5th Month of Culture

Müfide Kadri was a Turkish artist who lived between 1889 and 1912. She was the first known Muslim woman painter and painting teacher in the Ottoman Empire. Also, Müfide Kadri was the first Turkish woman artist who received an award (at an exhibition in Germany). She worked mostly on portraits, landscapes and still life, which were characterized by her poetic tone and the expression of feelings. Furthermore, Kadri was interested in composing songs and playing the piano, violin and traditional instruments. After her death, a solo exhibition was organized by her father and around forty of her works were donated to the Ottoman Painters Society.

Now, it is time to see a cultural monument in the Raška district of central Serbia, the Studenica Monastery. It was established in the late 12th century by Stevan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. It is the largest and richest Serbian Orthodox Monastery and its two main churches, the Church of the Virgin and the Church of the King, are both built of white marble. Also, Studenica Monastery is well-known for its 13th and 14th-century Byzantine frescoes. In 1986, it was included on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

Today, we pay an online visit to the beautiful natural monuments of the Qabala (or Gabala) District. This mountainous region is located in the north of Azerbaijan and consists of a wide range of natural wonders as a result of geological phenomena. The ‘’ Seven Beauties’’ Waterfalls near the village of Ruskan, Nohur Lake surrounded by mountains and the Qabala (or Gabala) Forest, which is a unique choice for trips in autumn, constitute some examples.

The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow is one of the most prestigious theatres in the Russian Federation. Its history began on 28 (17 according to the old style) March 1776, when Catherine II granted the prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Urusov, the ‘’privilege’’ of ‘’maintaining’’ theatre performances of all kinds, such as masquerades and balls, for a period of ten years. The Bolshoi building was opened on 20 October 1856, on Tsar Alexander II’s coronation day.

The Cotroceni National Museum (Bucharest, Romania) was established on December 27th 1991 and operates in the old wing of the Cotroceni Palace, a monument combining the late 19th century Romanian architecture with the medieval architecture of Serban Cantacuzino. Furthermore, Cotroceni is the only Romanian residence which has been constantly inhabited since the late 17th century until now. During its 30 years of existence, the museum has been carried out a wide variety of scientific and exhibition projects concerning topics such as History, Art History (from medieval to contemporary) and Restoration/ Conservation work. 

The Cafesjian Center for the Arts (Yerevan, Armenia) was founded in November 2009 under the inspiration of Gerard Leon Cafesjian and houses a large collection of Armenian modern and contemporary art. The Center includes a wide variety of exhibitions, such as the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden, the Swarovski Crystal Palace Exhibition and the Escalator Gallery. Moreover, many educational programs and projects of lectures, films and concerts take place.

The first day of the 5th BSEC Month of Culture is dedicated to the renowned Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, who died on September 2, 2021 at the age of 96. Although his life cannot be described in a few lines, we present a short biography.