Moscow – Havana: Russian Express

Cuba hosted events of the Russian Express project aimed at promoting the Russian language.

In August, events within the framework of the project Russian Express, A Complex of Cultural Events Abroad Aimed at Promoting and Popularizing the Russian Language, took place in Havana, the capital of the Republic of Cuba. This year, Russia was the guest of honor at the 34th Havana International Book Fair.

Among the honored guests at the opening ceremony on 10 August were President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel, Prime Minister of the Republic of Cuba Manuel Marrero Cruz, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Cuba Viktor Coronelli. The Russian delegation was led by the Russian President’s Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi.

"Literature is the guide that ensures we are not alone in this world. It is the lifeline that helps overcome hardships and internal drama," emphasized Mikhail Shvydkoi.

The head of the Russian delegation called Cuba "not just a country of revolution, but also a country of enlightenment."

In turn, Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, director of Cuban National Book Institute, thanked Russia for participating as the guest of honor. "We grew up on the works of Tolstoy, Lermontov, Gorky, and Mayakovsky; Russian literature means a lot to us," he noted.

As part of the grand opening of the Havana International Book Fair and in the Yara Cine performances by soloists of the Rossiya State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble named after Liudmila Zykina were held. The cast included the ensemble’s artistic director, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, Professor Dmitry Dmitrienko (accordion), international competition laureates Vladimir Dunaev (balalaika), Timur Galinurov (accordion), Valentin Solgalov (double bass), and Ilya Khardikov (vocal), and winner of the Russian Ministry of Culture's Young Talents of Russia award and laureate of the 1st All-Russian Competition of Russian Song Performers in Memory of Lyudmila Zykina. The educational program featured a master class  for schoolchildren on the topic Traveling through Russian Cities and a lesson for students on business correspondence.

The Russian pavilion showcased over 1,500 books, and hosted Russian Film Week, organized by ROSKINO.

The events were supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Cuba, the Russian House in Havana, the Cuban Book Institute, and the Cuban Book Chamber, within the framework of the Havana International Book Fair.