Beijing hosted the Moscow Cultural Festival to celebrate deepening Sino-Russian friendship, featuring captivating performances, museum collaborations, and a high-level forum showcasing dynamic exchanges.
Running from June 12-15, the festival transformed the iconic Wangfujing Pedestrian Street into a lively hub of Russian art, cuisine, and cultural showcases. Visitors immersed themselves in Moscow's charm through diverse activities, culinary delights, and mesmerizing performances.
Over 200 representatives from the Moscow municipal government, businesses, and artists participated, enriching the festival with their contributions. Among the highlights was the 'Future Cities' forum, where influential figures from China and Russia shared ideas and explored avenues for cooperation, fueling dynamic discussions and fostering collaboration.
"In Moscow, in Russia, they love China. They love Chinese culture and they like to learn about it more. And we hope that through this festival that we are holding at Wangfujing street, the Beijingers will also fall in love and will even be more interested in learning Russian rich culture. And we hope that through this, with the sea activities, we only make this people to people connections stronger than ever," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, deputy head of Moscow Tourism Committee.
During a roundtable discussion, directors of renowned Russian museums engaged with their Chinese counterparts to discuss bilateral museum collaborations and explore future prospects for museum development.
Anna Trapkova, director of the Museum of Moscow, expressed hope for future cooperation in different fields of museum work.
"I hope from today's conference that we have a lot common for our future, but for common citizens, it's very important to know the history of our capitals to understand why Russian and China's people are real friends. By museum exchange, I hope we will build cooperation in different fields of museum," she said.
"The direct face-to-face exchanges and negotiations between museum directors of the two countries are highly conducive to the cultural integration of the two nations, allowing them to appreciate and admire each other's cultures. We can not only share the successful experiences of our best exhibitions and collections with each other, but also enable Russian culture and art to enter China, and at the same time, allow China's excellent culture to enter Russia," said Zhang Jingxuan, Director of World Music Culture Museum.
From dazzling folk performances to avant-garde installations at Wangfujing, this festival allowed Chinese visitors to experience Russia's soul without leaving Beijing.
"Through this festival we would like to show to our Chinese audience that we are different in terms of the culture, but at the same time, we are the same. We all enjoy fun, performance, activities. Everything is created for uniting people, connecting people and making people enjoying the festival," said Nargis Shokhonova, the event manager.
The festival attracted international visitors, including Haraad Hoppner from Germany, who expressed his admiration for the event.
"I would like to have this Russian Moscow festival in Germany, because it's very important to increase the friendship between people there and people in Germany and China," said Hoppner.
Beijing hosts vibrant Moscow Cultural Festival, showcasing deepening Sino-Russian friendship
