On June 22, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Russian and Kazakh artists have arrived for an open-air painting session in Vitebsk, tour organiser Larisa Petrovskaya told a BELTA correspondent. The open-air session is timed to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Marc Chagall's birth and the 120th anniversary of Ilya Repin's purchase of the Zdravnevo estate near Vitebsk. Along with members of national Artists' Unions, pupils from art schools have arrived in Vitebsk. About 100 people have decided to immerse themselves in the artistic atmosphere of the city on the Dvina. The guests will be painting Vitebsk, its surroundings, and making portrait sketches of townspeople. Following the open-air session, an exhibition is planned to be held in Saint Petersburg. Excursions to places associated with the names of famous masters of the brush, as well as visits to Vitebsk museums and art exhibitions, have also been organised for the artists. At creative meetings, professional artists will become acquainted with the activities of well-known contemporary Vitebsk artists who are continuing the traditions of the famous Vitebsk Art School. Future celebrities, on the other hand, will attend a master class by Vitebsk educators. As Larisa Petrovskaya noted, pupils from Vitebsk art schools have been invited to participate in the open-air session. The guests will give them a master class. The open-air session will last until June 29, and its participants will attend the city festival. According to Larisa Petrovskaya, they enthusiastically accepted the invitation to participate in the festive procession celebrating the opening of the festivities on June 23 and are preparing pleasant gifts for Vitebsk and its citizens. -0-

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