Located on the Box Tier of the Opera House, the Russian Lounge was made possible thanks to a generous gift by Russian entrepreneur, Mr. Vladimir Potanin. Given on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Kennedy Center, Mr. Potanin’s contribution has provided an opportunity to present American audiences with an image of contemporary Russia stepping aside from traditional historical and cultural clichés. To implement the Russian Lounge project, the Vladimir Potanin Foundation held a closed design competition. The concept of the project was developed by its curator, Ms. Natalia Zolotova. The winning design by the artist Mr. Valery Koshlyakov and the architect Mr. Sergey Skuratov offers a unique and new vision of Russia, jointly created by architecture and painting.