International Programme – ‘The Fraternity of Muses “Aphrodite”’ Competition
Since 2007, the International Areopagus of the Arts ‘Apollo’ has existed and operated successfully as a limited liability company (LLC ‘Apollo!’) within the framework of the International University of Fundamental Education (IUF) and the International Association of the Arts (IAA), fulfilling its purpose.
There is now a pressing, truly historic need to establish, within the MUFO and alongside the ‘Apollo’ Areopagus of the Arts, the intergovernmental ‘International Programme – Competition “The Fraternity of Muses “Aphrodite””’ under the auspices of the MVUS.
According to Greek mythology, the Muses guide and comfort people, endow them with the power of persuasion, extol the highest laws of existence, connect the past, present and future as they know them, bring order to the state of the world and establish harmony within it. The Muses are alien to any form of violence or arbitrariness. They persuade and guide spiritually, whilst being warm-hearted, sensitive and responsive; they have a beneficial and profoundly inspiring effect on people. In essence, the activities of the Muses are guided, inwardly and intimately, by Aphrodite – the goddess of love.
At present, humanity—everyone and everything—is under immense spiritual pressure, facing a constant threat of destruction, both global and regional. In this context, a solid, universally acceptable, accessible and universally appealing spiritual foundation is vitally necessary to provide inner resistance against such cruel negativity.
A genuine source of support, in this case, can and must be universal and all-encompassing love – a special relationship between everyone and everything, and between everyone and their surroundings; a relationship independent of a person’s gender, age, ethnicity or social status; love as an inner attraction of one person towards another—excluding all forms of self-harm and often arising suddenly—an irresistible inner need for the other and a special kind of creative energy, intensified care and constant attention, tender affection and profound delight, benevolent excitement and pleasant tranquillity, a tremulous touch and profound emotion, an irrepressible attraction and a silent call, stimulation and fulfilment. There is good reason to say that the inspiring and potent symbol of all this is Aphrodite – in Greek mythology, the goddess who embodies both cosmic and earthly functions of a powerful love that permeates the entire world, pacifying aggression and violence,
strengthening wisdom and a rational order of life, affirming the interaction of various principles and inspiring in people a sense of elation that takes on the most diverse forms of expression, including the sublime and ecstatic.
Of course, the various manifestations of love may appear in reality to varying degrees and in different forms.
It is well known that women constitute the clear majority of humanity. Their turning to Aphrodite as their supreme inner guide will help women to successfully realise their truly inexhaustible and diverse potential for the good of the world.
Both the Muses and Aphrodite are readily accessible to the modern mind, enabling people to understand what they symbolise and what they actually represent. This is facilitated by various art forms, as well as by history, both as real phenomena and as a discipline in the broadest sense.
The Muses, according to their mythological origins, are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne – the goddess of poetry, the arts and the sciences – that is to say, the offspring of lofty spiritual principles.
Each of the Muses has her own sphere of spiritual activity, guiding it and imbuing it with a special meaning.
Each of the Muses also presides over a specific sphere of artistic creation, which interacts organically with a specific sphere of scientific creation.
There are nine well-known Greek Muses, of fundamental significance to both women and men.
‘Let your hearts burn with passion and create with love,’ urged the great thinker and humanist N. Roerich. He also believed that it is precisely the Great Feminine Principle that leads the world to spiritual heights. True love is always beautiful.
The Muses are the embodiment of this uplifting and sublimely beautiful Principle.
Euterpe – lyric poetry. In academia, this may refer to its subjective, authorial aspect.
Clio – history. This encompasses both the historical phenomenon itself and its study.
Thalia – comedy. The therapeutic role of comic psychotherapy.
Melpomene – tragedy. The study of phenomena that are tragic in their very essence; the tragedy of the scholar’s incomprehension.
Terpsichore – dance. The study of dance as a sacred psycho-physical phenomenon.
Erato – love poetry. The study of love as a unique spiritual-material and intimately personal phenomenon.
Polyhymnia – hymns. The study of sublime and civic phenomena in art, primarily in music.
Urania – astronomy. The special role of the spiritual principle in the Cosmos and in its specific study.
Calypso – epic poetry. The study of phenomena of a socio-historical scale.
Everywhere, the interaction of various principles—fundamentally material and spiritual, with the spiritual principle dominating—actually takes place and genuinely directs our study towards it.
The Muses enter into fellowship as an interaction under the aegis of Aphrodite.
The International Programme-Competition ‘The Fellowship of the Muses “Aphrodite’ organised by the Ministry of Culture and Arts and Apollo, involves the implementation of various specific international programmes and the holding of various international competitions in individual art forms, each of which expresses love in the broadest sense and fosters love in the broadest sense in its audience, thereby helping to create a deep-seated spiritual foundation within people that is practically effective in their lives.
Winners will be awarded a special medal ‘The Sisterhood of the Muses “Aphrodite”, together with a special certificate. The winners will be selected by a distinguished jury.
To ensure the successful practical implementation of the international ‘Aphrodite’ Community of Muses Programme and Competition, the Intergovernmental ‘Aphrodite’ Community of Muses Programme is being established, headed by its founders: the Programme, the Rector of MUFO, Professor Shanti P. Jayasekara, the Vice-President and Vice-Rector of MUFO, Professor A. N. Iezuitov.
The Governing Board of the ‘Aphrodite’ Community of Muses Programme is established, comprising: Shanti P. Jayasekara (President), A. N. Iezuitov (Vice-President), V. V. Lukoyanov (Executive Secretary), Marcel Valentin, Gian-Maria K., Zadra Maurizio, Volter Shetter, Nal, Kevork Kerkicharian, N. P. Kovalenko, I. V. Kuris, N. I. Maykova, S. A. Abaev, E. I. Borovkov, V. I. Dzemyashkevich, V. I. Tyurin, A. V.
The composition of the Board may be subject to change and additions. © Apollon
Rector of MUFO, President of MVUS Mahatma Santi Jayasekara
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