Event digest: weekly highlights at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The concept of the project "Journey Across Russia. Food" at the First International Forum "Superfoods — Health and Longevity 120+", the "Modern Music Map" at the National Centre, the lecture "Expositional Russia", and "Secrets of Stand-Up Comedy". These and other events are featured in our digest.

Here are the highlights of the past week.

March 31. Students of the School of Young Tour Guides at the National Centre RUSSIA Mastered Speech Techniques

The latest practical lesson "The Power of the Word" focused on the art of beautiful, confident, and dynamic speech. The students of the School practiced articulation exercises, learned how to vary their tone of voice, and worked through basic breathing techniques. The "School of Young Tour Guides" project was launched on February 1. Upon completion of their training, the young guides will conduct tours for guests of the National Centre RUSSIA.

April 1. Expert Shadi Azizi Spoke About the Future of Architecture in an Exclusive Interview for the National Centre RUSSIA

An expert programme on architecture and urbanism will take place at the National Centre RUSSIA on April 8. It will feature Shadi Azizi, Associate Professor at Islamic Azad University, co-founder and Vice President of the consulting company NESHA, and founder of the Iranian Academy of Researcher Architects. Leading Russian and international architects, urbanists, designers, government representatives, and creative industry professionals will discuss the future of urban planning, the history of architecture, the visual style of cities, and integrated territorial development. As Shadi Azizi told the press office of the National Centre RUSSIA, addressing pressing issues is essential for forecasting the future of architecture. The full interview is available at russia.ru via the provided link.

April 1. Selection of the Essay Authors Invited to the In-Person Open Dialogue "The Future of the World" was Completed 

104 essayists from 42 countries have been selected for in-person participation in the open dialogue of the National Centre RUSSIA titled "The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth". The expert selection process was conducted in the format of interviews, said Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Natalia Virtuozova.

 "Over the course of two weeks, we conducted more than 200 interviews with essay authors via videoconference. The selected works will not only be included in the collection following the open dialogue, but also presented during the event itself here at the National Centre, from April 28 to 30. Participants can expect an intensive programme: from pitching their own ideas to discussions with world-class experts," noted Natalia Virtuozova.

Submissions were collected on the website dialog.russia.ru. As part of the open dialogue of the National Centre RUSSIA, essay authors will present their reports. Global experts from various industries will also take part. The programme is open to all interested attendees. Registration is available on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA, russia.ru, in the dedicated section.

April 2. The Fifth Youth Digital Forum Took Place at the National Centre RUSSIA

The Digital Forum (Youth RIGF 2025) served as a key platform for discussing issues of digital transformation, internet governance, and innovative technologies.

The event brought together students, young professionals, and leading IT industry experts — more than 400 participants attended in person, with thousands more joining online. In his welcoming speech, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko emphasized that it is the new generation of talented young professionals who will determine what the internet of the future will look like. This will contribute to Russia achieving technological sovereignty — a goal set by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.

April 3. Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Natalia Virtuozova Became the Main Guest of a Federal TV Channel Programme

Natalia Virtuozova spoke about the main mission of the National Centre RUSSIA on air of the federal TV channel NTV. She took part in a programme hosted by journalist Kirill Pozdnyakov.

"The National Centre RUSSIA was created by order of the President of the country, Vladimir Putin. And our mission is clear — to speak about love for the Motherland, about pride and its achievements. An important goal for us is preserving the legacy of the RUSSIA EXPO, which was visited by nearly 20 million people. But this is also a centre about the future. That is another of our major goals — to create a space with such an atmosphere where, based on the achievements of our amazing, unique people, we talk a lot about the future. And that means we are creating this future together," said Natalia Virtuozova.

In the interview, Natalia Virtuozova also shared that the National Centre RUSSIA has already finalized the architectural concept for its new building and is actively expanding into the regions.

April 3. Guests of the National Centre Were Introduced to the Secrets of Stand-Up Comedy

The evening "Secrets of Stand-Up Comedy" was held as part of the original project of the National Centre RUSSIA "Thursday. Development". Guests of the event included Alexei Yuryanov — champion of the KVN Major League, Open Mic VK and Money Mic VK, author and member of the Krasnoyarsk team in the show "Stars," and Ilya Krasnov — participant of Open Mic VK, Money Mic VK, the stand-up show "Community," and author of the show "Female Stand-Up" on TNT. The comedians shared with stand-up enthusiasts the secrets of success and revealed behind-the-scenes details of the genre.

Stay tuned for upcoming educational events of the original project "Thursday. Development" on the website russia.ru.

April 4. The National Centre RUSSIA will present the "Modern Music Map of Russia"

The launch of the All-Russian festival "Modern Music Map of Russia" took place at the press centre of MIA "Russia Today." The project is being implemented by the Foundation for Innovative Development of Culture, Education and Science (FIRKON) with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives. The final concert will take place at the National Centre RUSSIA on National Unity Day.

The predecessor of the "Modern Music Map of Russia" was the "Embroidered Map of Russia," which was presented at the International RUSSIA EXPO at VDNH in Moscow. This year, the musical map of the country will be presented at the National Centre itself. It will be composed of musical works by regional composers.

"The National Centre was established by the President of Russia, and our main goal is to speak about the country's achievements, pride, love for it and, of course, to support the spiritual and moral values of our state. And based on these values, we must move into the future. The festival 'Modern Music Map of Russia' is something that has never existed before. One of its main goals is the birth of new names so that our children and grandchildren will be proud of the country's talents. It is a great honor for us at the National Centre RUSSIA to host such an important festival on November 4. I hope it will continue to grow and develop every year," emphasized Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Anastasia Zvyagina.

The final stage of the project will be a series of concerts in Moscow in September 2025 on the stage of the Grand Hall of Nikita Mikhalkov’s "Workshop '12'."

April 4. Leading Employees of Russian Railways Took Part in the "Journey Across Russia" Tour

The exposition "Journey Across Russia" was visited by two tour groups made up of leading employees of JSC Russian Railways from various regions of the country. Their visit to the National Centre RUSSIA was part of the cultural programme for awarding the company's top-performing staff. For most participants, it was their first time at the National Centre.

The exposition "Journey Across Russia" showcases the cultural, natural, and historical landmarks, key achievements, and innovative developments of all federal districts of the country. Admission to the exposition is free for tour groups formed through prior registration on the website russia.ru in the "Events" section.

April 4. Professional RAPC Conference on the Use of AI in Politics Held at the National Centre RUSSIA

The event of the Russian Association of Political Consultants titled "Artificial Intelligence in Social Architecture and Political Consulting: Practices, Trends, Forecasts" brought together practicing political consultants, social architects, IT developers, and representatives of the executive and legislative authorities at the National Centre RUSSIA. Participants shared their experience in integrating AI and neural networks into political and social processes.

April 4. Guests of the National Centre Learned About the History of Museum Development from the Kunstkamera to the Museum of Russian Impressionism

The lecture "Expositional Russia" became the third event in the series of educational programmes accompanying the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale". Art historian and architecture expert Yelizaveta Likhacheva and Deputy Director for Educational Activities of the A. V. Shchusev Museum of Architecture Ksenia Smirnova immersed the audience in the world of exposition spaces. The experts spoke about how the architecture of Russian museums changed throughout different historical periods, how museums reflected their time, what kind of experiences they offered people, and how the approaches to designing museum and exposition spaces and buildings evolved in the country.

The series of educational events within the framework of the architectural exposition "The Birth of Scale" continues. Stay tuned for announcements on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA: russia.ru.

April 4. The First International Forum of Wild Plant Processors and Superfood Producers was Launched

The forum "Superfoods — Health and Longevity 120+" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on April 4 and 5. The audience was presented with the concept of the National Centre RUSSIA’s Gastronomic Rows. The team of the "Journey Across Russia. Food" project of the National Centre RUSSIA raised issues related to the development of the field of processing and production of products and ready-made solutions based on wild plants for enterprises specializing in Russian cuisine. The forum audience was introduced to the menu concept "From the Far East to the Arctic", with dishes made up of 90% unique regional wild berries and herbs, wild meat, wild fish, seafood, mushrooms, as well as ferns and seaweed.

Workshops for Architecture Enthusiasts

The series of workshops within the educational program of the "The Birth of Scale" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA continued with the sessions "Planetopia" and "Vsyako-Razno" ("Miscellaneous"). Participants created projects for the architectural planet of the future, combining urban planning with nature. The classes were conducted by teachers from the School of Future Architecture "SETKA."

You can attend the workshops and participate in the excursion of the "The Birth of Scale" exposition for free by registering in advance on the National Centre RUSSIA website: russia.ru. Up-to-date information about the educational program events can be found in the "Events" section.

Partners of the "The Birth of Scale" exposition include DOM.RF, the Ministry of Construction of Russia, Gazprom, the A.V. Shchusev State Museum of Architecture, the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art, the Yakov Chernikhov Architectural Charitable Foundation, and HSE School of Design.