Exclusive interview: Jointly committed to cultural heritage protection and diversified development – Interview with Russian Minister of Culture Lyubimova

Xinhua News Agency, St. Petersburg, November 19th. Exclusive interview: Jointly committed to cultural heritage protection and diversified development – Interview with Russian Minister of Culture Lyubimova

Xinhua News Agency reporter An Xiaomeng

Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters during the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum on the 18th that all countries should treat the cultures of different countries with an inclusive attitude and work together to protect cultural heritage and diversify development.

She said that national culture has important value and diversity, and any attempt to stifle or bury a country’s culture in any way is extremely destructive. Cultural heritage should be protected and promoted.

The 9th St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum, hosted by the Russian Ministry of Culture and the St. Petersburg Municipal Government, was held from the 16th to the 18th. Lyubimova said that about 1,000 cultural figures and more than 50 official delegations from more than 70 countries gathered in St. Petersburg to discuss issues related to drama, film, library science, music and art, and their connections with business and economy. . Although representatives from various countries have different views, they all share a common vision of protecting tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Lyubimova said that the arrival of the Chinese delegation is very important. Russia and China have carried out all-round dialogue, covering many fields such as culture, education, promotion and research. Within the framework of the forum, the two parties signed a number of agreements, planning to jointly produce or adapt classic dramas, and introduce excellent films to each other.

She said that in recent years, Russia and China have actively carried out exchanges in various fields of culture. Russia pays great attention to the development of the Chinese film industry. Moscow holds two Chinese film festivals this year, which have already attracted a large number of movie fans. The long-established Moscow Film Festival has always paid great attention to Chinese films and may launch a separate Chinese unit. Russian producers are also very interested in participating in Chinese film festivals and are researching and selecting suitable films. In addition, Russian and Chinese museums have close ties and have maintained dialogue and opened exhibitions since the Soviet Union. The libraries of the two countries also have common interests in topics such as how to protect rare books and how to attract more young people to the libraries, and have had in-depth discussions on this.

Regarding the 2024-2025 Russia-China Cultural Year, Lyubimova said that Russia is studying which cities or venues in China it will host events in next year. She said that cultural exchanges between the two countries were fruitful last year. The Bolshoi Theater, the Mariinsky Theater and the Russian National Symphony Orchestra have conducted multiple tours in China, and the 13th Russia-China Cultural Exhibition was successfully held on the border between the two countries. Similar activities will be carried out regularly.

Lyubimova said that culture and art have no national boundaries. This year, the best in the field of music from all over the world came to Russia to participate in the Tchaikovsky International Music Competition. Despite some countries’ hostility toward Russia, the contestants’ love of music resonated on stage. In the protection of cultural heritage, the cultural education and training of young people is particularly important. Russia will not exclude the culture of other countries and will treat talented children from all countries equally, which will help the birth of more world-class talents.

[Editor in charge: Xu Dan]