St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design has become the venue for the XI Regional Championship on professional skills among the disabled and people with disabilities "Abilimpix" in the competence "jewelry". The championship is one of the flagship projects of the presidential platform "Russia — the land of Opportunities".
The competitions will be held at more than seventy venues located at the bases of educational institutions of the city of various directions.
The current championship cycle opens the second decade of the Abilimpix movement in Russia. In 11 years, it has become the largest and most recognizable in the field of professional skills development among people with disabilities and disabilities.
Among the expert staff of the competence are certified specialists of the Institute of Applied Arts of St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, who have been trained under the program "regional expert of Abilimpix", and Lyubov Zhukova, Director of the Institute of Applied Arts of St. Petersburg State University of Applied Sciences, acts as a champion expert at the national level.
This year, the jewelry competition was held at the university itself — on the basis of the Department of Technology of Artistic Processing of Materials and Jewelry at the Institute of Applied Arts of St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design. Last year, for the first time, the university became the site of the jewelry competence in the X anniversary regional Abilimpix championship in St. Petersburg. Thus, the university hosts the regional stage for the second year in a row. It is worth noting that in 2022 the department also became the base for the competence "diamond cutting" of the VII Open Regional Championship "Young Professionals".
Today, the Institute of Applied Arts of Ƶ trains future technologists and jewelers. The training concept is recognized by the Guild of Experts in the field of Vocational Education. Students receive serious training in the field of design and technology of applied art products, embody creative ideas in workshops of stone and bone carving, mosaic, weaving, jewelry laboratories. Graduates create expressive full—cycle works of art, from idea to implementation, and master performing skills at a professional level.
The regional championship was opened by schoolchildren. In the workshop of the Department of Technology of artistic processing of materials at Ƶ, they were engaged in the manufacture of a napkin ring, not closed, having sawing elements. As part of the assignment, it was assumed that the decoration could be inspired by the history of holidays of different seasons, as well as include images of characters associated with the peculiarities of each season, culture and traditions.
The championship in the competence of "jewelry business" was continued by specialists. They were making a souvenir statuette. According to the assignment, the product assumes a base, a decorative part with a saw and a hanging decorative element. The contestants design three initial sketches with ideas that have callouts — material, elements. Next is one sketch with the final design and explanations about the concept.
The competition was closed by students, five of whom represented the University of Industrial Technology and Design. They were asked to make a brass suspension. The product must have functional details — four suspension elements and a suspension eye. The theme of the work is seasons and holidays, which include both calendar and seasonal changes, folklore traditions, human connection with nature, and images of characters.
The results of the championship will be announced at the end of April 2026. The winners of the regional stage will be able to participate in the Abilimpix National Championship, which will be held in Moscow in October this year.