Main Theme of the 9th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum Announced: “Culture of Civilazation – Civilazation of Culture”.

This year the Forum will be held on 12-14 November. The Forum is organized by the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of Saint Petersburg. The main theme of the Forum has been chosen to recognize the leading role of culture in the development of humanity.

Civilization is intimately connected with culture. Society is built on shared cultural values that help people of different nations and religions find common ground to live in peace and harmony. This year’s pandemic brought everyday patterns of social interaction to the severe test. Humanity was forced to rethink its values and rediscover the true essence of humanism. Culture has become the pillar that in the hour of need has given us confidence in our future, inspired hope and provided support. A growing significance of cultural activities and a high demand for cultural projects are the best proof of it.

Year after year, the Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum highlights the unifying role of culture, the priority of its values, and the importance of intercultural communication for social well-being. By discussing current cultural trends and sharing expertise, leading professionals address topical issues of our civilization, seek cooperation and mutual cultural enrichment, and stimulate major decisons in international cultural policies. For the ninth time, the world’s top artists, theater, movie, opera and ballet stars, academia, business and cultural communities will gather in Saint Petersburg at one of the largest international discussion platforms.

This year, the honorary status of “Guest Country” has been granted to two countries: France and Azerbaijan. The special guest of the Forum is Germany, which is a notable landmark amid the 2020-2021 Year of Germany in Russia.

The 8th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum took place on 14-16 November, 2019, and its main theme was “Cultural Codes in the Context of Globalization”. In 2019, the Forum welcomed 40,358 participants, among them are:

• 13,532 participants of the Professional Flow
• 26,826 participants of the Public Flow

The 8th Saint Petersburg International Cultural Forum was attended by directors Nikita Mikhalkov, Fyodor Bondarchuk and Dmitry Astrakhan; conductor Valery Gergiev, pianist Denis Matsuev, violist and conductor Yuri Bashmet; theater directors Theodoros Terzopoulos, Tadashi Suzuki, Valery Fokin, Konstantin Bogomolov and Eduard Boyakov; writers Dmitry Bykov and Pavel Basinsky; jazz stars Till Brönner and Igor Butman; directors of Russia’s and world’s leading museums Mikhail Piotrovsky, Zelfira Tregulova, Vladimir Gusev and Eike Schmidt; media manager Alexey Venediktov, journalist and writer Mikhail Zygar. The Russian figure skater Ilia Averbukh acted not only as a speaker but also as the production designer for the Forum’s Gala Opening.