The "Peoples of Russia and the CIS" International Festival to be held in Moscow from 31 October to 5 November

On the eve and during the National Unity Day celebration, the International Festival titled "Peoples of Russia and the CIS" will be held in Moscow for the first time. It will run at three venues from 31 October to 5 November 2025. The Festival is organised by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs (further referred to as FADN) of Russia with the participation of: the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Moscow Government, Moskino, Gazprom Media Holding, RUTUBE, Russian society Znanie, the Russian Geographical Society, JSC ROSKINO, the Fund for the Support of Regional Cinematography, as well as Institute for Internet Development, and is coordinated by the Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. The Festival is going to combine business, educational and cultural programmes. Visitors to the Festival will be able to attend expositions featuring various aspects of the historical, cultural and natural diversity of our country, as well as different kinds of workshops.

On 31 October, the Festival will begin with a plenary session at the World Trade Centre (WTC). Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Magomedsalam Magomedov, Special Envoy of the Russian President on International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi, Head of the FADN Igor Barinov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Russian Federation Alexander Rogozhnik will be in attendance.

The Festival's business programme will continue with the VI All-Russian Forum "Peoples of Russia", encompassing four sections on traditional spiritual and moral values, topical issues of information counteraction to destructive ideas related to interethnic relations, assistance to foreign citizens's adaptation and protection of the historical memory of the peoples of Russia and the CIS. Besides, the Forum's business programme will include the All-Russian Seminar-Meeting and a strategic session on implementation of state national policy, where heads of state authorities from the constituent entities of the Russian Federation responsible for the implementation of state national policy will discuss the current state of affairs.

On 1 November, the Festival entrants will have a chance to take part in the jubilee X All-Russian Educational Campaign titled "Big Ethnographic Dictation", which has already gained popularity all over the world. The Dictation tasks look like a test, and include 30 questions, some of which were prepared by the Campaign's partners — N.N. Mikloukho-Maklay Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Culture of Russia, and the Russian Geographical Society. In the Year of Defender of the Fatherland, and for the first time in the history of the Dictation, the special military operation combatants will offer their questions. The Dictation will be hosted by V. Pelsh.

After the Dictation, an official ceremony of awarding the laureates of the International Photo Contest titled "Russian Civilization" will be held. This photography competition has been bringing together photographers from Russia and around the world for the 9th year.

The second day of the Festival will end with the "Peoples of Russia" Forum's plenary session titled "Common Goals — Variability of Approaches". There, the attendees will be Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Magomedsalam Magomedov, Alexei Shevtsov, Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Igor Barinov, Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs, Evgeni Primakov, Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

On 2 November, the business programme of the Festival will resume at the Moskino Film Park's venue. It will be opened by a plenary session titled "The Role of Cinema in Shaping the Peoples of Russia and the CIS' Common Cultural Space". Leading film industry representatives from 6 CIS countries and from more than 15 regions of Russia are expected to participate. Besides, it is planned to discuss issues related to the film industry development, common heritage, joint film projects, and patriotic education.

The film screening programme will feature the following motion pictures:

"His Name Was Not Listed" — this military drama based on a book of the same title by Boris Vasilyev tells a story of the Brest fortress heroic defenders. The film is directed by Sergei Korotayev. The main cast: Vladislav Miller, Vladimir Mashkov, and others;

"Chelyuskin. The First Ones." The film is based on real events of 1934, and covers a legendary Arctic expedition featuring the cargo icebreaking steamship Chelyuskin, which set off from Murmansk to Vladivostok with the aim of passing the Northern Sea Route in one navigation, for the first time in history.

Joint Russian-Uzbek and Russian-Tajik films will also be screened. One of them, "The Taste of the Sun", is about a boy's accidental discovery of ancient treasures of the Emir of Bukhara, and another — "The Path of Wrath", is a detective film shot in Tajikistan. In addition, the visitors will have a chance to get acquainted with a picture titled "Admiral Ushakov's Secret", shot in the historical detective genre.

On 2 November, a lecture hall titled "Diversity of Cultures and Peoples of Russia and the CIS" will be organised by the Russian Geographical Society at the venue of the National Centre RUSSIA. It will provide attendees with an opportunity to get acquainted with the folklore heritage, study the traditional way of life and cultural peculiarities of the indigenous peoples of Russia and the CIS. The Festival's guests will also watch such films by the Russian Geographical Society as "Baikal. The Sacred Sea of Ice", and "The Russian Wedding in Zaonezhye". Moreover, they will have an opportunity to talk with the film crew and ask questions.

On 3 November, the National Centre RUSSIA will host a screening and discussion of "The Last Witness" film, which was created by cinematographers from Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as screenings of such pictures as "The North Wind Happens to Be Warm" and "Planet Tuva. In the Footsteps of Sergei Mintslov's Secret Expedition" made by the Russian Geographical Society.

In addition, at the film screenings, the Festival attendees will have a chance to watch the second season of the "Haikanutye" reality show featuring bloggers, and take part in a creative meeting with the reality show production crew and blogger Maxim Guryanov. The idea of this reality show is that its participants go on a long-distance hike, thus getting to know the local sights, people, culture, and lifestyle. The visitors will also have an opportunity to learn about the "PLACES" documentary project, and meet with its film crew. The project shows the tourist potential of the country's regions, demonstrates the most iconic objects of nature and cultural heritage, the peoples of Russia's way of life, their crafts and local cuisine.

In parallel with the film screenings, sessions dedicated to the national symbols of Russia will be held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 2 and 3 November. Lecturers from the Russian society Znanie and from the Russian Geographical Society, well-known and creative personalities, as well as popular bloggers, will take part in them.  These sessions are not going to be barely some discussions of images familiar to everyone, such as a flag, a coat of arms, an anthem, a bear, or a nesting doll — matryoshka. They are going to provide a sound reason to ponder the deeper meanings behind these symbols. On 2 November, the sessions titled: "Balalaika: Three Strings of the Russian Soul", "Matryoshka: A People within A People" and "Baikal: A Pearl of Siberia" will be held. On 3 November, the sessions titled "The Flag, Coat of Arms and the Anthem of Russia: The History of Great Symbols", "The Bear is a Force that is Respected" and "A Birch Grove: The Poetics of the Russian Landscape", will be organised.

On 3 November, the "Media Environment in Russia and the CIS" series of events, featuring leading representatives from the media community and the blogosphere, will take place, too. A round table titled "Media's Soft Power as a Tool for the Cultural Code Promotion" will cover the topic of cultural diplomacy in international projects. The film industry representatives from the CIS countries will share their views on how to preserve the historical heritage. As part of "A Public Opinion Leader as an Ambassador of Their Native Land: Russian Regions' Culture and Traditions in the Digital Environment" round table, a meeting will be held with bloggers who are going to share their experience in promoting regions' culture and traditions with the help of modern media channels. The "New Media and National Politics: Tools and Risks" panel discussion will conclude the cycle of events.

The All-Russian Campaign titled "Modern Musical Map of Russia" will be the hallmark of the Festival's cultural programme. It is scheduled for 4 November, the National Unity Day, and will be hosted by the National Centre RUSSIA.

Federal experts and representatives of all subjects of the Russian Federation (around 100 people in total) had shaped the list of composers who then have created each region's musical "calling card" (a piece of music up to 4 minutes long), employing a characteristic identity and performance style, as well as images reflecting the spirit, symbolism and history of their small homeland.

The best compositions representing each federal district and cities of federal subject significance will be performed. The State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble "Russia" named after Lyudmila Zykina, under the artistic direction of Dmitry Dmitrienko, and the State Academic Symphony Orchestra "New Russia", conducted by Yuri Bashmet, will be the main music performers. The honorary guests of the All-Russian Campaign will be Sergei Shoigu, Sergei Kiriyenko, and Nikita Mikhalkov.

From 2 to 4 November, all comers will have a chance to visit events of the Festival's exposition programme at the National Centre Russia, as well. It is going to feature: a display of the winning photos from the All-Russian photo contest "Znanie. Russia — Russian Peoples", the Russian Geographical Society's photo displays: "The Most Beautiful Country" and "Peoples of Russia", the “Journey Across Russia" interactive exposition, and the Russian Geographical Society's VR cinema.

The Russian Geographical Society's VR cinema theatre will operate both at the World Trade Centre and at the National Centre RUSSIA. There, the visitors will be offered to see the most beautiful places in Russia, and take a virtual trip there. For instance, they will have a chance to virtually fly over the guillemots' nesting grounds on the Kola Peninsula; to see how clouds form on Ai Petri Mountain in the Crimea; to dive for a visit to the ringed seal in the Sea of Okhotsk; to hear the gray whales singing; to take a trip along the Volga River; to see the diverse landscapes, historical sites and religious shrines of Russia.

On 3 November, the guests will be able to bring their whole families to the "Inspired by Russia" site. There, they will have a chance to take part in bright dance interactive events, inspiring musical performances, fascinating ethnic-style workshops, and to take a look at a runway show of clothing collections from regional designers. There will also be a special photo zone where everyone will have an opportunity to take memorable pictures with their favorite bloggers wearing national costumes of the peoples of Russia. The atmosphere of the events will allow the guests to plunge into the cultural wealth of our vast country, feel the unique flavour of its each region, and rediscover the deep connection with its rich history and traditions.

During the Festival, everyone will be able to taste the dishes of the national cuisines of the peoples of Russia, and learn the secrets of their cooking in the Gastronomic Rows of the National Centre RUSSIA.

On 5 November, the Festival's results will be summed up at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the XIII Meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Councils of the CIS member states.

From 1 to 4 November, under the Festival's auspices, the Russian society Znanie will organise more than 300 open lectures on the topic "The Power of Unity: How the Peoples of Russia' Diversity Shapes a Strong Society" in all regions of the country" which will be available to everyone.

The events of the Great Ethnographic Dictation, which is taking place as part of the International Festival "Peoples of Russia and the CIS" this year, will be held on all continents of the globe, including Antarctica, at more than 50 venues in 40 countries abroad, which makes the Festival a truly global event.