In the year that our home city serves as the Cultural Capital of Russia, Department of Prosthodontics of OSMU, in collaboration with the Department of Prosthodontics of RUDN University (Moscow), hosted the II International Festival of Student Science, Manual Craftsmanship, and High Art. The event took place on October 17–18, 2026 and brought together students, teaching staff, professors, and leading experts in the field of prosthetic dentistry from Russia and neighboring countries.
The organizers of this significant event were Prof. Andrey A. STAFEEF (Omsk) and Prof. Igor Yu. LEBEDENKO (Moscow). This Festival has become a significant platform for the development and demonstration of diagnostic methods and manual skills through digital technologies, while simultaneously immersing oneself in the world of music, painting, and the style of the Art Deco era.
Ten student teams from universities of neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan) and Russia (Moscow, Kazan, Perm, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk) participated in the festival. A jury of leading specialists in orthopedic dentistry, including employees of the Prosthodontics Departments of Universities of forenamed counties and cities, evaluated the participants' work according to high standards.
The Festival served as a platform integrating student research and clinical practice with digital technologies, all while embracing the worlds of music, visual arts, and the Art Deco style.
The centerpiece of the Festival was a student Olympiad focused on manual skills and digital diagnostic technologies in prosthetic dentistry. Participants completed practical tasks designed to evaluate their clinical proficiency, including the creation of digital preparation keys, the production of both digital and analog impressions (using domestically manufactured silicone materials), and the assessment of the critical "tooth preparation" stage by superimposing jaw scans taken before and after the procedure. The final phase of the competition involved modeling the occlusal surfaces of prepared first molars using photopolymers, following a modular technique developed by Prof. Larisa M. LOMIASHVILI, DMD, Dr Sci (in Medicine), Dean of the OSMU Dentistry Faculty, followed by an occlusal analysis.
Another key event of the Festival was a scientific poster competition, where students presented the results of their research, reflecting current trends in the development of science and clinical practice within the field of prosthetic dentistry. As part of the competition, participants answered questions from the jury regarding their presentations. The competition session concluded with video addresses and lectures delivered by leading national experts, covering critical issues in prosthetic dentistry. Speakers included: Prof. Alexander N. RYAKHOVSKY, DMD, Dr Sci (in Medicine), Head of the Department of Digital Dentistry at the M.F. Vladimirsky Moscow Regional Research Clinical Institute (MONIKI), who discussed the scientific potential of the "Avantis 3D" digital software (the only such program developed in Russia); Prof. of RUDN V.A. PARUNOV, DMD, Dr Sci (in Medicine),and Prof. V.P. CHUEV, Dr Sci (in Engineering), who spoke on the topic of "Modern Domestic Materials in Digital Dentistry."
The cultural program included attending a concert by the Omsk State Symphony Orchestra and visiting two exhibitions at the "Hermitage-Siberia" Museum: "Mikhail Vrubel: Metamorphoses" and exhibition by People's Artist of Russia, Professor G. P. Kichigin. The final encounter with high art involved students and their supervisors attending the opening of the "Art Dent" space, an initiative by Prof. A. A. Stafeev at the "Olymp" Digital Dentistry Clinic (directed by Assoc. Prof. A.V. Khizhuk), which featured an exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco style. The event served as the venue for the awards ceremony.
Sofya TYAZHELNIKOVA, fourth-year student of the Novosibirsk State Medical University, became the overall winner of the competition. All participants demonstrated a high level of professionalism and scientific training, which enabled them to secure top placements across the festival’s various contests. One of the most challenging events was the "Tooth Preparation" competition, in which the OSMU team took first place; the Omsk medical school was represented by fourth-year student Dukhik SOLKARYAN. All participants and winners were awarded diplomas, valuable prizes from the company "Vladmiva," and books authored by Prof. A.N. Ryakhovsky.
Participants and professors highly praised the organization of the Festival, noting its significance for the advancement of student research, the enhancement of manual skills, and the integration of digital technologies into the training of future doctors. The II International Festival of Student Science, Manual Craftsmanship, and High Art underscored the value of a comprehensive approach to dental education - one in which scientific knowledge, clinical skills, digital innovation, and culture serve as the foundation for the professional growth of young specialists.
We congratulate our students and their academic supervisors - Prof. Andrey A. STAFEEV, Assoc. Prof. Alexander V. KHIZHUK, Prof. Asst. Sergey I. SOLOVIEV, Prof. Asst. Rustam Sh. KASENOV, as well as the entire Department of Prosthodontics for their high level of preparation and execution of the Festival. Their achievements attest to the significant scientific and educational potential of our university and confirm the relevance and importance of the research in the field of dentistry currently being conducted by the team at the Department of Prosthodontics.
We congratulate the Department of Prosthodontics of OSMU on hosting an event of such significance for universities in Russia and neighboring countries.