Black-figure vases from Athens look like elegant souvenirs, but in fact, they hold a chronicle of the life of the ancient city. Black-figure vases are often perceived as museum exotica, but behind the shine of the lacquer and the precise silhouettes lies a conversation about the ancient world. At the meeting in the "Arsenal," we will talk about the vessels that Athenian masters created in the 6th-5th centuries BC, which archaeologists later found in the layers of Panticapaeum on the shores of the Bosporus. Guests will learn why Athenians needed such vessels, what stories were entrusted to the surface of the clay, and how artists worked with the contrast of black and red. On the walls of jugs and amphorae, one can discern gods and heroes, scenes of festivities, training, sacrifices, and naval expeditions. The lecturer will explain how to relate these images to historical events and why even a tiny fragment of ornamentation can sometimes be more important than the whole object. Entertainment in Nizhny Novgorod is collected on our website.