In 2019, Ilim Group made a decision to support a Russian cultural project of social significance - the the Diana Vishneva Foundation for the Coordinated Development of Ballet.

The Foundation was established in 2010 by Diana Vishneva, Russian prominent prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. The Foundation supports Russian choreography, creation of new ballet projects and performances engaging the world's leading ballet dancers, building connections between the classic and contemporary dancing. Moreover, the Foundation puts a special focus on supporting junior choreography and promoting social rehabilitation of veteran ballet dancers.

lim Group has supported a series of Foundation events to take place in 2019, the largest of which will be the international festival of modern choreography CONTEXT. Diana Vishneva, which has been held in St. Petersburg since 2013. Over these years, the festival has become a creative, social and educational platform for both professionals and rising stars of choreography. In addition, there is a number of creative projects with leading Russian and foreign ballet dancers and representatives of other art communities planned for this year within the framework of Context Pro Studio (St. Petersburg) .

The first event, which was held with Ilim Group support, took place on February 25 at the Tovstonogov Bolshoy Drama Theater in St. Petersburg.The Characters: Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina theater project was presented in a cross-interview format. For the first time, two legendary ballerinas of the Mariinsky Theater took the stage in a new creative context. A sincere dialogue, like a confession in front of the audience, scarcely left anyone unmoved.

“Ilim annually supports significant social and cultural projects,” said Ksenia Sosnina, CEO of Ilim Group. “Ballet is part of St. Petersburg history. The Diana Vishneva Foundation does not only concern itself with careful and professional preservation of this cultural heritage, but also provides unique development opportunities for the young talented people. We are proud to contribute to heritage preservation and cultural development.”

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Ilim Group annually allocates over 400 million rubles to support charitable and social projects in the regions where it operates. Ilim Garant Charity Fund was founded in April 2005. It has two branches: Ilim Garant East (Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Territory) and Ilim Garant West (Arkhangelsk Oblast, the Republic of Komi, Vologda, and Kirovsk Oblasts), as well as the Head Office in St. Petersburg. Resolutions to support a particular program are passed by the Fund‘s Advisory Expert Councils in each of the Branches, which include representatives of the regional authorities, members of NGOs, youth and sports organizations, as well as ILIM Group representatives.