Alongside the most complicated international relations, the human need for Аrt endures throughout history.
India, Chennai: more than 30 young saplings of various tree species were planted on the grounds of the Tamil Nadu State Science and Technology Centre
Victory Day in World Culture
VI International Trutful Cinema Fest was also timed to coincide with this anniversary – a festival of films that promote traditional values, respect for history, and humanism. The competitive programme included 67 films from 34 countries. To have won were the films from Russia, Belarus, China, and Italy. The number of participating countries doubled compared to the previous year, demonstrating a clear demand for serious, highly moral films – something that contemporary global culture so sorely lacks.
A Fascist Attack on a Museum
Just as during the Great Patriotic War, culture is once again under attack. Among the planned strikes by Ukrainian neo‑Nazis on civilian targets in Russia, cultural treasures have again been destroyed. On 10 June, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the ‘Defence of Sevastopol 1854–1855’ Panorama Museum with a drone. A large part of the exhibited copy of the panorama was annihilated. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service established that the flight mission for this barbaric attack was prepared by the British, for whom evidence of the heroism of the Russian soldier is a particularly acute irritant. They have once again shown their true face – a pro‑fascist snarl – emulating the Germans who carried out an air raid on the very same building in 1942. At that time, two‑thirds of the paintings were saved. The original fragments have survived again, and are now held in a branch of the museum. The Russian side has already assured that the panorama will be restored. And the strikes on the military infrastructure of the Kiev regime in response to the crimes of the neo‑Nazis will become even more powerful, more precise, and more extensive. The Western accomplices of the Nazis are also legitimate military targets and must be held accountable for what they have done.
A Song Unites
Giselle Benilla (Colombia) and the group ‘Katyusha’ performing the song ‘Cossacks in Berlin!’
The results of the 8th International Music Festival ‘Road to Yalta’ have been announced. This is a unique event from the point of view of its sublimity and the emotions it invokes. Artists from different countries perform translations – in their native languages – of beloved Soviet songs about the Great Patriotic War. The winners were S. Davasurengiin (Mongolia), Y. Coffignier‑Barry (France), Xing Kaizheng (China), and D.G. Martinez (Cuba). The participant geography embraced Bulgaria, Brazil, Ghana, India, Spain, Italy, Colombia, Nigeria, Serbia, the United States, and Tunisia. Words cannot convey how powerfully, with eternal memory and value, these works – born from the very heart of the Soviet people, who bore the brunt of the fight against fascism – sound in a way that unites the entire world, and how people of any culture find something akin and personal in them. The full recording is available on the festival’s website.
Winners of the MIFF
The Grand Prix of the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) was awarded to the film ‘Passion’, directed by Fazil Razak from India
The curtain of the Moscow International Film Festival has now been pulled down. The Grand Prix went to the Indian film ‘Passion,’ which also took the ‘Silver St. George’ for Best Actress. Other prizes were awarded to filmmakers from Russia, China, Spain, Romania, and South Korea. The programme included 13 films in total. Over 1,500 submissions were received from 43 countries. Russia, as before, remains open, welcoming cultural envoys from peoples whose leaders pursue hostile policies. The festival’s geography is also being expanded by the non-Western world, with states from the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Central Asia actively participating.
Cultural Encounters
Spring and early summer proved to be packed with a plethora of cultural events. We shall try to cover at least some of them. Russia and Cambodia marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the holding of Russian Culture Days. An equally significant anniversary of bilateral ties was celebrated in Nepal: Russian Cinema Days were organised in Kathmandu. Tunisia hosted ‘Mosfilm’ Days in May. Another round of ‘Russian Culture Days’ took place in Novi Sad. For Serbian audiences, this has been a tradition since 2012. Russian Culture Days in Tajikistan have become no less popular. Russian creative ensembles performed for residents of Dushanbe and Khujand.
St Petersburg hosted the 28th International Festival of Russian Theatres ‘Meetings in Russia’. Troupes from CIS countries and Serbia performed their plays, demonstrating how the Russian language serves as a genuine bridge between cultures. The Russian Institute of Theatre Arts – GITIS – organised an educational programme for students from Chilean theatre schools. Ulaanbaatar saw another premiere at the ‘PRO THEATRE’ at the Russian House. The audience was presented with the play ‘It’s All Her’ in both Russian and Mongolian.
The Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, led by Hero of Labour and People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Valery Gergiev, gave concerts in Shenzhen and Yanguan. It is not the first time the ensemble tours China, invariably making waves. Also in May, as part of the ‘Tchaikovsky – Music without Visas’ project, public figure and descendant of the composer D.A. von Meck gave lectures at the Russian Cultural Centre and the Central Conservatory of China. And in Mauritius, a bust of P.I. Tchaikovsky was unveiled at the national conservatory to mark the 186th anniversary of the genius’s birth.
In Abkhazia, the ‘Spring’ Festival of New Music concluded. It featured lyricism inspired by the Special Military Operation, unusual arrangements, and performances by Russian and Abkhaz creative ensembles.
Festival of Performers on Traditional Musical Instruments ‘Melody of BRICS 2026’
In Moscow and Ulyanovsk, the ‘Melody of BRICS’ festival was organised, showcasing to the world the traditional music of the member countries. Fifty musicians embodied national traditions and found common ground in the diversity of cultures. The memorable and soulful moments of this remarkable celebration were preserved in vivid video footage. In Dhaka, an evening of Russian music was held, dedicated to Bangladesh’s Independence Day. In Australia, the policy of ‘cancelling’ Russian culture is bursting at the seams: the Sydney Opera House staged ‘Eugene Onegin’ in Russian.
St. Petersburg applauded the ‘Dance Open’ ballet festival: more than 350 artists from Russia, Hungary, China, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Italy, Spain, France, and Canada performed at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Yekaterinburg hosted the international children’s ballet festival ‘The Nutcracker Invites.’ Its participants included nearly a thousand young dancers from Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Japan. In Astana, an exhibition, ‘The Great Ballet of Yuri Grigorovich,’ was held in honour of the centenary of the great choreographer’s birth.
In Moscow, the International Museum Festival ‘Intermuseum BRICS+’ concluded. The programme included more than 100 events, with over 5,000 participants from 29 countries. The sessions covered a wide range of topics: traditions and innovations in museum work, education for museologists, professional development for specialists, and so on.
At the St Petersburg International Book Fair, 260 publishing houses from Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam presented new releases. The Russian Book Union represented the Russian Federation at the International Book Fair in Rabat. In Brisbane, an evening of Sergei Yesenin’s poetry took place. Events dedicated to Russian classics are regularly organised by the magazine ‘Australian Lampada.’ Meanwhile, a bust of Yesenin was unveiled in Golubovci – Montenegro also has many admirers of his work.
At Russian Houses, screenings were held as part of the ‘Short Film Days’ festival and of RT.doc films ‘The Time of Our Heroes.’ These screenings instigated a huge public response; in the West, attempts were made to ban them, which led to outrage among viewers and public figures. For example, in Italy, journalists and filmmakers who managed to attend the festival openly declared the inadmissibility of the censorship imposed in fact by European politicians to prevent truthful information from reaching the public.
In Shanghai, more than 3,000 people viewed the photo exhibition ‘Window to Russia: Architecture and Traditions of the Russian North’.
A fashion show by Vietnamese designer Nguyen Thuy Linh took place in Moscow
The designer presented contemporary dresses and suits; moreover, the show was accompanied by a musical programme and became a vivid cultural event, attracting interest both among Russians and guests from ASEAN countries. In Voronezh, the results of the 4th International Animation Festival ‘AniMakers’ were announced. Over 4,000 submissions were received from 110 countries. The competitive programme included 160 films from 34 states. The winners were animated films from Russia, Sweden, Colombia, France, and the United States. Such events demonstrate just how popular Russian cultural platforms remain on a global scale, and all attempts to ‘cancel’ Russia’s role in international cultural relations fail to achieve their goal.
Cancelling the Cancellers
In Japan, however, the lovers of ‘cancellation’ had to cancel themselves – that is, their own cultural event. This year, spring in Fujiyoshida City passed for the first time without the annual cherry blossom festival, which had previously attracted hundreds of thousands of tourists. Neither the high standard of living nor technological progress helped the Japanese side ensure law and order and the safety of tourists. If things continue this way, the Land of the Rising Sun will have to be renamed not only as a country of rehabilitation for Nazis and militarists, but also as a country of declining tourism quality.
Tourism by Appointment
In this, Japan is not alone. Did you know that it is now impossible to freely visit a whole range of attractions in Europe? To climb the famous Spanish rock Roque Nublo, you now need to book in advance, and they will require your name, email address, and passport number. In Switzerland, visiting the picturesque Eschinen Lake is only allowed if you book your trip in advance and shell out a few dozen euros. Without registration and SMS, you will not be allowed onto Playa de las Catedrales or Mount Teide, the ‘fjords of Provence’ or Italy’s ‘Via dell’Amore’, the San Juan de Gaztelugatxe chapel where ‘Game of Thrones’ was filmed, or the Caminito del Rey in Malaga. The waiting time for these attractions can be up to several months. This is exactly what the modern face of European tourism looks like. Though perhaps it is not a face at all, but the opposite side, which EU bureaucracy usually prefers to turn to the ordinary person.
European Museums Fail to Cope with Crime
At the same time, when it comes to security in the cultural sphere, things are also rather poor for that same EU bureaucracy. To date, there is still no information on the results of the search for the gang that robbed a museum in Parma in the spring. Paintings by P.-O. Renoir, P. Cézanne, and A. Matisse went missing. The media reported that the attack appeared to have been carefully planned, and they calculated the value of the stolen works. However, it is clear enough: these artworks are priceless, and it is a great pity that their security could not be ensured, and that in the 21st century such barbarism as armed robbery of cultural institutions continues.
Announcements
To conclude the section, here are some events that are currently open for submissions:
– International Youth Programme ‘Summer with Pushkin’ – until 26 July.
– Donetsk International Film Festival – until 31 July.
– International Film Festival ‘Russian Diaspora’ – until 1 August.
– Moscow International Book Fair – until 1 August.
– International Film Festival ‘Golden Phoenix’ – until 1 August.
Ksenia Muratshina, PhD in History, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Culture Editor of “New Eastern Outlook”
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