The festival of Russian art “Russian Autumn in Italy”, which takes place within the framework of the annual traditional project of the Center for Film Festivals and International Programs “Cultural Mission in Italy”, has ended in Italy. As part of the first stage of the cultural mission, events were held in the north of Italy in the cities of Milan, Codroipo, Toscolano Maderno and Gargnano (regions of Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia).
The organizers of the project: the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Center for Film Festivals and International Programs, the Russian-Italian Forum-Dialogue on Civil Societies, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Mari-El, the Mari State Philharmonic named after Yakov Eshpai, PJSC Transneft.
The grand opening of the project took place on September 9, 2023 at the site of the Consulate General of Russia in Milan with a concert of participants of the Mari El State Dance Ensemble of the Mari State Philharmonic named after Yakov Eshpai and an exhibition of works by the Russian artist, set designer, graphic artist and costume designer Anna Nezhnaya, who presented an exposition dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the two greatest representatives of Russian art, S.V. Rachmaninov and F.I. Chaliapin from the collection “Italian Rhapsody of Chaliapin and Rachmaninoff”.
The artists of the Mari El ensemble presented a bright dance palette of the multinational “land of Mari” in the concert program. The Mari El concert in Milan gathered a significant number of guests — prominent political and public figures, heads of cultural associations, representatives of independent media, as well as, importantly, representatives of the Russian diaspora living abroad. Folklore concerts of the collective became the central event of the entire festival. The dance program of the festival continued on Lake Garda in Toscolano Maderno, where on September 11 another concert of artists of the Mari El ensemble was held for guests and residents of the city.
Along with the concerts of the folklore dance group, the festival program included performances by opera soloists. A musical evening dedicated to the 150th anniversary of S.V. Rachmaninov and F.I. Chaliapin took place on September 16 in Codroipo at the Villa Museum of the Italian collector and philanthropist, partner of the Center for Film Festivals and International Programs Pietro Pittaro. The concert was attended by a graduate of the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Center, winner of All-Russian and international competitions Daria Kovalenko (soprano); Anna Smiek (soprano); soloist of the Academy of Young Opera Soloists of the Mariinsky Theater, guest soloist of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the Giglio Opera Theater, the Carlo Felice Theater Roman Lyulkin (bass) and pianist, concertmaster of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Florence Conservatory Gianni Fabbrini. The concert program included arias from operas by Russian and Italian composers, romances by S.V. Rachmaninov and songs by Italian composers, which were performed on a piano that once belonged to S.P. Diaghilev, and then to the family of Alexander Benois.
Tatiana Shumova, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, President of the Center for Film Festivals and International Programs:
— Preservation and development of cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, support of compatriots living in Italy are the priority goals of our traditional annual project. I would like to emphasize the role and participation of our partners in Italy and compatriots in the implementation of the first stage of the Cultural Mission in Italy. I am sure that this project will serve as a worthy occasion to continue the dialogue between Russia and Italy and to establish bilateral relations that have been connecting our countries and peoples for centuries.
About the project “Russian Cultural Mission”:
The project “Russian Cultural Mission” has been implemented since 2004 with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and will celebrate its twentieth anniversary next year. Over the years, multinational Russian art has been widely represented in more than 10 regions of Italy. More than 600 significant cultural events took place, in which more than 50,000 artists from different regions of Russia participated. In 2023, the program of the project “Cultural Mission in Italy” provides for 4 stages: Stage I Festival of Russian Art “Russian Autumn in Italy” (September 9-16, 2023 Milan, Codroipo, Toscolano Maderno and Gargnano, Lombardy and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions), Stage II Festival of Russian Culture “Russia — Naples. Volcano of Arts” (September 18-22, 2023 Naples, Campania region), Stage III Festival of Russian Culture “Lighthouse of Arts” (October 14-17, Sanremo and Genoa, Liguria region), Stage IV Festival of Russian Culture “Winter Garden of Arts” (December 16-21, 2023 Rome and Bari, Lazio region and Apulia).
For more information on the project and an interview with the organizers, please call:
+7 (903) 790-01-78 and E-mail: amazharova@mail.ru
Alyona Mazharova PR specialist
