CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Qatar

Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture launched

Published: 25 Feb 2018 - 09:17 am | Last Updated: 08 Nov 2021 - 12:38 am
Award-winning Igor Moiseyev Ballet performing at the Katara Opera House. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula

Award-winning Igor Moiseyev Ballet performing at the Katara Opera House. Pic: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula

By Raynald C Rivera | The Peninsula

DOHA: The Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture was launched yesterday with award-winning Igor Moiseyev Ballet’s dazzling performance which impressed everyone in the audience at Katara Opera House.

The event, which saw the troupe perform over a dozen dance items, was part of Qatar Museum’s (QM) Years of Culture initiative aimed at building bridges between nations and establishing Qatar as a cultural destination.

Declaring Qatar-Russia 2018 Year of Culture officially open, H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Minister of Culture and Sports, stressed the cultural year aims “to express the depth of relations between the two countries and to affirm the importance of culture in strengthening and rapprochement between peoples.”

“The cultural year reflects the richness of creativity in both countries and the desire of intellectuals and artists to extend communication bridges and the activation of common human values expressed perfectly through creativity,” the Minister said. 

“Today we need to renew our visions and relationships to strengthen the values of tolerance and human rights,” he added.

He added: “This cultural year will provide better chances for the Qatari society to experience Russian culture, as well as giving the Russian people access to the diversity of Qatari culture, which respects openness to cultures and aspires to the cultural interaction. This year’s activities will contribute to the exchange of experiences between writers and artists from both countries so that culture is the horizon for dialogue and joint action.”

“Let us work together to achieve the intercultural dialogue and develop the best values, and to make this event an opportunity for the development of relations between the two countries in the different fields,” he said.

Minister of Culture and Sports H E Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali speaks at the official launch of The Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture at Katara Opera House, yesterday

 

For his part, Vladimir Medinsky, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, said:  “We are looking forward to this Year’s cultural exchange programme creating an atmosphere of understanding and trust between our nations that helps strengthen opportunities for tourism and economic exchange. Activities planned for this year will help both sides get to know each other better and invigorate economic relations.”

Russian Ambassador to Qatar Noor Mohammad Khulov noted that the cross-cultural year of Russia was being held for the first time in the Gulf region and that he hoped the year would witness diverse, talented world-famous ensembles, cultural exhibitions and events. 

Often described as the greatest folk dance group in the world, the Igor Moiseyev Ballet has been captivating audiences for over 80 years. The group’s iconic choreography is distinct for its harmonious fusion of technical brilliance and folkdance spontaneity. The dances reflect the diverse cultures of the world, painting choreographic scenes, miniatures and one-act ballets against music of great Russian composers including Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov and Mikhail Glinka among others.

The Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture is organised in partnership with leading institutions in Qatar and Russia, including the Embassy of Qatar in Russia, Embassy of the Russian Federation in Qatar, the Ministry of Culture and Sports in Qatar, as well as the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The year is set to include a variety of events and activities that will promote Qatar’s art and heritage in Russia, while at the same time introducing local audiences to Russia’s vast cultural heritage. 

The Qatar Russia 2018 Year of Culture is part of the landmark ‘Years of Culture’ initiative launched by QM in 2012 to deepen understanding between nations and their people through mutual exchanges of arts, culture, heritage and sport.