Festival of Cultures of the Peoples of the Caucasus in Moscow

The Rossiya Concert Hall hosted the 5th jubilee Moscow Festival of Cultures of the Peoples of the Caucasus. The festive event allowed guests to feel the atmosphere of the charming Caucasus, to learn about the ancestral traditions of its peoples, and the secrets of its longevity, as well as to choose a travel route. The travel features and attractions of the region became the main theme of the festival this year.

A descendant of the great Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Culture of the Public Chamber, told Vestnik Kavkaza: “President recently said that our civilization is a civilization of values. The peoples of the Caucasus have always been a civilization of honor, valor and glory, with love for their people, love for the Fatherland. We are rich in this legacy, we understand that this heritage is what unites us. But, unfortunately, there is not a lot of space where this heritage can be expressed. And today's meeting, today's forum, if you want, the current mission of the people who came to this event show that it is true that we are united in our culture.”

The traditional cultural event organizer is the Russian Congress of Peoples of the Caucasus. Aly Totorkulov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Russian Congress of Peoples of the Caucasus, told Vestnik Kavkaza: “Now is maybe not the best time to hold a cultural festival, but you know, even during the Second World War there were concerts on the fronts, because people without culture are like animals. We need to preserve our culture, we need to reach for culture. We need to preserve, love and respect our people, our culture and our great Motherland Russia.”

Greetings from the Plenipotentiary Envoy of the President of Russia to the Central Federal District were conveyed by his deputy, the former president of Ingushetia, Murat Zyazikov: “I guess there is no person who has not experienced the feelings of love, affection for the land of his grandfathers, great-grandfathers, native culture, customs and traditions. But in our Russian society, in our Russian Caucasian civilization, these feelings are wider and deeper than the natural feelings restricted by just one nationality. Today this hall is evidence of this.”

During the event, the ceremonial signing took place of an agreement between the RCPC and the International Cultural and Business Center of the Republic of Abkhazia.

Famous dance groups and well-known artists participated in the event. Among them were the State Academic Choreographic Dance Ensemble ‘Berezka’, the State Academic Honored Ensemble of Dagestan ‘Lezginka’, a member of the project ‘Voice -2015’ Emil Kadyrov, an Honored Artist of Russia and the People's Artist of Chechnya, Makka Mezhieva, the Sretensky Monastery Choir and the Ensemble ‘Suliko’. Among the honored guests of the evening were member of the Public Chamber of Russia Anton Tsvetkov, Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Dato Hayat Ismail, and the Permanent Representative of the Republics of the North Caucasus under the President.