"The European Union's capital will demonstrate Russian culture in all its diversity-the cinema, literature, music and the theatre-for five months on end. That matters to us tremendously. The Europalia was established 35 years ago. The nearest, twentieth festival will be wholly devoted to Russian culture," Mikhail Shvydkoi, head of Russia's Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography, said to a news conference.
The festival envisages more than twenty expositions arranged by Russia's foremost art treasuries-the State History Museum, the Tretyakov Gallery, and museums of the Kremlin and of Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg. There will be approximately a hundred concerts and three hundred stage performances, ballet included, and film shows. The renowned St. Petersburg-based Mariinsky Opera and Ballet, and Bolshoi and Maly drama companies will offer guest performances.
"Our Europalia festival sees its mission in reflecting the guest country's culture in its entire diversity. In this particular instance, Russia is our guest. It is not merely a European country but a continent with rich cultural and historical traditions. We make it a point to demonstrate those traditions in their entire scope," Pierre-Etienne Champaignois, Commissioner General for Belgium, said to the news conference dedicated to the upcoming event.
Sergei Yastrzhembsky has been appointed Commissioner General for Russia.
Belgium and Russia are to fund the festival together. The host country has earmarked over four million Euros.
