Iran to stage cultural week in four Russian cities to cement ties
Iran will hold a cultural week in four Russian cities from Sept. 24 to Oct. 6, featuring 13 cultural, artistic, scientific and professional programs aimed at presenting the country’s historical, cultural and contemporary identity.
The event will take place in Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Astrakhan as part of efforts to deepen cultural ties between Iran and Russia, said Hossein Divsalaar, deputy head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization for scientific and cultural cooperation in an interview with ISNA published on Wednesday.
“The program will go beyond cultural showcases by bringing together artists, academics, cultural institutions and professional groups from both countries,” Divsalaar added.
A key new focus is the creative industries, including cinema and animation, video games, toys, and fashion and clothing. Business-to-business (B2B) meetings and specialized talks will allow Iranian participants to discuss the Russian market, joint projects and exports of cultural products and services.
One of the main events will be a performance by Iran’s National Orchestra at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theatre, one of Russia’s leading opera and ballet venues. The orchestra will also perform in Kazan and St Petersburg.
Kazan will host programs centered on the Qur’an and the life and character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), coinciding with the city’s designation as the 2026 Islamic Culture Capital.
The cultural week will also include a major cultural and artistic exhibition showing capacities from more than 30 cultural and artistic fields, as well as a film and animation week, programmes for children and teenagers, academic and scientific meetings, and initiatives to promote cultural exports and creative industries.
The event is being held on an unprecedented scale across four Russian cities, organizers said.
Divsalaar said the initiative’s success would not be measured solely by visitor numbers. The continuation of professional cooperation, negotiations, agreements and contacts after the event would also be important, he said.
He added that discussions launched during the cultural week should be followed up after its conclusion to turn them into joint projects involving artists, universities, cultural institutions and economic and cultural professionals in both countries.