Dubai Rating

Dubai Rating · season 2025–2026

Best Russian-speaking art entrepreneur

The first nomination of the new season is about entrepreneurs in the art industry — and that is no coincidence. The cultural cluster in Dubai and across the Emirates is growing fast: from the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy, which aims to increase the creative industries' share of Dubai's GDP, and the world's first cultural visa for writers, artists and creators, to major hubs and fairs such as Alserkal Avenue, Dubai Design District (d3), Art Dubai and others.

13–27 November23 nominees

Together with partners who understand art entrepreneurship well — the Russian Seasons Arabia festival — we are launching a new Dubai Rating nomination to choose the best entrepreneurs in the art industry. In 2025 the festival comes to the Emirates for the first time, bringing together the creative communities of Russia and the UAE: designers, architects, urbanists, media and culture entrepreneurs.

Voting couldn't be easier: to support a nominee, just choose them in the rating's Telegram bot. You can vote for as many nominees as you like, but only once for each. Winners in each category and overall are decided by a simple majority of votes. No scores or criteria this time: the more support, the higher the place in the rating.

Shortlist

  • Alexey Afanasev

    Main category

    Alexey Afanasev

    He has wide experience with creative spaces, including Alserkal Avenue and Rem Koolhaas's Concrete project in Dubai. He has worked with the Middle Eastern Green Art Gallery and the Art Dubai and Abu Dhabi Art fairs, and currently works with one of the world's leading galleries, Galleria Continua.

  • Alena Lavdovskaya

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    Alena Lavdovskaya

    Alena Lavdovskaya is a Russian fashion illustrator, artist and teacher, one of the leading specialists in her field.

  • Asya Bingols

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    Asya Bingols

    Founder of the Bingyol's auction house and art gallery, focused on developing classic and contemporary Armenian painters and sculptors.

    bingyols.com
  • Vera Alkhova

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    Vera Alkhova

    Art lecturer, collector, PR expert and contemporary art specialist, founder of the Art Spirit agency and a community of art enthusiasts. 'Bringing art and people together' is Art Spirit's mission: in 5 years in Dubai we have held 400 events, from workshops and tours to art gala dinners, and inspired thousands of people to immerse themselves in the amazing world of art and creativity.

    art-spirit.ae
  • Veronika Berezina

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    Veronika Berezina

    Founder of NIKA Project Space, a new home for conceptual art in Dubai.

  • Dmitry Lensky

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    Dmitry Lensky

    CEO & Founder of COVER Interior Showroom. 20+ years of work in Russia (Krasnodar): Pretto Wonderful, founder of Design Week Krasnodar and the English paint store Malyarka Space. He brought many Italian brands to Russia. Today COVER represents exclusive Italian brands in lighting, finishes and art.

  • Evgenia Afanaseva

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    Evgenia Afanaseva

    Evgenia Afanasyeva is the co-founder and creative producer of Koshta.Collective — a collective of art directors, designers, producers, curators and media artists creating visual content for brands, media and cultural institutions in Dubai and beyond. She promotes Russian artists and curated a stand with five Russian artists at Art Dubai 2025.

    koshtacollective.com
  • Egor Sharay

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    Egor Sharay

    Culture analyst, art consultant, journalist and essayist, editor at Buro247.

  • Zakhar Evseev

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    Zakhar Evseev

    Contemporary artist, illustrator and designer from Siberia who now lives and works in Dubai. Creator of a series of unique characters popular both in Russia and abroad.

  • Kristina Bekker, Sonya Khmelidze

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    Kristina Bekker, Sonya Khmelidze

    Founders of Otdel Iskusstv (The Art Department), a Russian-language media project about art in Dubai. They regularly host art talks with art historians, film directors, writers and other cultural figures, as well as film screenings, open discussions and many other events. Over the past year they organised more than 100 events for over 1,000 people. Otdel Iskusstv won a grant from Dubai Culture's Al Quoz Creative Entrepreneurship initiative.

    Instagram
  • Maks Goshko-Dankov

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    Maks Goshko-Dankov

    Multidisciplinary artist, curator and lecturer, graduate of New York University's Arts Management programme. He often experiments with colour and graphics and explores creativity and the interaction between the artist and artificial intelligence.

  • Marina Beyzel

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    Marina Beyzel

    Artist, designer and gallerist, founder of RARARES Gallery Dubai (formerly Boccara Gallery).

  • Maria Volodchenko

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    Maria Volodchenko

    Curator of Cabinet of Curiosity, an antiques gallery in Dubai born out of a love for the art of collecting.

    Instagram
  • Maria Omelyanyuk

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    Maria Omelyanyuk

    A lecturer from Saint Petersburg who completed a five-year course in contemporary art at the State Hermitage Museum and studied art management. She now lectures in English, bringing art to life — vividly, sensually and in a contemporary way — combining visual culture, fashion and a personal perspective to make art close and relevant.

    Instagram
  • Maryana Sorokina

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    Maryana Sorokina

    Art historian, decorator and PR specialist, founder of Maryarty Gallery. More than 15 years in design, art and the creative industries. Based in Dubai and working worldwide, she helps brands and private clients find a visual language, build art collections and create memorable spaces and events.

    Instagram
  • Masha Usenok

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    Masha Usenok

    Masha Usenok is an art collector and the founder of @ArtSocial.ae. The project supports artists and cultural and art events and fosters creative dialogue in the region, connecting the Russian and international art communities.

    Instagram
  • Miroslava Zelinko

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    Miroslava Zelinko

    Art manager, culture researcher and project producer, one of the founders of We Collect — a community of art lovers, collectors and professionals. Miroslava specialises in organising exhibitions in art institutions, museums and galleries.

    wecollect.art
  • Natalia Andakulova

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    Natalia Andakulova

    Art historian, founder of Andakulova Gallery, Dubai DIFC.

  • Natalia Urmanova

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    Natalia Urmanova

    Fashion and portrait photographer.

  • Polina Pisarenko

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    Polina Pisarenko

    Executive Director of Inloco Gallery.

  • Natalia Melnikova, Sofia Tkach

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    Natalia Melnikova, Sofia Tkach

    B.A.S. (Beyond Architecture Studio) is an architecture school with many years of experience. It opened in Dubai in 2024 and currently teaches 90 children. In June the school's curators held a three-day exhibition of works by children aged 6 to 16 at the Alserkal Art Cluster.

    Instagram
  • Elen Levitt

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    Elen Levitt

    Art producer, art adviser and collector, founder of ArtLevel and the LEVITT ART Community UAE, ambassador of Abu Dhabi Art.

  • Yuliana Anikeeva

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    Yuliana Anikeeva

    Founder of the Art House Dubai community — an intellectual film club.

    Instagram

Sources and links