Business programme of 12th St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum published
The business programme of the 12th St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, complete with confirmed speakers, has been published. The programme includes key events, thematic sessions, and discussions that will feature leading Russian and international cultural figures, government officials, and representatives of the professional and expert communities.
The business programme of the 12th St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum, complete with confirmed speakers, has been published. The programme includes key events, thematic sessions, and discussions that will feature leading Russian and international cultural figures, government officials, and representatives of the professional and expert communities.
The 2026 edition of the Forum is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the St. Petersburg City Administration.
“The United Cultures Forum has become an important space for substantive international dialogue based on respect for cultural diversity, historical memory, and traditional values. This year’s business programme covers a wide range of topics – from the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of theatre, cinema, music, and museum practice to the examination of the opportunities and risks associated with the adoption of new technologies. I am confident that the professional exchange of experience and open discussion will allow us to develop new approaches to cultural development and strengthen humanitarian cooperation,” Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation and Chairperson of the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum Organizing Committee Tatyana Golikova noted.
The business programme will cover key areas of the modern cultural agenda, including the preservation of cultural heritage, the development of international humanitarian cooperation, and the impact of new technologies and artificial intelligence on culture and the creative industries. Key events and thematic tracks include ‘Musical Culture’, ‘Film’, ‘Media Culture’, ‘Museums’, ‘United Cultures and Technologies towards the Cultural Code of the Future’, ‘Cultural Sovereignty in the 21st Century’, ‘Cultural Heritage: Tradition and Modernity’, ‘Circus’, ‘Theatre’, and ‘Education in Culture’, alongside a youth programme and special topics track.
“The Forum’s business programme demonstrates the scope of topics that shape the cultural agenda today. Most importantly, it brings together representatives from various fields. In addition, it offers a space for the discussion of practical issues of international cooperation, the preservation of cultural identity, regional development, and the introduction and use of new technologies. Culture remains one of the most enduring tools for dialogue between countries, and the Forum creates opportunities to make new professional connections and develop new projects,” Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov stressed.
Among the most important events of the Forum are the closing session, which will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Russian Federation and Chairperson of the St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum Organizing Committee Tatyana Golikova, the Meeting of the Coordinating Council for Culture under the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the Hermitage Prize Award Ceremony.
The ‘Musical Culture’ track will feature the sessions ‘Audience of the Future: How to Get Children and Young People into Classical Music’, ‘International Music Competitions to Facilitate Long-term Creative Collaboration between Musicians and Audiences from Different Countries’, and ‘The Development of Concert Organizations in Academic Music. The International Touring Activities of Russian Philharmonic Organizations’, as well as a meeting celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Valery Khalilov Wind Society. Pianist and People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Denis Matsuev will moderate the discussion on international music competitions, speakers at which will include fellow pianists Freddy Kempf and Justus Frantz, as well as working musicians from around the world.
The ‘Film’ track will feature discussions on ‘Cinemas, TV, and Platforms: Cooperation or Opposition?’, ‘Transcontinental Film Train: Routing Best Practices for Joint International Projects’, ‘Movies at the Weekend? Outings to the Cinema Reimagined’, ‘Greed and Genres’, ‘AI in Live Action’, ‘How to Form a Unified Film Space in the CIS’, and ‘Russia Minus Hollywood, and Hollywood Minus Russia’. Participants in this track will include Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova, CEO of the Russian Channel One TV network Konstantin Ernst, film director and producer Fyodor Bondarchuk, Gazprom-Media Holding CEO Alexander Zharov, First Deputy Director General of the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) Anton Zlatopolsky, film director Karen Shakhnazarov, Deputy CEO of Gazprom-Media Holding Tinatin Kandelaki, and other industry representatives.
The ‘Media Culture’ track will include a session titled ‘Fathers in Russian and Global Multinational Culture and Media’, which will be moderated by Director General of the TASS news agency Andrey Kondrashov. Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Anna Kuznetsova, Director of the Eurasian Bureau of China Media Group Wang Bin, and Chief Correspondent of the Moscow Bureau of the Turkish Anadolu Agency Ali Cura will speak at the session.
A significant part of the business programme is given over to issues of cultural heritage and cultural sovereignty. Scheduled events include ‘Global Ethics of Restoration in the Postcolonial World’, ‘Cultural Sovereignty in Civilizational Dialogue between East and West’, ‘Cultural and Traditional Synthesis: Civilizational Benefit or Historical Challenge?’, ‘Peacemaking Ideals in Modern Eastern and Western Cultures’, ‘Humanizing the Arctic: Cultural Heritage as a Development Resource’, and ‘The Power of Heritage: Distinct Identity for the Sake of Unity’. Among the speakers at these discussions will be General Director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky, Director General of the State Historical Museum Alexey Levykin, and other experts.
Particular attention will be paid to the relationship between culture and modern technologies. The programme includes the sessions ‘New Technologies in Culture and Art: Harmful or Helpful, Beneficial or Risky?’, ‘Regional Cultural Code: How Local Becomes Shared’, ‘AI in Music: Algorithms, Authorship, and New Rules in the Industry’, and ‘From Cultural Sovereignty to Technological Leadership: Using Artificial Intelligence in Heritage’. Artificial intelligence in particular will be among the topics of discussion on cinema, theatre, museum studies, music education, and the youth programme.
“For us, it is important that the Forum serves first and foremost as a venue for professional dialogue for people working in the cultural sector every day. This is why the programme focuses on training, creative education, support for young professionals, the development of cultural institutions, and passing on professional experience to new generations. It is precisely this kind of direct exchange between renowned experts, heads of leading institutions, and young participants that allows us to both discuss the challenges facing the industry today and talk about what culture will look like tomorrow,” Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova noted.
The ‘Theatre’ track will include events titled ‘A Dialogue of Festivals on the Global Theatre Stage’, ‘International Theatre Cooperation as a Tool for Humanitarian Dialogue: The Role of Theatre Associations in Building Professional Bridges between Countries’, ‘Cultural Dialogue at the Crossroads of Cultures’, ‘Artificial Intelligence in Theatre’, ‘Theatre as a Space for Preserving Cultural Identity: National Theatre in the Age of Globalization’, ‘Theatre Education in Cultural Dialogue: Exchange of Students, Teachers, and Master Artists’, ‘Russian Classics in North Caucasian Theatres’, and ‘The Future of Russian Theatre: Development Strategy to 2035’. Among the speakers at these sessions will be Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation Vladimir Mashkov, Artistic Director of the State Theatre of Nations Yevgeny Mironov, Artistic Director of the National Drama Theatre of Russia (Alexandrinsky Theatre) Valery Fokin, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, and representatives of theatres and professional associations from Russia, India, Vietnam, Türkiye, Colombia, Tunisia, and other countries.
The ‘Circus’ track will feature discussions on ‘Circus as a Bridge between Cultures: How Universal Emotions Overcome Language Barriers’ and ‘Preserving Traditions. Modern Technologies in the Arena: Deepening or Weakening the Language of the Circus?’. Both sessions will be moderated by General Director of the Great Moscow State Circus Edgard Zapashny. Participants will include Artistic Director of the Great Moscow State Circus Askold Zapashny, General Director of the Russian State Circus Company Sergey Belyakov, and circus performers from Russia, Poland, Guatemala, France, Germany, and Italy.
The youth programme will include sessions titled ‘The Young Artist and Artificial Intelligence: Forming Professional Principles of Interaction’, ‘Russian Artists’ Unions in Dialogue with the Global Youth’, and ‘Culture as a Resource for Quality of Life’. The programme also includes a series of meetings between cultural luminaries and young Forum participants. Chairman of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation Vladimir Mashkov and General Director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky will hold individual sessions at the event.
The special topics track of the programme includes the open session ‘Besogon and Culture’ on the values and significance of the Diamond Butterfly Open Eurasian Film Award, which will feature director Nikita Mikhalkov, as well as discussions on museum spaces, music education, historical memory, the digital preservation of cultural heritage, and inclusive culture.
The 12th St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum will take place on 24–26 September 2026. The central theme of the Forum is ‘United Cultures, Common Values’.
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