In Almaty Hesed Polina, there is an exhibition room, which is never empty. On January 28 a personal exhibition of Dina Utigaliyeva "Madrigot" opened here. The name is unusual as the author’s works. Once, when Dina was a little child, she participated in a community project organized by Family Club named "Madrigot", which in Hebrew means "steps". That’s a symbolic word. You cannot miss any steps to climb upstairs. Every step gives new skills, knowledge, and opens new horizons.

President of Mitsva Association Alexander Baron, Hesed Polina Director Inessa Chugainova, Director of the Republican Jewish Library Galina Korobkina, a well-known Kazakhstani artist Yuriy Zobak, representatives of the All-Kazakhstan Forum of Jewish Young People, Family Club Shalom, teachers, friends, and relatives of Dina Utigaliyeva were present at the vernisage.

The young artist has been a member of our community for a long time. Many years ago, little Dina was brought to Family Club Shalom by her mother, Ida Utigaliyeva. Everybody in the Club remembers Dina playing a flute (she graduated from a music school). It looked like the girl was to be a musician. But the hard-working girl decided to be an artist. Now we see the smiling Dina with her paintings on the walls, her world, as she says, "my avatar".

It is very nice to say kind words to the beautiful and talented girl. We wish her all the best, new artistic achievements where the "steps" are taking her to. The official part was opened by President of Mitsva Association Alexander Baron. He immediately took up the tone of a kind but demanding grandfather. Galina Korobkina told the history of creating this exhibition and wished Dina to have many bright vernisages in future. Evgeniy Breusov, flute teacher, showed a pencil drawing. Many years ago, 12-year old Dina had presented it to her favorite teacher and he had been keeping "early Utigaliyeva" drawing carefully all these years. Volunteer Svetlana Nezhinskaya also congratulated Dina, she knows the girl from her childhood spent in the Family Club. Then Dina introduced her first teacher, Anya Stepenko, who shared her memories of the time when Dina was beginning her artistic development. The well-known surrealist artist Yuriy Zobak noted that this exhibition seemed to be the most interesting exhibition of the recent time. Such praise of an experienced artist is very important to a young artist. Member of the Family Club Natalya Zvonoreva wished Dina further creative development. The beloved grandmother Farida Karimovna, who had taken Dina to music and drawing classes, wished all the best to her granddaughter. The vernisage was visited by young people from different Jewish Communities of Kazakhstan (Young People Forum was held at that time in Almaty). Mariya Koroleva from Taraz had known Dina before; they had worked together on Taglit Program. At the exhibition she was very surprised to learn that the Dina is such a great artist. Vladimir Alexanin from Kostanay, an art person, capable of assessing works of art, wished Dina to continue her development, never stop. It is possible to continue creative process only if you never stop at achieved.

Dina Utigaliyeva thanked Hesed Polina, Alexander Baron, Galina Korobkina, Anna Stepenko, Natalya Kats, Lyudmila Yeniseyeva-Varshavskaya, Marina Mirgorodskaya, Sholpan Zhubanova, and her parents for their combined efforts to make this exhibition possible.

Lyudmila Starodubova