EEF 2022 to Feature ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ Audiovisual Cultural Festival

The ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ Audiovisual Cultural Festival will be held during the 7th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok from 18:30 to 20:50 on 7 September.

The event is part of the Creative Business Forum’s programme ‘Sociocultural Development of the Northern Regions’, whose initiative was promoted during Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. The event is being organized by the Innosocium Foundation, the Roscongress Foundation’s social platform, with the support Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic

EEF participants and young people will learn about the achievements of the northern regions and see the centuries-old traditions, culture, and epos of the small-numbered peoples of the North in a modern interpretation of both young artists and prominent cultural figures.

“The unity of the peoples of our country has always been based on intangible heritage. Contemporary art is inextricably linked with national cultural traditions. In the epos of Indigenous peoples that has been preserved for centuries, today artists, musicians, and designers are drawing ideas, using images, and expressing them in a new modern format, thus continuing and developing these traditions and contributing to the promotion and development of the cultural diversity of the peoples of Russia,” Adviser to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov said.

The performing artists Kit Jah and MOSKILA from Yakutia will perform reggae and rap with Evenk melodies. In 2021, they recorded the song Kyndykan as a duet, which climbed the charts in iTunes rankings. Evenk singer Vanyakan Ikekan, along with the Elden-Dukeebil Ensemble from Yuriung-Khaya, the world’s highest Arctic village, will perform ethnic rock. Evenki singer Pyotr Keymetinov and the electronic duet URAAN are scheduled to perform.

Spectators will be able to view a display of outerwear from Ksenia Chilingarova’s cult brand Arctic Explorer and collections of a number of popular young designers from Yugra and Yakutia.

“In pursuit of the blessings of civilization, we one day realize that we are losing something important that has been acquired over the centuries, and then we often find it in the roots of folk art. Young artists, designers, and musicians are now paying special attention to folklore as part of the cultural code, each of which turns into a peculiar and unique performance that organically combines fashion trends and rituals of folk culture,” Yugra Governor Natalya Komarova said.

The festival will conclude with an ethnic fusion show by members of the group OTYKEN, which is gaining millions of views on TikTok. Siberian natives from the Chulym, Keto, and Selkup small-numbered peoples will perform modern musical genres featuring the traditions of throat singing and playing drums made from maral skin.

“UNESCO recognizes the Yakut epos Olonkho as a masterpiece of the intangible heritage of mankind. I think this is a recognition of the significance and influence of our national epos for civilization as a whole. At this festival, we can see how to build an ecosystem of creative projects based on cultural traditions. Our job remains ensuring the careful preservation and transmission of the spiritual values ​​of the Indigenous peoples to new generations,” Republic of Sakha Head Aysen Nikolayev said.

Detailed information about the EEF 2022 programme is available on the official website: forumvostok.ru. The organizer of the EEF is the Roscongress Foundation.

All the latest news about preparations for the EEF 2022 is available in the Forum’s official social media networks. 

Telegram: t.me/roscongress 

VKontakte: Eastern Economic Forum (vk.com)