Makhachkala, December 11, 2014. Dagestan State Philharmonics and the Gamzatova Museum of Fine Arts fulfilled a joint educational project dedicated to prominent Russian poet Lermontov’s 200th anniversary, a source in Dagestan ministry of culture told RIA "Dagestan".

The idea of combining traditional musical lectures and tours of museum exhibitions have long been considered by museum director Salikhat Gamzatova and Philharmonic artistic director Irina Nachtigal. The program featured all the Philharmonics’ soloists and accompanists.

Irina Nachtigal in her comments introduced Lermontov poetry, giving details of the poet's life and immersing the audience in the atmosphere of his time. It is an artistic lecture reinforced by musical illustrations played by Philharmonic artists. The audience heard some opera arias, songs and romances by Russian, Soviet and Dagestani composers inspired by Lermontov’s poetry: Varlamov, Bulakhov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Magomedov, and others.

The first students of the new Philharmonic lecture were students and staff of Dagestan branch of the Rostov State Economics University and other Makhachkala clerisy. The teachers highly appreciated the content and the flow of the literary lectures. In the follow-up of the concert, the audience switched to visual arts and made a tour of the museum exhibition.