The exhibition presents a retrospective of the creations of the sculptor Anatoly Danilov, who works at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in Saint Petersburg. It reveals the continuity of artistic traditions at Russia's oldest manufactory together with this master's innovative approach to the material, showcasing the phenomenon of porcelain sculpture as a unique synthesis of historical knowledge, virtuoso craftsmanship, and contemporary artistic expression.

Anatoly Danilov (born 1971) graduated from the sculpture department of the Saratov Art College named after A.P. Bogolyubov in 1995, and from the Sculpture Faculty of the Saint Petersburg State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.E. Repin in 2003. In 2008, he joined the staff of the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Anatoly Danilov has participated in many exhibitions dedicated to the art of porcelain. The sculptor is not afraid of complex themes and approaches; his rich creative portfolio includes a whole host of works, of both independent and thematically linked. Today, Danilov's name has come to symbolize a fresh interpretation of the traditions of porcelain sculpture in the 21st century.

The exhibition features porcelain pieces from the stocks of the State Hermitage and over seventy works by Anatoly Danilov from the collections of the Imperial Porcelain Factory joint-stock company and the sculptor himself.

The central theme of the exhibition in the General Staff building is the master's dialogue with his great predecessors: Jacques-Dominique Rachette (1744–1809), who laid the foundations of genre sculpture in Catherine the Great’s era; August Spiess (1817–1904), whose depictions of animals became the standard for the academic school; Pavel Kamensky (1858–1922) – creator of the legendary Peoples of Russia ethnographic series; Serafim Sudbinin (1867–1944), who was the first to embody the "soul" of Russian ballet in biscuit porcelain; and the monumentalist Natalia Danko (1892–1942), who captured the heroic spirit of the Soviet era.

Anatoly Danilov's porcelain is displayed alongside unique exhibits from the Hermitage collection. The exhibition features monumental sculptures: An officer of the guard cuirassiers from the Reign of Emperor Alexander I (sculptor Konstantin Rausch von Traubenberg, 1910; Hermitage) and Kremlin horseman (2012) by Anatoly Danilov – a work demonstrating the highest level of technical skill. The sculptures Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Siegfried and Ulyana Lopatkina. A russian woman by Anatoly Danilov are shown alongside two masterpieces of porcelain sculpture by Serafim Sudbinin – The ballerina Tamara Karsavina and Anna Pavlova as Giselle.

The exhibition includes figures from the Commanders of great Victories series, presenting a porcelain chronicle of Russian military glory. Ballet and genre pieces, as well as animal sculpture, also attract attention. Of particular interest is the Lakhta dinner service; the story of its creation demonstrates a unique artistic method. The pinnacle of technological thinking is embodied in the porcelain composition of the Petra mantel clock, in which the sculptor turns to the image of the East.

When creating the series Peoples. A 21st-century collection, Anatoly Danilov used the method of field ethnography. Compositions from this cycle, produced by the sculptor, are exhibited alongside the unique figures of the two Peoples of Russia series, small and large, by Pavel Kamensky (State Hermitage).