A ceremonial opening of the educational and production complex "Laboratory of Beauty and Style" named "Peremena" (The Change) was held at Vladivostok State University (VVSU), based at the College of Information and Creative Technologies. The event brought together university leadership, veteran educators, and students, marking a significant occasion that unites 60 years of professional fashion education history with modern learning trends.
It is symbolic that the complex opened in the year of the 60th anniversary of Vocational Lyceum No. 38, which was once located at the intersection of Aleutskaia and Fokina Streets and was rightfully considered the talent pool for the beauty and style industry in the Russian Far East. Over its 35-year existence, approximately 15,000 specialists who now work all over the world graduated from the lyceum. In 2016, the institution integrated into the VVSU structure, continuing and expanding upon its traditions.
“If we translate this history into numbers, the chronicle of this place looks like this: 1966, 2016, 2026. Three landmark milestones,” noted Tatiana Terenteva, Rector of VVSU, while opening the ceremony. “Sixty years ago — in 1966 — the journey of Vocational Lyceum No. 38 began. 2016 — the lyceum became a structural unit of our university. 2026 — the Department of Visual Arts and Image Creation within the College of Information and Creative Technologies VVSU marks the renovation of our creative direction.”
Tatiana Terenteva added that considering 70% of VVSU's students and staff are women, it is important for the university to be associated with beauty. At the same time, she urged not to forget about men, noting that the new laboratory has excellent masters specializing in male image.
During the official part of the event, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place, attended by Rector Tatiana Terenteva and the veteran educators who laid the foundations of the master school, as well as the college faculty members Irina Lonshakova and Svetlana Krylova.
This was followed by the unveiling of a nameplate for the new space, which received the title "Peremena." An exhibition of archival photos and custom costumes from the Pygmalion Fashion Theater, provided by the university’s Youth Policy Department, was arranged in the audience area and within the space itself. Each photograph tells the story of Lyceum No. 38 and the pioneers of the beauty and style industry in the Far East.
The exposition was organized by Iulia Kravchenko (Director of the College of Information and Creative Technologies), Anna Abyzova (Head of the Department of Visual Arts and Image Creation), Olga Panyushkina (Head of the Educational and Laboratory Complex), Alexandra Skachkova (Head of the Youth Center), and Konstantin Pospelov (Art Director).
The climax of the event was the sealing of a time capsule containing a message for the students of 2067, who will open it on VVSU's 100th anniversary. Kamila Magai, a college student, read the message to posterity.
“We have taken a step into the future, but it is important for us to leave a message for those who will study and create here decades from now,” the Rector noted while signing the letter, in which she wished future generations to preserve their traditions and not fear bold plans.