SEOUL, Jul 5An exhibition of 250 paintings by contemporary Russian artists entitled «Masterpieces from Russia» is being held at the Kartina Gallery in Seoul from June 30 to July 28. It was visited by the Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev, who noted the importance of cultural ties and holding such events, the organizers of the exhibition told RIA Novosti.
The Kartina Gallery opened in 2019 and since 2020 has been holding exhibitions, events and lectures in South Korea to introduce the «best artists of Russia» to the residents of that country, as well as organizing exhibitions of Korean artists in the Russian Federation.
In 2021, the gallery, the only one in South Korea, entered into a cooperation agreement with the Russian Academy of Arts. «Katina» has a collection of 250 works by 15 Russian artists, such as Olga Bulgakova, Mikhail Izotov, Igor Orlov, Alexey Savchenko, Ivan Kugach, Yuri Mokshin, Vladimir Pentyukhov and others.
«»At first, people were not interested in Russian painting. But now we are getting a lot of interest and good reviews. I believe that even in a very difficult global situation, culture and art should not lose their unique feature (connecting people — ed). I hope that this exhibition will become a symbol of cultural exchange between our countries,” said the head of the gallery, Kim Hee-un, at the event dedicated to the exhibition.
She noted that the level of works presented in the gallery is very high and expressed hope that she will be able to continue to represent Russian culture in South Korea. 
The exhibition was also visited by the Russian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Georgy Zinoviev. He noted the ancient and deep history of ties and exchanges between the two peoples, recalling that formal ties between Russia and Korea were established 140 years ago in July 1884, and the first Koreans moved to Russian territory 160 years ago.
“Now our relations are going through a really difficult period, but I would like to note that they were established not yesterday or even in 1990, when diplomatic ties were established, but much earlier… Since then, our peoples have been in contact with each other and develop exchanges in all areas, not least, and maybe even primarily, in the field of culture,” the ambassador said.
He added that cultural connections help “understand the soul of a people,” and when people speak “the language of culture,” they communicate like “true friends.” 
«»I would compare the depth of our relationship… to the sea. If there is a strong wind blowing on the surface, and perhaps high waves, then the depth of our connections is not really affected by these. phenomena,” noted Zinoviev.
He agreed that in «difficult times» like now, it is especially important to hold cultural events like this exhibition. The ambassador added that in Korea, Russian music, fine arts, literature and ballet are «very popular», while in Russia, Korean art, music and painting, both modern and traditional, are very much loved. The exhibition, which occupies two floors of the gallery, is open to visitors from June 30 to July 28. The gallery also hosts lectures on Russian art, its history, and various trends in painting. They are conducted by the head of the gallery, Kim Hee-un.
July 7 marks 140 years since the signing of the first Russian-Korean interstate Treaty of Friendship and Trade in 1884, which became an important milestone in the development of diplomatic, trade, economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.