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The unique and exotic diversity of traditions, culture, nature and life of Indonesian people attract Sergey Kovalchuk, a photographer and traveler from Russia. With a touch of professionalism, high-quality, beautiful and attractive photographs are produced.

Sergey Kovalchuk showed his shots from an expedition to Indonesia in a photo exhibition "Indonesia. The Territory of Ancient Traditions (Indonesia. Territoria Vekovykh Traditsii) ". The exhibition was held in one of the museums in the center of Moscow, the State Museum of Oriental Art. The exhibition lasts for 19 days from May 29 to June 16, 2019.

Unmitigated a number of photos of the collection on display with a size large enough, 300 x 208 cm and 208 x 140 cm that adorn the park of the Museum. Visitors can immediately clearly see these interesting photos even from a distance away. Among the photos are those that describe the tradition of rock jumping in Nias, Eid al-Fitr celebrations, Balinese art performances, Papuan traditions, Pacu Jawi or Minangkabau cattle races, and others.

Sergey Kovalchuk not only exhibited his work at the exhibition, but also enshrined it in a collection book "Indonesia. The Territory of Ancient Traditions ". This 484-page book illustrates the diversity of Indonesian culture and traditions, many of which are traditions that have emerged since ancient times. Books printed using high-quality coated paper contain around 700 photos that are accompanied by information on each photo.

Through the book, Sergey Kovalchuk would like to convey to the reader about his interesting photo collection on the traditions of celebrations, rituals, traditional ceremonies, competitions and performances, dances and music, and the lives of Indonesian people.

The opening of the exhibition and book launch was held on May 29, 2019 ago. The event was attended by more than 150 invited guests, including photographers and news reporters. The event was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus M. Wahid Supriyadi, Director of the MGIMO ASEAN Center Victor Sumsky, Executive Director of the Russian and Indonesian Friendship Cooperation Institute (LKPI) Mikhail Kuritsyn, and First Deputy Director General of the State Museum of Oriental Art Tatyana Metaksa.

Sergey Kovalchuk has visited and traveled to various parts of Indonesia several times from the western tip of Sumatra island to the east of the island of Papua. Sergey Kovalchuk first visited Indonesia in 2010, held a photo exhibition about Indonesia in Moscow in 2011, and even published a photo book about Indonesia.

In 2015 Sergey Kovalchuk visited Indonesia again and after his visit came the desire to re-explore Indonesian culture and traditions. In the 2016-2019 period Sergey Kovalchuk and his team visited Indonesia 12 times. They traveled around various regions of Indonesia to learn about culture, tradition and enshrining it through snapshots of photographs.

"Indonesia is a very important country. I really like Indonesia, "said Sergey Kovalchuk at the opening of the exhibition and the launch of his book.

Sergey Kovalchuk explained that making this book requires a long process, including discussions with the team and a number of other parties. Various ideas emerged, but eventually they were focused on the traditions of the Indonesian people that still existed and were preserved. Therefore, the book is titled "Indonesia. The Territory of Ancient Traditions ".

Ambassador Wahid in his opening remarks at the exhibition and book launch Sergey Kovalchuk said Indonesia was a unique country with a diversity of cultures and traditions. What is witnessed here is the other side of Indonesian tradition. Ambassador Wahid supported Sergey Kovalchuk's efforts in organizing a photo exhibition about Indonesia in Russia. This activity can better provide an understanding of Indonesian culture and traditions to Russian society.

"This photo exhibition is a very good moment to start the 70th anniversary of Indonesian and Russian diplomatic relations in 2020. I also invited Sergey Kovalchuk to showcase his work at the Indonesia Festival on August 1-4 this year in Moscow," Ambassador Wahid said.

After the State Museum of Oriental Art, this photo exhibition is planned to be held at the All-Russia Exhibition Center (VDNH), Moscow on 19 June-7 July 2019. (Source: Indonesian Embassy in Moscow)