The Culture Online International Award has become one of the most prestigious awards in digital art in Russia, aimed at promoting the importance of innovative technologies in the development of culture. This award has been running for four years and has gained significant recognition in the industry. The participants of this award are creative and innovative teams that can bring new ideas to the digital industry and create advanced tools for art development.

Over 300 applications were submitted this year from Russia and other countries, and 35 projects were selected as finalists. The expert council was impressed by the variety and creativity of the projects. The use of modern internet technologies to combine cultural and educational ideas has gained momentum, as demonstrated by the last four years of the Russian Cultural Foundation’s award.

The main nomination of the Culture Online award is The Best Online Project 2023, in which three projects took the leading places:

The 3rd place was awarded to the project Special Talents VII Inclusive Art Competition, organized by the National Foundation for Development and Rehabilitation. This multi-genre inclusive art competition among people with disabilities is unique in concept, scale, and coverage. Since the pandemic’s start, the competition has been held entirely remotely, using digital technology.

The 2nd place was awarded to the 100 Years of the USSR virtual international exhibition. The State Russian Museum organized an international virtual exhibition of Soviet art featuring 1300 works from 57 museums in Russia and CIS countries.

The 1st place was awarded to the project Theater Season Pass. Act 1. National Theaters, organized by the Tricolor Company (NAO “National Satellite Company”).” This project made it possible for viewers from all corners of our country to see 10 performances from the Association of National Theaters of Russia in the format of a TV series.

The project Digital Platform of the Museum of Railways of Russia won the nomination for Cultural Gamification. The mobile application for visitors has become a genuine sensation and has no counterparts in Russia or any other country. Museum guests can take online augmented reality tours, build unique routes around the museum, take quizzes and more.

The victory in the nomination for Best Online Broadcast was awarded to the Cantanta International Classical Music Festival held annually by the ANO “Festival Directorate.” Broadcasts of educational concerts and performances from the ruins of medieval castles, the Kirche, and other historically significant places in the Kaliningrad region.

The Dostoevsky Lectorium by the ANO Education Center “Modern Lectorium” has won the Best Educational Project nomination. The project has been popular among a broad audience for many years. In August 2023, the project’s YouTube channel reached one million subscribers. The Lectorium offers online lectures, seminars, and masterclasses by leading Russian figures in science and art.

The “Opera in a Mansion” project won the Best Social Media Campaign nomination. It is a unique project that implemented video technologies to reveal the secrets of the theater building, organized by the St. Petersburg Chamber Opera.

The project Neural Network in the Community of the Russian Museum VKontakte was named the winner in the nomination for The Best IT Solution for the Cultural Field. The museum was among the first to integrate modern neural network capabilities into its Vkontakte group, arousing great interest among subscribers. Users could explore the museum’s collection and view their images transformed by famous artists.

The victory in the nomination for Best Collaboration went to the project They are Heroes Too – the World’s First Memory Project in Space by Dobro Creative Agency with Sitronics and Sputnix companies. The project features personalized satellites in honor of non-flying hero cosmonauts and an interactive 3D memorial on the project website.

Following the voting results, the expert council of the award decided to establish two special nominations, one coming from the Russian Cultural Foundation and the other from the award’s partner, the VKontakte social network.

In the general list of worthy candidates for victory, the Russian Cultural Foundation has highlighted the project A Brief History of Culture from Ancient Russia to the present day – a documentary with animation elements, inviting viewers to travel through the centuries – from the Baptism of Russia to the present day – and learn how our country absorbed the traditions of different cultures, formed its authenticity and inscribed new names in the world heritage.

The partner of the award, Vkontakte, has allocated a separate nomination, Special Jury Prize for the most impressive participant project, Secrets of the Nutcracker, by the “Culture.RU” project and the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater. The project’s creators are releasing short videos on VKontakte about how the production of the world-famous ballet “The Nutcracker” is being created in a new, modern interpretation.

The VK Community Relations Department also awards the winners with an advertising budget to promote communities in the field of culture and art.

The organizers and hosts of the Culture Online Award thanked all the other participants for their excellent work and wished them good luck next year.

About the project:

The Russian Cultural Foundation is a National Public-State Organization in the field of culture and art. Dozens of new regional museums were established, hundreds of all-Union and international exhibitions, festivals, concerts and competitions were held, unique literary treasures were published, and periodicals were launched in many regions of the country with the support of the Foundation. An extensive regional network of branches and representative offices allows the Foundation to carry out cultural and educational activities throughout the Russian Federation.

Every year, the Foundation allocates grants in various fields of art, supporting theatrical, publishing, musical and educational activities. The Russian Cultural Foundation operates cultural and educational programs for schools, the national project “Culture,” and the federal project “Creative People.”

https://rcfoundation.ru/