The “A-Ya Society” (in English the “A-Z Society”) of St. Petersburg is a professional nonprofit cultural organization.  The society began its work in St. Petersburg in 1989 as part of an organization that was founded in Moscow in 1987 by the Presidium of the Academy of the USSR and the editorial staff of the newspaper Moskovskie novosti.  The society was originally dedicated to the development and continuation of the journal “A-Ya: Modern Russian Art.” All of the journal’s materials were produced in Russia and published in Paris.

The society was founded on a belief in the necessity of supporting the professional and creative potential of representatives of modern science and culture. Towards this end, the society organized professional organizations that, though independent from traditional institutions, worked in collaboration with them.

The primary objective of the “A-Ya Society” is to support professional creative work in modern culture that takes place outside of traditional institutions.

The society supports initiatives aimed at realizing creative potential, developing programs for professionals in the creative arts, working for the support of administrative and financial management, providing expert analysis of projects and programs, arranging the formation and general coordination of professional projects, and collaborating with other organizations and governmental agencies.