Culture News.Cultural March

Recently, many events have taken place in the world of culture – from joyful to unacceptable. NEO reports on the most notable ones.

Monuments Under Attack

Russian cultural centres have also suffered from the American-Israeli strikes: the Russian House of Culture in Nabatieh (Lebanon) has been demolished. Rossotrudnichestvo called the attack unprovoked aggression. In Tehran, St Nicholas Church has been damaged. As noted by Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this outrageous event must receive a proper assessment from the international community.

Hands Off the Russian House!

In Prague, the Russian House came under a terrorist attack. The terrorists threw Molotov cocktails at it. Half did not explode, but some ended up inside. A note of protest has been delivered to the Czech Republic. To spite the misanthropes, the cultural centre proceeds with its work. The theory of a ‘Ukrainian trace’ seems credible. Such incidents can only be stopped by eliminating the Kyiv terrorist regime and its accomplices.

Anniversaries and Celebrations

On the anniversary of Crimea’s return to its homeland, Russian cultural centres abroad showed the RT documentary «Crimea. Rebirth» about the social and infrastructural transformations of the region. The screenings struck a chord with politicians, diplomats, non‑governmental organisations, and all those who care about studying history.

Furthermore, Russian cultural centres congratulated the women of the world on 8 March with concerts, creative meetings, exhibitions, fashion retrospectives.

When the West is doing its utmost to erase gender and traditional values, surely there must be someone who would preserve tradition, beauty, and love!

Another date is World Poetry Day on 21 March. Among the events connected with the art of poetry were: the art marathon ‘Yesenin’s Creative Palette’ in Orsha, a literary evening in Calcutta in honour of the 136th anniversary of the birth of Boris Pasternak, a meeting entitled ‘In the Beginning Was the Word’ at the University of Transnistria, and the world recitation contest ‘Living Classics.’ It is impossible not to recall the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: ‘One ought, at least every day of their life, to hear a little song, read a good poem, behold a fine picture, and, if it were possible, speak a few reasonable words, so that worldly concerns do not drown out the sense of sublimity that God has awarded the human soul with.’

Other events have also served this purpose of art. Here are just a few episodes: a meeting dedicated to the memory of Yuri Knorozov, who deciphered Mayan script, at the Russian House of Science and Culture in Paris; events focused on the work of Mikhail Saltykov‑Shchedrin and Nikolai Nekrasov at the Russian Cultural Centre in Istanbul and on Nikolai Leskov at the Russian House in Dushanbe; a literary salon called ‘Remembering Names’ at the Russian‑Tajik (Slavic) University; an evening of Russian music at the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Vienna; a concert of works by Alexander Zatsepin at the Russian House in Cairo; and a photo exhibition, ‘President Ho Chi Minh and Russia,’ in Hanoi.

In China, the Russian‑Chinese forum ‘Literary Bridges: Towards Each Other’ took place. At the Russian House in Kathmandu, the exhibition ‘With Love from Russia’ presented more than 300 paintings. In India, the Russian ensemble ‘Sudarushka’ took part in the ‘Roohani Utsav’ festival. Saxophonist Igor Butman performed at the Cape Town Jazz Festival. The Vuyani Dance Theatre of South Africa visited the Winter Arts Festival in Sochi, which also saw the Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo and the musical group ‘La Magnifica Comunit’, the Cuban jazz performers ‘Cuban Sax Quintet’, the Armenian soprano Juliana Grigoryan, and the Chinese performance ‘Jiangnan Painted with Ink’ shining.

In addition to large‑scale forms of cooperation, even a short meeting can sometimes add variety to everyday life and offer a chance to come into contact with the beautiful and the unusual.

However, the importance of large‑scale cultural exchange programmes can hardly be overstated. The results of several Days of Russian Culture have been summed up. In Belarus, their programme comprised concerts, a film festival, and an exhibition called ‘Dialogue of Art and Technology.’ Particular attention was drawn to the restored film ‘Come and See’ – a most powerful film about the crimes of Nazism, shown on 23 March, the Day of Remembrance of Burnt Villages.

In Hungary, the 7th Festival of Russian Music took place. The project was initiated by the pianist M. Szabó and offers an opportunity to hear the eternally diverse works of Russian composers.

In Serbia, visitors to the Days of Russian Culture took part in arts and crafts workshops, saw a selection of documentary films, listened to Russian folk music, got acquainted with works by Russian artists, and visited the photo exhibition ‘Russia – the Most Beautiful Country’.

At the Days of Russian Culture in Vietnam and Cambodia, audiences saw an exhibition of costumes and decorative arts, concerts by a Russian choir, and a photo exhibition, ‘The Cultural Heritage of Russia.’ In Hanoi, the Days coincided with a tour by the Gordeyev Russian Ballet Theatre.

In Thailand, the public was captivated by the ‘Russian Seasons’: pianists, a film festival, the ‘Altai’ song and dance ensemble, and the Dance Theatre of Karachay‑Cherkessia. Another Russian film festival delighted audiences in Phuket, while a dinner for the project ‘Geography of Russian Taste’ took place in Bangkok.

Such events, in all their diversity, always resonate with people and help foster cultural ties between societies.

The Russian Language Unites

Recently, many interesting events for the study of the Russian language have taken place in different parts of the world. Among them are Olympiads in Bulgaria and Slovakia, teaching placements in Vietnam for master’s students from the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, and a round table, ‘Bridge Through Languages,’ in Nukus. The Russian Language and Culture Centre at the University of Gujarat has started its work. A conference, ‘The Russian Language in a Professional Environment,’ was held in Paris. Representatives of business, members of mixed families, and ordinary residents interested in Russian culture have enrolled in Russian courses at the Seychelles Tourism Academy. In Namibia, Russian courses have been launched at the partner Russian House of the Centre for People’s Diplomacy. A third intake for Russian studies has begun at the Sri Lanka Police Academy. In Tanzania, the Institute of Accountancy has started teaching Russian.

In Caracas, the Russian House hosted a presentation of the “History of the Russian Alphabet” for Spanish speakers. In the United States, another conference of the Central Association of Russian Teachers took place. The Russian House in Ulaanbaatar introduced a Russian language course for journalists. Russian diplomats donated collections of Russian‑language books to the cultural and educational society of Novi Sad, Matica Srpska, and to the University of Agra. Ecuador has extended its free online Russian language learning.

Sometimes it actually amazes how many different people and institutions are becoming acquainted with the Russian language. But that is precisely its unifying role as an instrument of international communication.

The Spirit of World Cinema

The ‘Spirit of Fire’ debut film festival ended in Khanty‑Mansiysk. The first prize was awarded to the Spanish film ‘The Deaf Girl,’ the second to ‘The Shape of Momo’ (India–South Korea), and the third to the Italian–Serbian film ‘The Coin.’ The competition included films from twelve countries. It is gratifying that ‘Spirit of Fire’ is gaining ground and growing from year to year. No wonder the film master Emir Kusturica called it ‘a good launching pad for starting a film career.’

Italy in Its Struggle for Russian Culture

A performance by the Russian ballerina Svetlana Zakharova has been cancelled in Rome. Another shameful manifestation of Russophobia was condemned by Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and the Italian association ‘Friends of Great Russia.’ Meanwhile, the residents of Novara successfully defended their right to enjoy Russian culture: the local theatre organised a concert dedicated to the 153rd anniversary of the birth of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

To conclude the column – here are some competitions and festivals that are open for applications:

– The ‘Travel!’ International Tourism Forum – until 30 April.

– The ‘Heroes of the Fatherland’ International Historical Forum – until 1 May.

– The International Pushkin Competition – until 11 May.

Ksenia Muratshina, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Culture Editor of NEO

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