Ekaterina Semenikhina - Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Monaco, who is responsible for holding events with a Russian theme, head of the Russian Cultural Center, chairman of the Ekaterina Foundation. Wife, mother, collector and prominent figure - all these roles are combined by this fragile-looking woman.
Origins
Ekaterina Semenikhina, Kosygin's granddaughter, received her education at a specialized school in Moscow for learning French. Then she studied at the Moscow State University named after V. Lomonosov at the Faculty of Economics.
In the mid-nineties, together with her husband, they founded their own construction company. However, in the biography of Ekaterina Semenikhina, it can be seen that her future fate will firmly connect her with art.
Family and collecting
An attractive couple - Ekaterina and Vladimir Semenikhin - are today called the most influential people in the Russian art world. Husband Vladimir, like Ekaterina, received an economic education and began his career in his ownbusiness. The company Stroyteks, organized by him, has about 1 million square meters of built-up areas in Moscow. However, the common passion of the spouses for collecting works of art led Vladimir to found the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation jointly with his wife.
Today Vladimir is a well-known public figure in Russia and Monaco, a faithful husband and a responsible father who adores and pampers his children with pleasure. In 2002, Ekaterina and Vladimir presented for the first time an exhibition of artists from the Jack of Diamonds group, which made a splash in the world. They also impressed the Russian public with a new luxurious exposition "The Age of Grace Kelly", the organization of which was completely taken over by Ekaterina.
The family residence in Moscow is located on Frunzenskaya Street, in one of the houses built by the firm headed by Vladimir Semenikhin. There are about 1500 paintings in the apartment. The collection of pictorial masterpieces is constantly updated. Vladimir does not spare money for new paintings that he or his wife especially liked.
In Monaco, the couple have built a family nest for themselves by combining two apartments into one with an area of 450 m2. Here, as in Moscow, all the walls are hung with paintings. Ekaterina herself chooses a place for each painting. She also often purchases decor and interior items for their home. In addition to paintings, the apartment in Monaco is decorated with collections of art glass and crystal, which Ekaterina enjoys studying.
The couple are raising two children - Dmitry and Anabel-Elizabeth, who from childhood are surrounded by art. My son often tries his hand at painting.
Ekaterina Cultural Foundation
Founded in 2002 at the suggestion of Catherine's husband and named after her. Like-minded spouses, who have been collecting rare and original works of art all their lives, decided to share the cultural treasury with their compatriots. By the time the fund was created, the collections of Ekaterina and Vladimir Semenikhin were presented at international exhibitions about 70 times. So much material has accumulated that it became necessary to systematize and arrange it accordingly.
Today the fund employs 5 people. It contains collections representing various schools of painting and historical eras. Early works belong to the period of classical art of the 19th century. Next, the masterpieces of the early twentieth century were systematized. Now the couple focuses on collecting works of contemporary avant-garde art. Among the authors of numerous masterpieces, the following names can be found: Shishkin, Roerich, Valdes, Konchalovsky.
Honorary Consul in Monaco
Since 2002 Ekaterina Semenikhina has been living and working in Monaco. In 2015, she was appointed Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in this country. The duties of Ekaterina Semenikhina in this position, in addition to the traditional for the consul, include organizing events that raise the image of the Russian Federation in Monaco: concerts, sports competitions, tournaments, meetings with youth.
To support the Russians living in the Principality, the Russian Cultural Center was opened in 2009, whose activities began as a school organization. Since 2014, it has been headed by Ekaterina Semenikhina. Today the center resembles a club that unites not only children but also adults. For them, thematic evenings, meetings, exhibitions are held. Among the main activities of the club are the following: a library, the study of the Russian language for adults, a school for children. The number of members of the center is growing every year.
Hobbies and hobbies
Ekaterina Semenikhina and her husband Vladimir are true connoisseurs of Russian art and culture of the 20th century. And this hobby began in the 90s. from the study of painting. Today, their family has in its collection paintings by Shishkin, Aivazovsky, works of avant-garde art and paintings by masters of the 60s. Among the favorite artists: Mashkov, Grigoriev, Konchalovsky, Bulatov.
Ekaterina is a big fan of Murano glass products. Several times a year, she travels to Italy just to buy herself something new from this material.
Look into tomorrow
Ekaterina Semenikhina connects her future with her work as an Honorary Consul. Her plans are aimed, first of all, at improving the service of consular services for Russians in Monaco, further developing the Cultural Center, as well as creating all favorable conditions for the stay and communication of Russian citizens in the principality. Semenikhina Ekaterina Alekseevna and the Ekaterina Foundation, which she created, is a brightphenomena in the modern cultural life of our country.
