About Casa Russa Arti Erzia in Genoa

Casa Russa Arti Erzia (Erzia Russian House of Arts) is the main center for promotion of the Russian culture and language in Liguria. It was established in Genoa in 2011 on the initiative and with the support of the Erzia International Art Foundation.

In 2015 the first branch of the House was opened at Southern Italy, in the Reggio Calabria province.

Scope of activities:

Russian language school for children and adults:
•Training course of Russian as a foreign language from the elementary to advanced level,
•Vacations in Saint Petersburg,
•Children’s Center for Bilingualism Development “Cheburashka”, for children of 3 to 18,
•Summer camp in Calabria;
 
Visual arts, piano and singing courses, acting classes for children and adults (in Russian);

Guide and interpreter services in Northern and Southern Italy;

Arrangement of events related to promotion of the Russian culture and Russian language in Italy (book presentations, exhibitions, performances of the Children Folk Music Group, “Cheburashka”, etc.);

Arrangement of events for fellow countrymen (national and Christian holidays, trips around Italy to the places of “Russian presence”, courses of Italian);

Intensification of Russian-Italian relations in the educational and touristic areas. Cooperation with St. Petersburg ITMO and SUAI Universities in arrangement of summer vacations in Petersburg for our students, who study Russian, and in promotion of the joint cultural projects.

Russian House is the member of the Union of Russian Translators.
By now, over 200 persons have become the House students, and over 100 kids have become “Cheburashkas’. The House membership numbers more than 400 persons. During these years, Russian House arranged and held over 300 events. More than 10 students of the Foreign Language Department in the University of Genoa did their internship in our center.

President of Russian House (from 2012) is Larissa Smirnova

Russian House activities are supported by the Russian Federation Consulate General in Genoa and Consul General personally.

Main Events held by Casa Russa Arti Erzia in Genoa
(2011 - 2016)

Opening of the International Artistic Festival called “Genoese Lighthouse»
Presentation of the book called “Famous Russians in Genoa” by A.A. Kara-Murza, Ph.D., Head of Social and Political Economy in the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Creative meetings with the members of the Moscow Writers Union, Lola Zvonareva and Grigory Pevtsov, as well as Irina and Daria Kovaleva, presentation of their literary and poetic works.

Presentation of the book called «L'attimo irripetibile.Intrighie misteri d'amore alla corte deglizar» by Ninel I. Podgornaya with the participation of the Pushkinist translator, Professor Alfredo Bertollo.

Presentation of the books about sculptor Erzia in Russian and Intalian, made by translator Professor Marzia Dati (Carrara).

Creative meeting with writer Mikhail G. Talalay, the representative of the Institute of History under the Russian Academy of Sciences in Italy.

Conference “Development of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Republic of Genoa” with Professor of the University of Genoa, Roberto Sinigalia.

Participation in formal celebrations of the Russia days, May 9 (together with the Russian Federation Consulate General in Genoa) and other state and national Russian and Italian holidays.

Musical evening with the participation of opera singer Ekaterina Gaidanskaya (romances to music by S. Rachmaninov).

Exhibitions of: Genoa and St. Petersburg resident Valentina Kartavitskaya, Muscovite Ivan Yakushin, Genoese sculptor Ermano Kiez, artists from Yekaterinburg.

Exhibitions of works by the famous Russian fashion designer Elena Pelevina in Genoa (Palazzo Ducale) and Reggio Calabria.

Poetic salon of the famous Moscow poet Marina Vernalis in Genoa and Reggio Calabria.

Performance of the student choir of the educational and creative center "Cheburashka" at the Christmas fair "San Nicola", at the monumental cemetery of Staglieno, at the traditional Genoese Culture Festivals SUQ, on local television.

Holidays with the participation of orphans from boarding school No. 49, Moscow, and the boarding school in Rybnoye, Ryazan region (in cooperation with the associations “Sorrisi dal est “ e «Italia-Russia»).

Trips to the places of the “Russian presence” – to “Russian Florence”, to “Russian Milan”, to “Russian Turin", to "Russian Nice", to "Russian San Remo", to "Russian Carrara", to "Russian Genoa and its suburbs", around Liguria, Lombardy and Tuscany.

Participation in joint Russian and Italian events, including the celebration of the 135th Erzia anniversary (exhibitions and excursions in Carrara, Santa Margherita Ligure, Genoa, La Spezia); Russian and Italian festivals under the project called “Russia-Italy: Cultural Dialogues. Alpine Encounters” (in cooperation with the Russian House in Trento), the opening of the memorial plate dedicated to S. Erzia, in Carrara.