Russian culture highlighted in Istanbul at first festival

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The first Russian Culture Festival begins today and will continue until April 21 with various events to be hed at different venues of the city.

Istanbul is hosting the first Russian Culture Festival, starting from today. The festival will be opened with an unforgettable show by the world-renowned Russian folk dances group, Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble. The group will take the stage with its 85-person team and present Russian folklore in an artistic way. 

The festival, which will be organized under the leadership of the Turkish-Russian Cultural Foundation and with the support of Turkish and Russian Culture Ministries until April 2013, will host various events. 

Aiming to promote Russian culture and arts in Turkey and to improve relations between Turkish and Russian societies, the festival will feature Russian dances, Russian cinema days, symposiums, theater, literature show, Russian handicrafts fairs and opera days until April 21. 

Festival events

Within the scope of the festival, the world’s first folk dances theater, Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble will take the stage at the Istanbul Congress Center at the opening of the festival. The ensemble, formed in 1937 by Moiseyev, is the first professional group performing Russian dances around the world. The ensemble has organized many tours since 1945 and took the stage in many countries during the Soviet Union period. As a result of many successful and inspiring performances, the ensemble was awarded the Drujbi Narodov Award. With 200 works in its repertoire, the ensemble continues to perform all around the world. 

In a photography exhibition that will open at the Beyoğlu Municipality Art Gallery, photos relating to diplomatic relations with Turkey and Russia will be on display and the support of the Soviet Union during the foundation of Turkish Republic will be highlighted. The photos will be provided by the Ankara Embassy of the Russian Federation. 

The theatrical fashion show titled “Dostoyevski and His Heroes” will be organized by the St. Petersburg Dostoyevski Museum on Taksim’s İmam Adnan Street. A cast of 35 artists will take on the roles of the novel’s 24 characters of Dostoyevski in the show. The show will be open to the public. 

During the Russian Cinema Days, five films will be shown and viewers will get the chance to meet three directors. Vladimir Menşov, Karen Şahnazarov and Govoruhin will be in Istanbul for the event and on hand to answer questions. There will also be a Russian cinema poster exhibition at the same venue. 
Other events that will take place at Taksim İmam Adnan Sokak include a Russian folk music instruments concert as well as a Russian handicrafts fair. The street will be completely closed and decorated with Russian motifs. Russian artists will be in the city for the event. 

The 7th international symposium on Culture and Arts Universities in the Field of World Education will be held as part of the event on April 16 and 17 at the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Faculty. An Istanbul trip will be organized for the participants of the symposium, which is set to welcome 120 academics. 

The festival will conclude with a Russian and Turkish concert by Turkish opera artist Hakan Aysev, award-winning Russian young star Evgeniya Dushina, Asude Karayavuz, who has represented Turkey in many events abroad, and the successful artist of the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory Opera Theater, Nikolay Efremov. The concert will be accompanied by Cemal Reşit Rey (CRR) Symphonic Orchestra under the baton of Rengim Gökmen.