Sunday morning started with small concert at the Theatre ground. Dr Yulia Barkova, young multi-instrumentalist musician from Russia greeted all teachers and students of the Art College with songs in several languages, as well as with the presentations on different musical instruments she brought with herself from Moscow. It felt as if her small bag had no bottom – new and new instruments were coming out of it, and Yulia performed on each one of them, inviting a lot of clapping from the children.
After her solo presentation she invited children from ‘Himalayan Eagles’ group on stage and they performed together – Yulia is giving them professional, but voluntary guidance for the second year now.

Concert over, and all students were invited up, to the Urusvati Institute building for the inauguration of the new exhibition. This time the guests inaugurated the youngest painter’s solo show held at the Trust – of 9-year old Ravi Tanaya Sharma from Shimla who arrived for the exhibition with her mother. As her mother explained, Ravi Tanya, a class 4 student of the Convent of Jesus and Mary School, Chelsea, Shimla, has special empathy for the poor children. The girl decided to help them in her own possible way – she draws lovely paintings, and her parents print the Charity cards – on the back side of the postcards it is written:
“Save Girl Child – Save Humanity. Funds raised through the sale of these cards will be donated for the welfare of the girl child, handicapped and orphaned children.”
Ravi Tanaya is doing not only paintings, but also writes short stories.
It is really appreciable, that in such tender age the girl feels for less privileged children, and not only feels, but puts her effort to help them.
During the inauguration of her show, Ravi Tanaya was modestly standing near the display panel with postcards, and her mother explained to the children about the subjects of the paintings.
Three foreign ladies - professional painters from different countries who previously exhibited their works at the Trust were also present at the occasion - they congratulated Ravi Tanaya to her achievements. And of course, several nice photos will remain as the memory for a small girl at her first Solo show…