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Russia-inspired art exhibition opens in London

LONDON, December 05. /ITAR-TASS/. An exhibition of young British Kazakhstan-born artist Annya Sand devoted to Russia, its people, history and culture opened in London on Wednesday.

Forerunner to the 2014 UK-Russia Year of Culture, its "Study of Russia" title translates into Russian as both "A sketch of Russia" and "Analysis of Russia".The exhibition opened in Asia House, the British social and cultural center with a special interest in fostering ties between Britain and Eurasian countries.

The opening ceremony was attended by Prince Michael of Kent, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Michael, grand-nephew of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, speaks Russian and is interested in Russian culture.

Annya Sand says she hopes to contribute to UK-Russian dialogue with works representing multifaceted Russian culture - from captivating cathedrals to ballet dancers to the most significant leaders. Making people familiar with foreign cultures will foster peace and understanding among nations, she believes.

London Mayor Boris Johnson welcomed the event , hoping the exhibition and the cross-cultural year would be successful.

Annya Sand was born in Kazakhstan into a family of Russian descent. The artist lives in Britain where she came to as a teenager to study at an English school.

Her figurative abstract works are suffused with cultural motifs of Russia and Middle Asia and her work has been exhibited in prestigious galleries in Britain and former USSR countries Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

In 2010, Sand took part in organizing the ‘Treasures of Kazakhstan’ display at Christie’s auction house. This showed works by Russian and Kazakh artists from the collection of the Abylkhan Kasteev State Museum of Art at Almaty.

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