A Quarter Century of Unity in Fashion and Style: The Anniversary Eurasian Competition of High Fashion National Costume "ETHNO-ERATO" Summed Up Its Results in Moscow

The Moscow Academic Theater "Russian Song" hosted the gala concert and award ceremony for the winners of the XXV Eurasian Competition of High Fashion National Costume "ETHNO-ERATO".

For a quarter of a century, this unique project has served as a vivid example of successful interaction between public and state structures, uniting peoples through the beauty, wisdom, and power of traditions. The author and permanent director of the project is Raushan Kanapyanova, Chair of the Coordinating Council of the regional public organization "Forum of Women of Eurasia."

The World Peoples Assembly has for many years acted as a reliable partner and co-organizer of "ETHNO-ERATO". Thanks to broad international cooperation, the competition has acquired a truly global scale, uniting creative design platforms from Egypt to the Far East.

Valery Mishchenko, adviser to the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of the City of Moscow, addressed the audience and participants with a welcoming speech, reading a message from Deputy Mayor of Moscow Alexander Gorbenko. On behalf of the World Peoples Assembly, Svetlana Smirnova, Chairperson of the General Council, greeted the participants.

A special event of the anniversary year was the participation in the competition of the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt. The World Peoples Assembly established a special prize in the nomination "Best Costume of the Peoples of Africa," which was solemnly presented to Maissa Hamada for the presentation of a unique museum collection of traditional Egyptian costume.

The World Peoples Assembly expressed deep gratitude to the people who stood at the origins of the project's development. Letters of appreciation were presented to the competition director Raushan Kanapyanova - for 25 years dedicated to faithful service to the idea of ethnocultural education, as well as to the jury members - for the highest level of expertise and the preservation of cultural heritage.

The professional jury noted the highest level of works by the designer-competitors of "ETHNO-ERATO-2026". This year, collections were presented from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, as well as from 9 republics, 4 territories, and regions of Central Russia, the Volga region, and the South of the country.

The main prizes - the Diploma "For Professionalism" and the "Golden Scissors" sign - were received by Lyudmila Zhirkova, head of the creative association of craftswomen "Uktel" (Russia, Yakutia), and Sabyrkul Asanova, professor of art history and president of the fashion academy "Symbat" (Kazakhstan).

The prize "Promising Couturier" was received by designer Irina Volina for the collection "Adyghe Motifs." The prize of the Moscow House of Nationalities "For the Preservation of Folk Traditions" was awarded to designer Natalya Koretskaya for the collection "The Connection of Times."

Nomination of the "ETHNO-ERATO" competition awards:

"Best Slavic Costume"

• 1st place: Natalya Smolyak ("Bells," Minsk);

• 2nd place: Natalya Shumova ("A Sarafan Can Be Different");

• 3rd place: Nina Zargaryan ("Blessed Rus," St. Petersburg) and Natalya Simonova ("Noble Nizhny Novgorod Women," Model Fashion Theater "Tradition," Dzerzhinsk).

"Best Costume of the Peoples of the Caucasus"

• 1st place: Zarema Khapchaeva ("Karachay-Balkar Alan Style," Cherkessk);

• 2nd place: Susanna Udzhukhu ("Breath of Traditions," Maykop);

• 3rd place: Ruzanna Khuako ("Radiance of Ornament," Maykop).

"Best Costume of the Peoples of the North, Siberia, and the Far East"

• 1st place: Lyudmila Zhirkova ("Female Images of the Goddesses Aiyy," Yakutsk);

• 2nd place: Olga Ignatieva ("Reconstruction of Traditional Fur Clothing," Khangalassky District, Yakutia);

• 3rd place: Grigory Savvin ("Complete Set of 19th-Century Wedding Clothing," Nemugintsy Village, Yakutia).

"Best Oriental Costume"

• 1st place: Kairolla Abishev ("Shezhire — Genealogy of a Woman," Astana, Kazakhstan);

• 2nd place: Zebo Sadilloeva ("Gold-Embroidery Art of Bukhara," Bukhara, Uzbekistan);

• 3rd place: Saodat Sadykova ("My Love, Tajikistan," Tajik Cultural Center, Moscow).

"Best Costume of Finno-Ugric Peoples"

• 1st place: Vera Mekhonoshina ("Modotchan," workshop "Zarni In," Kudymkar);

• 2nd place: Svetlana Likhacheva ("Mordovian Legends," Moscow);

• 3rd place: Ekaterina Sakerina ("Patterns of Cheptsa," Balezino, Udmurtia).

"Retro of National Costume"

• 1st place: Ufa State College of Technology and Design ("Uniform Dress," Ufa);

• 2nd place: Ekaterina Gerasimova ("In the Footsteps of Ancestors," Fashion Theater "Eridan," Kazan);

• 3rd place: Svetlana Ospishcheva ("White Spinners," Ivanteevka) and Aliyana Kharlampieva ("Khaara Kytalyk," association "Revival," Yakutia).

"Ethnic Motifs in Modern Costume"

• 1st place: Lilia Erdmieva ("Horses of the Wind," Elista);

• 2nd place: Tatyana Petrova ("Living Traditions," Cheboksary);

• 3rd place: Radzhana Budaeva ("Shuluun Tamga," Ulan-Ude).

"Ethnic Stage Costume in Action"

• 1st place: Taisia Dranova ("Terem-Teremok," Fashion Theater "Vasilisa," Moscow);

• 2nd place: Bayan Toyganbaeva ("Korzhyn Ashu," Astana, Kazakhstan);

• 3rd place: Ruzana Khuako ("Heritage in the Light of Rituals," Maykop).

The anniversary competition "ETHNO-ERATO-2026" once again proved that national costume is a living, expressive language in which the peoples of the world speak about friendship, unity, and mutual understanding.

The gala concert was held with the support of the Department of National Policy and Interregional Relations of the Government of Moscow, the World Peoples Assembly, and the Moscow House of Nationalities.

Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly and at media@world-assembly.org.