstruction, spoke about historical Alanic costume and types of cosmetics; Zalina Kusayeva, North Ossetia’s Deputy Minister of Culture, about the Saint Petersburg period in the biography of Kost Khetagurov, the father of the Ossetian literary language. The director Temina Tuayeva, an Honoured Art Worker of the Russian Federation, shared stories of her many years seeking out and filming Alanic cultural heritage outside of Russia.
The marathon was ornamented by some dances performed by the Iriston Saint Petersburg song and dance ensemble (artistic director Fatima Aldatova). Particular interest was aroused by the joint presentation given by the composer and musicologist Dzerassa Dzlieva and the instrumental section of the ensemble (led by Khazbi Dzhoyev) devoted to the history and mythology of Ossetian musical instruments.
At the end of the Day of Alania came a review of the extensive public educational programme prepared by the State Hermitage’s Oriental Department in conjunction its Youth and School Centres for the “Alans’ Kingdom Treasures” exhibition. The students who participated in the master classes and the winners of the photography competition “The Alans’ Kingdom Treasures in Close-Up” were presented with certificates.
The Day of Alania was conducted by Sophia Kudriavtseva, the head of the Hermitage’s Youth Centre, and Anastasia Chizhova, researcher in the Oriental Department and curator of the “Alans’ Kingdom Treasures” exhibition.
