HÀ NỘI A painting exhibition featuring traditional Russian wedding ceremonies opened on Friday at the Việt Nam Museum of Fine Arts in Hà Nội.

The exhibition entitled 'Wedding Excitement' includes 30 paintings by 20 international artists. The collection is from a contemporary art project which was carried out by the museum in 2019. 

"Every nation has its own views and customs for holding a wedding ceremony," said Nguyễn Anh Minh, the museum's director. 

"These paintings aim at preserving eternal human values; love and peace in the family; birth and upbringing of children and respect for parents."

An oil-on-canvas painting entitled Spring Bride by V.A. Frolova features a happy bride walking on the blooming flower ground. The Bashkirs ethnic group bridal costume includes red and white colours. 

Red represents the warmth of the house and white is seen as a sign of the sun and family happiness. The bride's head is covered with a scarf and she wears a special kashmau hat for married women. 

G.N. Petukhov's Wedding in Mari oil-on-canvas painting depicts a wedding ceremony in the Mari El Republic. 

During the wedding ceremony in the plains of the Sernur District, the bride wears a hat made of fox fur. The hat is skewed to one side on the bride's head and is centred after the bride is recognised as married woman. 

Entitled Wedding of Earth and Sun, the painting by S.Yu. Gorbachev is watercolour and features a man and a woman who represent the sun and earth. According to Slavic legend, the sun warms the earth with its light. 

The exhibition is held by Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Hà Nội and Yelabuga State Museum - Reserve of Historical Architectural and Art. 

Yelabuga is one of few historical centres in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Attendees at the opening ceremony including Russian ambassador Konstantin Vasilievich Vnukov, Nguyễn Phương Hòa, head of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's International Co-operation Department and others. 

The exhibition runs until Tuesday at 66 Nguyễn Thái Học Street. VNS