Exhibition “Warmest Greetings: From Arzamas with Love” Presented at the Glazychev Readings 2026

On July 3–4, 2026, in Arzamas, as part of the 14th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference “Glazychev Readings,” the Pochtovoye project presented the exhibition “Warmest Greetings: From Arzamas with Love.”

The exhibition is dedicated to the history of the city in the early 20th century, told through postcards. At its core are posters featuring enlarged images of vintage postcards sent from and to Arzamas more than a hundred years ago. Each postcard is accompanied by a transcription of the handwritten text and historical commentary prepared by the Pochtovoye project team.

This format allows visitors not only to examine old postcards but also to literally read the thoughts and feelings of people from the past. Short messages written to relatives and friends reveal far more about everyday life, travel, family events, and impressions of the city than official documents can.

The exhibition became part of the conference’s cultural program, which focused on the development of small towns, the preservation of historical heritage, and the creation of contemporary urban environments. For participants of the Glazychev Readings, it offered an opportunity to see early-20th-century Arzamas through the eyes of its residents and visitors and to discover the city through personal stories preserved on postcards.

Alongside the exhibition, the “Visual Image of Arzamas” collage workshop was held, organized by the Nizhny Novgorod Collage Community. Under the guidance of collage artist and community co-founder Yulianna Kulugur and art director and lecturer at HSE University – Nizhny Novgorod Alexey Puzanov, participants created a collective collage dedicated to the city’s symbols, architecture, and cultural imagery. During the presentation of the work, Alexander Shchelokov, head of the Arzamas urban district, added another architectural element to the composition.

The Pochtovoye project thanks the organizers of the 14th All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference “Glazychev Readings” for the invitation and the opportunity to present the exhibition to a wide audience. We believe that vintage postcards are not only museum exhibits but also important historical sources that preserve vivid testimonies of the past and help us see the history of Russian cities from a new perspective.