OREANDA-NEWS. October 19, 2011. Cyprus’s Ambassador to Russia, Petros Kestoras, has sent a message of greeting to youngsters taking part in the nationwide children’s online drawing contest Sunny Island

In his official message the Ambassador emphasized that the Sunny Island contest offered Russian children an excellent opportunity to find out more about the Republic of Cyprus, its people, its long history, customs and traditions, as well as the breathtaking magnificence of its scenery, which, by its very splendor, seems merely to confirm the legend that Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, was indeed born on Cyprus.

In the words of Mr. Kestoras, the ultimate purpose of the contest accords perfectly with the official policy of the Cypriot Government to work to strengthen and extend the already excellent ties between Cyprus and Russia. “I warmly welcome this competition, given that the Republic of Cyprus fully acknowledges just how vital finding out more about each other, sustaining contacts, and interaction are between our two nations when it comes to achieving the aforementioned purpose.”

The nationwide online competition Sunny Island is being run by Uniastrum Bank and web portal Banki.ru with support from the Cyprus Tourism Organization. The panel of judges includes Uniastrum Bank President Gagik Zakaryan, Banki.ru CVO Yelena Ishcheeva, as well as the celebrities Dmitri Dibrov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Boris Grachevsky, and Tatiana Vedeneeva.

The contest kicked off on September 26, since when it has attracted 240 entrants from all over Russia. The first twenty semifinalists have already been selected. The third – the so-called “yellow” – stage of the competition is now underway, the winners of which will be announced on October 17. Five interim stages are yet to be held, and all youngsters are invited to take part. Between November 28 and December 5 the judges will choose the overall winner and runner-up, while the other prizewinners will be decided by online voting. The prizes include a holiday to Cyprus for two, Apple ipads, professional art kits, cameras, and graphics tablets. Every week a drawing kit is awarded to the winners of each stage.