From 14 to 28 August 2019, the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil hosted the exhibition "Plein air. Historical landscapes of Russia. A French Perspective".

A cultural event organised by the Fondation des Parcs et Jardins de France, with the support of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, the Russian Club of Friends of Notre-Dame de Chartres and the association "Restoration of Historic Parks and Gardens of Russia".

If the president of the association "Restoration of Historic Parks and Gardens of Russia", Olga Taratynova, who is also Director of the Imperial Palace of Tsarkoye Selo, had come from Russia for the occasion, she was surrounded by many personalities from the region during the opening.

In 2017, seven French painters, chosen for their different painting styles, were invited to Russia to paint the landscapes of seven Russian historical parks.

Thierry Lefort, Olivier Desvaux, Barbara Petit, Laurence de Marliave, Céline Bokobza, Cyril Maurette and Emily Starck have each focused on a park: Tsarkoe Selo, Elagin Island, the Rostov Kremlin, Gorki Leninskie, Yasnaä Poiana, the Oldenburg Palace Park and the Marino estate.

In 2018 this exhibition was hosted in Russia by the museums participating in the project.

In 2019, it is France's turn and the Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil has been chosen as the setting for this exhibition.

Thus, from August 14th to 28th, all the tourists present at the castle had the joy of concluding their visit to the castle with this exhibition whose paintings were hung on the walls of the Hall of Archers, dating from the 13th century. An exceptional setting to travel to Russia and discover the beauty of Russian nature and the architecture of its parks seen through the eyes of seven French artists.