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Khabarovsk Becomes Russia’s Animation Capital Again as ArtMasters Finals Bring the Country’s Best Young Artists to the Far East
Finalists of the ArtMasters National Open Championship of Creative Competencies have arrived in Khabarovsk. Over the next two weeks, the city will host intensive work, final challenges, creative assignments, and meetings with leading industry professionals. For animation enthusiasts, the program also offers a rare opportunity to attend an exclusive screening of works by three renowned directors on August 19, meet championship experts, and take part in four free master classes on August 21.
Khabarovsk is once again immersed in the world of animation — and this time, not only during the Animur festival. For the first time, finalists of the ArtMasters National Open Championship of Creative Competencies in the “Animator” category have come to Khabarovsk. The Creative Competencies Polygon will serve as the venue for the final stage. It is here that some of Russia’s most promising young animators will complete the championship’s final assignments and spend a significant part of their time in Khabarovsk.
ArtMasters is a national open championship of creative competencies that gives young professionals an opportunity to test their skills under professional conditions, present themselves to leading industry experts, and meet future colleagues. For finalists, it is an opportunity to take the next step in their careers. The championship is part of the large-scale national project “Youth and Children.”
This season, the Animur International Animation Film Festival became the main industry partner of the “Animator” category. The partnership was made possible with the support of the Committee for Domestic Policy of the Government of Khabarovsk Krai and co-financing from the Presidential Grants Foundation through subsidies for socially oriented nonprofit organizations. Thanks to this partnership, Khabarovsk will become a venue for final challenges, creative work, and meetings with leading representatives of the animation industry over the next two weeks. Residents of Khabarovsk will also have an opportunity to take part in the program: on August 19, they can attend an exclusive screening of independent animation by three renowned directors, while on August 21 they can meet championship experts and attend four master classes free of charge.
“Taking part in professional competitions like this is genuinely very useful. There are not many of them. ArtMasters is a unique championship of creative competencies — a championship in the fullest sense of the word. It is extremely valuable for young professionals, both juniors and participants in the main adult category,” said Sergey Merinov, Chief Expert of the ArtMasters “Animator” category.
According to Merinov, the finals give participants an opportunity to test themselves under intense conditions, present their work to the expert community, and establish creative connections that may last a lifetime.
For the finalists, traveling to the Russian Far East has become an adventure in itself. Later, they will be joined by finalists in the “Theater and Film Playwright” category, who are expected to arrive in Khabarovsk at the end of the week.
“I was surprised that everyone would be brought to Khabarovsk, although it made sense given that Animur is hosting the championship this year. I think holding the finals in the Far East is a kind of gift for the finalists. Visiting Khabarovsk while being immersed in an animation environment sounds like a fairy tale, but it is actually happening,” said championship finalist Darina Spigina from Novocherkassk, Rostov Region.
The final assignments for the “Animator” category were developed by ArtMasters experts jointly with the Animur festival team and will be integrated into the business program of the ASEAN–Russia Animation Market, which will take place as part of Animur’s anniversary season from October 1 to 4, 2026. The ArtMasters final presentations will be held at the Youth Leisure Center and will bring together leading creative-industry experts from Moscow and Khabarovsk.
The ArtMasters finals in Khabarovsk will be an event not only for participants. In August, Animur has prepared a special program of meetings and screenings with championship experts for local residents.
On August 19 at 7:00 p.m., the Druzhba Cinema will host an exclusive screening of independent animation by three leading Russian animation directors — Sergey Merinov, Andrey Rubetskoy, and Anna Kuzina.
Audiences will see a selection of their best works, followed by a discussion with the directors about techniques, ideas, creative styles, and the process behind animation production.
Sergey Merinov is a director, screenwriter, animator, member of the Art Council of Pilot Studio, founder of Merinov School, and creator of Pilot Studio’s Clay Animation Department. Andrey Rubetskoy is a director, screenwriter, and animator who has worked on well-known Russian animated series including “Belka and Strelka,” “Bodo Borodo,” and “Masha and the Bear.” Anna Kuzina is an animator and director, creator of the short films “Snegozavr,” “The Warm Star,” and “The Gymnast,” and winner of the 2022 ArtMasters championship in the “Animator” category.
Screening program:
Director Anna Kuzina:
• “Snegozavr” — 1:39
• “The Warm Star” — 4:29
• “The Gymnast” — 7:15
Director Sergey Merinov:
• “The Green World” — 4:00
• “Moscow Windows” — 4:00
• “Trousers” — 2:00
• “Backpack” — 3:16
• “Sasha Walked Along the Highway” — 4:30
• “A Human Is Made Simply” — 2:02
• “We Knead and Knead” — 3:00
Director Andrey Rubetskoy:
• “Yeti and the Kids,” Episode 1 — 6:00
• “Yeti and the Kids,” Episode 2 — 6:00
• “The Disappearing Dad” — 8:00
Registration is available at:
https://trofeus.app/meet/bfc0bdd8-c54e-46c5-9fe7-adf10ed16acf/
On August 21, the Creative Competencies Polygon will host a Day of Creative Meetings featuring four open master classes led by experts from the animation and creative industries.
Program:
10:00 a.m. — “An Appealing Script: How to Create and Sell Your Idea”
Vasily Krovyakov, Chief Editor for Live-Action Film and Series, will explain how to turn an idea into a project that can attract the market’s attention — from the initial concept and logline to the final presentation.
Registration:
https://trofeus.app/meet/559aa362-5b33-455e-857e-ec9f84755400/
1:00 p.m. — “Clay Animation and Other Forms of Stop Motion”
Sergey Merinov will share his professional journey from hand-drawn animation to clay animation directing and discuss his experiments with object animation, sand animation, paper animation, pixilation, and other techniques.
Registration:
https://trofeus.app/meet/eff238dc-cef3-4e60-801d-ed89cb2c6a7b/
3:00 p.m. — “Independent Animation and Animated Series: Similarities and Differences”
Andrey Rubetskoy will discuss how the mindset of a director working in independent animation differs from that of a director in series production, and why experience in one format can enrich work in the other.
Registration:
https://trofeus.app/meet/ee6b8ec5-991c-4485-bd68-ee4b940442a3/
5:00 p.m. — “From Comics to Cartoons”
Anna Kuzina will talk about her journey from self-taught artist to animation director, present her own works, and explain how the visual logic of comics can help in creating shots and structuring a story.
Registration:
https://trofeus.app/meet/29b660d6-b879-48cb-a761-9f3b613559fb/
Taking part in the creative meetings is an opportunity to see how the contemporary animation industry works from the inside, ask questions directly to professionals, and learn from those who create Russian animation every day.
Detailed information about the program and registration is available on the festival website:
https://animur.ru/smi-partneri/tpost/epvu9r3dz1-eksklyuzivnii-pokaz-avtorskoi-animatsii
Photo: Animur International Animation Film Festival
Contacts:
Email: fest@animur.ru
Sofia Liseenko, Executive Director of the Animur International Animation Film Festival:
+7 914 776 23 07
Kristina Bochkaryova, Head of Media Relations at the Animur International Animation Film Festival:
+7 914 211 20 20 (MAX, Telegram)
Animur channels:
Telegram:
https://t.me/animurfest
MAX:
https://max.ru/id2722135586_biz
Website:
http://animur.ru
Email:
fest@animur.ru