Published on: 2026-09-14
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The business program with speakers of the XII St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures has been published. The program includes key events, thematic sessions, and discussions involving leading Russian and foreign cultural figures, representatives of government authorities, and professional and expert communities. It can be viewed on the official website https://unitedcultures.ru/.
In 2026, the forum will be organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian Government, the Ministry of Culture of Russia, and the administration of St. Petersburg.
“The Forum of United Cultures has become an important space for meaningful international dialogue based on respect for cultural diversity, historical memory, and traditional values. This year, the business program covers a wide range of issues—from the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of theater, cinema, music, and museum affairs to reflecting on the opportunities and risks associated with the implementation of new technologies. I am confident that professional exchange of experience and open discussion will help form new approaches to the development of culture and strengthening humanitarian cooperation,” noted Tatiana Golikova, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.
The business program will cover key areas of the contemporary cultural agenda – from preserving cultural heritage and developing international humanitarian cooperation to the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence on culture and creative industries. The program includes key events as well as thematic directions such as “Musical Culture,” “Cinema,” “Media Culture,” “Museums,” “The Path of United Cultures and Technologies to the Cultural Code of the Future,” “Cultural Sovereignty in the 21st Century,” “Cultural Heritage: Traditions and Modernity,” “Circus,” “Theater,” “Education in the Field of Culture,” youth and cross-sectoral programs.
“The business program of the forum demonstrates the scale of topics that today shape the cultural agenda. It is fundamentally important for us that the forum not only unites representatives of different cultural directions, but also allows for the discussion of practical issues of international cooperation, preservation of cultural identity, regional development, and the application of new technologies. Culture remains one of the most durable tools of dialogue between countries, and the forum creates opportunities for forming new professional connections and joint projects,” emphasized Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures.
Among the key events are a session chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, Chairwoman of the Organizing Committee of the Forum of United Cultures Tatiana Golikova, a meeting of the Coordinating Council for Culture under the Ministry of Culture of Russia, and the solemn ceremony of awarding the Hermitage Prize.
In the track “Musical Culture,” there will be sessions titled “The Audience of the Future: Ways to Engage Children and Youth with Classical Music,” “International Music Competitions: A Path to Long-Term Creative Collaboration Between Musicians and Audiences from Different Countries,” “Development of Concert Organizations in the Field of Academic Music. International Touring Activities of Philharmonic Organizations in Russia,” as well as a ceremonial meeting dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Valery Khalilov Wind Society Association. The discussion on international music competitions will be moderated by pianist, People’s Artist of Russia Denis Matsuev. Among the participants are pianists Frédéric Kempf and Justus Frantz, as well as representatives of the professional music community from various countries.
The cinematic track will combine discussions such as “Distribution, Television and Platforms – Cooperation or Conflict?”, “Transcontinental Film Train: Routing Best Practices of Joint International Projects”, “Film Holidays: When Do We Go to the Cinema”, “Greed and Genres”, “AI in Feature Films”, “Mechanisms for Creating a Unified Film Space of the CIS Countries”, and “Russia without Hollywood and Hollywood without Russia.” Participants in this track will include the Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, General Director of the First Channel Konstantin Ernst, director and producer Fyodor Bondarchuk, General Director of Gazprom-Media Holding Alexander Zharov, First Deputy General Director of VGTRK Anton Zlatopolsky, film director Karen Shakhnazarov, Deputy General Director of Gazprom-Media Holding Tinatin Kandelaki, and other industry representatives.
In the direction of “Media Culture,” there will be a session titled “The Image of the Father in the Multinational Culture and Media of Russia and the World.” Its moderator will be the General Director of the TASS news agency, Andrey Kondrashov. Among the participants are the Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma, Anna Kuznetsova, the Director of the Eurasian Bureau of the China Media Group (CMG), Wang Bin, and the chief correspondent of the Moscow bureau of the state news agency “Anadolu,” Ali Jura.
A significant part of the program is dedicated to issues of cultural heritage and cultural sovereignty. Among the declared events are “Global Ethics of Restoration in the Postcolonial World,” “Cultural Sovereignty in the Civilizational Dialogue between East and West,” “Synthesis of Cultures and Traditions: Civilizational Advantage or Historical Challenge?”, “Ideals of Peacebuilding in Contemporary Cultures of East and West,” “Humanizing the Arctic: Cultural Heritage as a Development Resource,” and “The Power of Heritage: Identity for the Sake of Unity.” The discussions will include participation by Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum; Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation; Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia; Aleksey Levykin, General Director of the State Historical Museum; and other experts.
Special attention will be given to the interaction between culture and modern technologies. The program includes sessions “New technologies in culture and art – a blessing or a curse, advantages or risks?”, “Regional cultural code: how the local becomes universal”, “AI in music: algorithms, authorship, and new industry rules”, “From cultural sovereignty to technological leadership: the use of artificial intelligence in the heritage sphere.” In addition, artificial intelligence will be one of the discussion topics within the tracks dedicated to cinema, theater, museology, music education, and the youth program.
“For us, it is important that the forum primarily serves as a place for professional dialogue among those who work daily in the field of culture. Therefore, the program pays great attention to issues of personnel training, creative education, support for young specialists, development of cultural institutions, and the transfer of professional experience to new generations. It is this kind of direct exchange between recognized masters, heads of leading institutions, and young participants that allows us to discuss not only today’s industry challenges but also what culture will be tomorrow,” noted Russia’s Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova.
The theatrical direction will include events such as “Dialogue of Festivals on the World Theater Stage,” “International Theater Cooperation as a Tool of Humanitarian Interaction: the Role of Theater Associations in Developing Professional Ties Between Countries,” “Cultural Dialogue at the Crossroads of Cultures,” “Artificial Intelligence in Theater,” “Theater as a Space for Preserving Cultural Identity: the National Theater in the Era of Globalization,” “Theatrical Education in the Dialogue of Cultures: Exchange of Students, Teachers, and Masters,” “Russian Classics on the Stages of North Caucasus Theaters,” and “The Future of Theatrical Affairs in Russia: Development Strategy Until 2035.” The direction’s work will include the participation of Vladimir Mashkov, chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia; Yevgeny Mironov, artistic director of the State Theater of Nations; Valery Fokin, artistic director of the National Drama Theater of Russia (Alexandrinsky Theater); Mikhail Shvydkoy, special representative of the President of Russia for international cultural cooperation; as well as representatives of theaters and professional associations from Russia, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Colombia, Tunisia, and other countries.
As part of the “Circus” direction, there will be discussions titled “Circus as a bridge between cultures: how shared emotions overcome language barriers” and “Preserving traditions. Modern technologies in the arena: do they strengthen or weaken the ‘language’ of the circus?”. The moderator of both sessions will be Edgard Zapashny, General Director of the Bolshoi Moscow State Circus. Participants include Askold Zapashny, Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Moscow State Circus, Sergey Belyakov, General Director of the Federal State Enterprise “Russian State Circus Company”, and circus artists from Russia, Poland, Guatemala, France, Germany, and Italy.
The youth program will feature sessions “Young Artist and Artificial Intelligence: Shaping Professional Principles of Interaction,” “Creative Unions of Russia in Dialogue with the Youth of the World,” and “Culture as a Resource for a Healthy Life.” The program also includes a series of meetings between cultural masters and young forum participants. Separate meetings will be held by Vladimir Mashkov, Chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia, and Mikhail Piotrovsky, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum.
Among the events of the non-sectional program is an open session “Besogon and Culture,” dedicated to the values and meanings of the Open Eurasian Film Award “Diamond Butterfly,” featuring director Nikita Mikhalkov, discussions about museum spaces, music education, historical memory, digital preservation of cultural heritage, and inclusive culture.
The 12th St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures will take place from September 24 to 26, 2026. The main theme of the forum is “United Cultures – Common Values.”
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