Special Report: Year of Russia 2006

     BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Bearing a long history inspired by modern spirit, a Russian Culture Festival will be held on March 21, as an important part of the Russia Year jointly advocated by Chinese and Russian leaders.

    Ding Wei, a senior official of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, said at a press conference on Friday that the Russian Culture Festival, as an important program of the Russian Year, will kick off on March 21. Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Putin will both attend the opening ceremony of the cultural festival, accompanied by the performance of the 230-year Bolshoi Theater, the top artistic troupe in Russia.

    The program will include performances by 21 Russian troupes and nine exhibitions, making it the largest China-Russia cultural exchange event. More than 1,000 Russian artists will come to China to perform ballet, symphony, opera, chorus, pop music, drama and folk songs and dance for the Chinese audience.

    "Culture will fundamentally promote people's mutual understanding and friendship," Ding said, "It will also help enhance political trust among countries."

    Zhang Yu, general manager of the China Art and Entertainment Group Co., chief organizer of the festival, stressed the exhibitions will cover a wide range of subjects including paintings, treasures, cultural relics, modern arts, literature and folk arts. In terms of painting, masterpieces by Repin and Levitan and other well-known contemporary artists of Russia will be on display.

    Zhang noted that drama will also be a crucial part of the culture festival. Well-known Russian theaters represented by Moscow State Academy Maly Drama Theater will present repertoires either satirizing or criticizing social reality.

    According to Ding Wei, the China-Russia Year was jointly advocated by leaders of both nations in a view to strengthen bilateral ties in an all-round way. Following the Russia Year held in China this year, the China Year will be launched in Russia next year. Enditem