architect, artist, interior designer

Artist

architect, artist

artist, interior designer

artist, teacher

photographer, poet

Address from the Author of the “Letters from Russia” Project to the Visitors of the Website
Dear friends!
The time has come to address you and tell you about what has already been done and what continues today: what is being painted, written and created within the framework of the “Letters from Russia” project.
I founded the project and the creative movement “Letters from Russia” with one simple but very important idea: to bring letters from our talented artists to different countries around the world, to show their work to audiences in Russia, in neighboring and distant countries, and to tell the world what we are capable of creating through art.
Why now?
Because today, more than ever before, it is especially important to speak to one another through art, through letters of kindness, respect and understanding.
We have one world, one planet, one life and one simple human desire: to be born, to grow, to live and to remain human.
Otherwise, it may happen that there will be no one left to write letters.
The First Letter Beyond Russia
For the first international exhibition, I chose a beautiful country — the Republic of Srpska and its capital, Banja Luka, a city on the Vrbas River.
This is a place with an extraordinary and complex history. Here, traces of ancient civilizations, Roman roads, the Illyrian and Ottoman eras, the Middle Ages, the Austro-Hungarian period and numerous historical conflicts intertwine.
This is a country, a people and a city that have never been afraid of their history and have always tried to live through it with dignity and pride, to preserve it and defend it. Of course, this often came at a great price.
But this people continues to live, to believe and to create.
It is a people that has every right to have its own coat of arms, its own flag, its own prayer and its own memory.
Banja Luka is a city where both Serbian and Russian words can be heard, where the bells do not fall silent, and where different cultures and traditions exist side by side.
It was here that the first international “letter” of our project took place.
The Exhibition in Banja Luka
On July 16, 2026, the exhibition “Letters from Russia” opened at the beautiful cultural center “Banski Dvor”, located in the very center of Banja Luka.
The exhibition occupied two floors. In addition to my own works as an architect, interior designer and watercolor artist, the exhibition presented works by five artists from Russia.
Among the participants:
Anastasia Bancheva — an artist working with watercolor and ink, including Japanese techniques. An exceptionally creative artist with a wide range of artistic techniques and her own distinctive view of art.
Alexander Saltovsky — watercolor artist and designer. His work gives a special place to the Russian winter, architecture and historical imagery, including a watercolor depiction of the coat of arms of Suzdal.
Sergey Bessarab — architect and watercolor artist, the creator of his own artistic world, where the crowns of imagined forests, abandoned piers and the distinctive atmosphere of the Russian provinces appear. He was born in Sevastopol, but in spirit he is a man of great inner freedom.
Elena Demina — a student of the renowned painter Sergey Demin. At the same time, she has long since become an independent artist in her own right. Her true medium is oil painting.
And, of course, Sergey Skuratov, a photographer whose name is well known far beyond the borders of a single city. A photographer who regularly participates in exhibitions and shows Russia through the lens of his camera.
Not Everything Went as Planned
Any exhibition abroad is a complex organizational undertaking that requires time, funds, documents, travel and an enormous amount of human effort.
Unfortunately, only two participants from Russia were able to attend the opening in Banja Luka — artist Anastasia Bancheva and photographer Sergey Skuratov.
For me, this came as a surprise and, I admit, it was unpleasant. Especially because the organizers in Banja Luka had to answer a perfectly natural question:“And where are your Russian friends?”
After all, behind every participant there had been a great deal of organizational work and expense.
Alexander Saltovsky and Sergey Bessarab were unable to find time for the trip. Elena Demina remained in Russia due to personal circumstances.
There were other situations as well.
At the very beginning of the project, two potential participants lost their place in the project because of their subsequent behavior. Among them was Marina Mishchenko.
I do not know all the reasons behind this decision.
The story of the young artist Arina Belyaeva, who is only beginning her journey in the world of art, was also unexpected. For reasons that I do not understand, she also left the team.
I helped her a great deal along this path and sincerely believed in her talent. That is why I am especially sorry that our paths have diverged.
Perhaps that is simply how things happen.
Not everyone makes it to the first letter. Some leave earlier, others arrive later.
But the letter still has to be written.
The Letters Continue to Live
Despite all the difficulties, the exhibition took place.
It was well received by the audience, received extensive coverage in the local media and continued its life after the opening.
The “Letters from Russia” project does not end in Banja Luka. It continues.
In a changed line-up, it will move forward, and with it new letters will appear — from Russia to Serbia and other countries, and one day, I hope, letters from Serbia and other countries will come to us.
Either Letters or Bullets. The Choice Is Ours.
I believe in letters.
Because a letter is a conversation between one human being and another.
It is an opportunity to tell others about ourselves not through slogans, but through color, line, photography, architecture and art.
The next letters from Russia will soon be addressed to new audiences. And you will certainly hear about them.
Gratitude to Banja Luka
I would like to express my special and enormous gratitude to the General Director of the cultural center “Banski Dvor,” Mladen Matović, to his right-hand man and wonderful person Slobodan Vidović, as well as to all the staff of the center — Aleksandar, Saška, Borislav and everyone who took part in preparing and carrying out the exhibition.
I would also like to separately thank Slavka Mirosavljević for the reviews.
I will especially remember the interview with the host of the alternative program. His questions and his attitude toward the project were a true gift.
Thank you to Saška — a wonderful young woman who was able to bring people together and take on a huge number of organizational issues.
Thank you, “Banski Dvor.”
For a while, it truly became our shared courtyard.
To Mr. Mladen and all his staff — my deepest respect and gratitude.
Thank you to the audience and citizens of Banja Luka.
With you, we felt at home.
A special word of thanks to the priest of the church, who welcomed us warmly and continued to speak with us in a lively, open and hospitable atmosphere.
There are cities that make you want to leave.
But I did not want to leave Banja Luka at all.
You can only fall in love with this city.
Friends
Thank you to my dear friends Zorica and Ilija.
Thank you for the time you gave us, for the trips, the songs, the joy, and for everything you did simply from the heart, without counting either your time or your own expenses.
Thank you to my Russian friend Ivan, who left his own affairs behind and came to support us.
People with big hearts cannot be cancelled, forgotten or replaced.
Thank you to my old friend Zoran from Belgrade, who met the participants at the airport, saw them on their way and helped whenever help was especially needed.
The participants themselves will still speak about their impressions of the trip and the exhibition.
And that means the letters continue to live.
A huge thank you to the wonderful young woman Anastasia Shcherba, the graphic designer of the “Letters from Russia” website, who at the most important moment took over the work abandoned by the previous designer and put all her efforts into making the result worthy.
Yes, she needs to be reminded )) But it is impossible not to be proud of her!!
Thank you to everyone who believed in the idea until the very last moment, an idea with the name:
“Let’s build bridges of friendship and write beautiful letters to one another!”
Some passengers stay, others leave. Some people join, others leave the team.
But “Letters from Russia” is not the story of individual people.
These are letters from talented and free people who are capable of standing up for a common idea — speaking to the world through art.
Every letter may have its own author, its own handwriting and its own destiny.
Letters can be different.
Some are written with warmth.
Some with pain.
Some remain unanswered.
But the most important thing is that they continue to arrive.
The Letters from Russia Continue.
Author of the Project
B. Nedimovich