Russian culture abroad: Festival of Russian Culture mounted in Japan

The 5th Festival of Russian culture was opened on April, 13 at the Tokyo multi-media complex “Bunkamura” in Japan. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the delegation of the Russian Federation headed by Sergei Naryshkin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. Among other participants of Russian delegation were Alexander Avdeev, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation and Mikhail Shvydkoi, Russian President's Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation.

The festival’s multifaceted program includes series of events, initiated by the Russian side: ballet and circus performances, painting expositions and children’s drawings exhibitions, concerts of well-known choirs and Russian song ensembles. Moreover its participants will have a chance to watch several retrospective films, including those marking the 150th birthday anniversary of Anton Chekhov.

An agreement on holding Festivals of Russian Culture in Japan was singed in summer 2006 for 5 years with a possibility of extension. According to the Japanese organizers, festivals which spanned over 300 cities countrywide, attracted over 5, 2 million people.