Festival in the Mikhailovsky Garden - 2008

‘The Imperial Gardens of Russia’ International Festival in the Mikhailovsky Garden under the patronage of the Governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko and Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent that was organized by the Russian Museum with support of His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent Charitable Foundation, the Russian Museum Palaces Restoration Fund and the Union of Gardeners of Russia was a great success and exceeded all expectations. Circa 60 000 people visited the Mikhailovsky Garden during the Festival (30 May – 3 June 2008) according to the approximate calculation. The visitors were: citizens and tourists, Russian and foreign landscape experts, politicians and businessmen.

The main event of the Festival was the ‘Creations and Decorations in the Imperial Gardens of XVIII and XIX Centuries’ exhibition-contest. The members of the Jury that are well known landscape architects and florists from Russia (L. Kanunnikova, T. Volftrub, G. Pergamenschikova, V. Bermyakov), New Zealand (D. Menzies, M. Ignatieva), the USA (N. Kirkwood), France (P. Gestkoff). Germany (C. Herrmann) and Belgium (P. Carron) appreciated compositions created by participants at two nominations:

 

• The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XVIII Century
• The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XIX Century
  

Prize-winners of the Festival, who got the first, the second and the third places, were awarded memorial gifts and honorary certificates of the Imperial Gardens of Russia Festival.

According to the results of voting of the PROFESSIONAL JURY the winners are:

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XVIII Century

 

 

 

 

 

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XIX Century

 

 

 

 

According to the results of voting of the JURY OF HONOUR the winners are:

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XVIII Century

 

 

 

 

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XIX Century

 

 

 

 

The Initiators of the Festival organized the “Audience Choice Award”. The winners are:

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XVIII Century

 

 

 

In the nomination

The Best Composition of Gardening Art in the Style of the XIX Century

 

 

The ‘Dress of Pink Chrysanthemum’ Composition that was created by the Festival’s participant – Design Studio by Vasily Antropov - was awarded with Audience Choice Award.           

The ‘Akvilegia’ Landscape Design Studio was awarded with the Special Prize – medal of Her Royal Highness Princess Michael of Kent for the best composition of gardening art in the style of the XVIII century – for the ‘Illusion’ composition.           

All the participants of the exhibition-contest alongside the participants and partners of the ‘Imperial Gardens of Russia’ Festival were awarded with honorary certificates.

The highly topical programme of the Festival contained: mater-classes by foreign (Lorberg Tree Nursery (Germany), IKEBANA IKENOBO School (professor Midori Yamada, Japane) and Russian landscape experts  (Vasily Antropov, two-time champion of Russia Irina Trinyova), master-class by The Blacksmiths’  Guild and metal artist (Saint-Petersburg), fashion shows of clothes and headgears  by the Russian designers  (N. Koryakina, V. & А. Bermyakovs, Union of Russia’s Manufacturers of Headwear, Production Materials and Accessories (SP GYSAR) and National Exhibition Company “Russian lions”), presentation of the ‘Charleston’ collection (International Floral Design School “Planta-A”. Director - A. Sokolova), presentations of laureate of the International contests («The Northern Star» ensemble, «Pearl» ensemble and others), concerts of military brass bands  («Ulans», «Hussars»), “The Russian Horn Choir” orchestra of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, as well as the concert of «The Classics» Saint Petersburg State Orchestra (artistic director, honoured artist of Russia, Aleksandr Kantorov).

The collaboration of the official partners of the Festival’s conducting such as  Saint-Petersburg Voluntary Charity Fund of the Russian Museum Palaces Restoration (director – Аnna Tsvetkova) and His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent Charitable Foundation (general director – Sergey Markov) was secured by signing of the  constituent assembly statement on non-profit partnership “The Imperial Gardens of Russia” in the presence of Vasily Zakharyaschev - Chairman of the Union of Gardeners of Russia all-Russian voluntary organization, head of the Administration for Development of Horticulture and Agriculture of Saint-Petersburg, Vladimir Gusev – Director of the Russian Museum and other officials.           

The ‘Floralia’ Belgium exhibition centre made a donation of the unique collection of rhododendrons to the Russian Museum.

From the Lorberg Tree Nursery (H.LORBERG Baumschulerzeugnisse GmbH&Co.KG (commercial director Stefan H. Lorberg)) The Russian Museum received as a gift to the anniversary of the Summer Garden and for the experimental planting for adaptation to the Saint-Petersburg climate the plants for the “berceau” alley (collapsible arch made of the European lime-tree «Euchlora»), hedge (elements for the line of small-leaved lime-trees) and for creation of a parterre border from clipped bushes (elements for cowberry border). 

The exhibition-contest’s success and taking an active interest in participation in the Festival of the urban landscape and park and garden companies give all the reasons to suppose that the ‘Imperial Gardens of Russia’ Festival will be the annual event and it will be conducted on the all grounds of the Russian Museum gardens in future.