On 3 November, Russia was united by the "Night of the Arts," a nationwide celebration under the resonant motto: "The unity of cultures is the strength of the people." In Kirov, one of the beating hearts of this cultural night was the Vyatka Art Museum, a treasured landmark where history lives on canvas.

Here, surrounded by  masterpieces, a special group of attendees walked the halls: second-year students from the Faculty of Foreign Studies. Led by their curator, Associate Professor Anastasiya Bardovskaya, they immersed themselves in the treasures Russian art of 18th-20th century, joining a national conversation through brushstrokes and colour.

Their journey through Russian soul was guided by the great ones - Levitan, Bryullov, Serov, Isupov; but a profound connection sparked when they met the work of the Vyatka artists, the Vasnetsov brothers. Viktor Vasnetsov's "Hawthorn" captivated them, its subject's rich, unusual attire whispering tales of a bygone era. Equally moving was Apollinary Vasnetsov's "The Moscow Kremlin," especially its tactile copy - a thoughtful detail deeply appreciated by these students.

For them, the evening was more than a tour. It was a quiet conversation with Russia itself - its landscapes, its faces, its history and faith, all leaving a deep impression. On the eve of a national holiday, this touch with beauty offered a respite from daily studies, a moment to reflect on the eternal. And perhaps, in that quiet reflection, they discovered the true purpose of art.