Audio-visual Project ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ Presented at Forum in Kogalym

A unique multimedia ethnic show was held in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District city of Kogalym on 22 November as part of the audio-visual project ‘Soul of Russia. The North’. The event was part of the track ‘Social and Cultural Initiatives and Best Non-Profit Projects in Creative Entrepreneurship’ at the ‘Civil Initiatives of the 60th Parallel Regions’ International Humanitarian Forum. The track is part of the plan of events of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023, which are being managed by the Roscongress Foundation.

The goal of the audio-visual project ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ is to introduce people to the heritage and culture of the Indigenous peoples of the North, as well as to bring together the most iconic representatives of modern ethnic music and dance art into one vivid performance. As part of the project, the artists demonstrated a unique synthesis of modern ethnic music and dance numbers in the traditions of Northern choreography.

“Learning about the extremely interesting centuries-old traditions of the Indigenous peoples of the North, one of the unique cultures of our multinational country, made a strong impression on the Forum participants. The event was a success due to the essential and wonderful work that is being carried out throughout the country. The interest in our common heritage and the culture of Indigenous peoples confirms that the correct path has been chosen to maintain the sustainability and viability of the peoples of the Arctic,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for Russia’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. 

The ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ project demonstrates the enormous number of talents living at the latitude of the 60th parallel. Going forward, the implementation of the project will increase the number of people who rely on the centuries-old traditions of their ancestors in their work and carefully study the heritage and delicately preserve the unique cultural code of the northern ethnic groups,” Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and the Arctic Alexey Chekunkov said.

Yakut hip-hop artists KitJah and MOSKILA featuring DJ Gudeikon wrote new songs specifically for the ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ project. The Forum participants and guests thoroughly enjoyed performances by the ethno-group Khaitnut erg, Vera Kondratyeva from the Dance company INSIDE, and the dance group Smola. In turn, the Yudi Theatre of Modern Choreography from Tomsk prepared an exclusive programme for the evening.

“The ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ project clearly reaffirms the unifying role of historical heritage and demonstrates the role and importance of preserving the cultural code of each ethnic group. The Forum guests had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the unique culture of the northern peoples of Russia. We firmly believe that their creative potential could become a significant driver of economic growth in the regions of the Russian North,” said Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Arctic Senior Officials.

The broadcasts of the Forum and the closing show garnered more than 720,000 views on the Innosocium Foundation’s page on the VKontakte social network. The ‘Soul of Russia. The North’ pilot project previously took place at the Eastern Economic Forum in September 2022 in Vladivostok on the stage of the Far East Street exhibition. The project will continue to be represented at all major events managed by the Roscongress Foundation, including in 2023 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum.

“We support the approach of civil activists who are constantly in action and are highly active. This year, we received more than 1,100 initiatives from Yugra residents and non-profit organizations. The development of civil society is our priority and is something we must do. To this end, we are creating an eco-system that is suitable for this, including regulatory support,” Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District Governor Natalya Komarova said.

Russia is the chair of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. One of Russia’s main priorities is to develop human capital in the region, including the Indigenous peoples of the North. Russia devotes special attention to maintaining the sustainability and viability of the peoples of the North, promoting measures to adapt them to climate change, improving people’s well-being, health, education, and quality of life, and ensuring sustainable socioeconomic development throughout the region. The Russian side has initiated projects to digitalize the cultural and linguistic heritage of the Indigenous peoples of the North, develop renewable energy sources, create an international Arctic research station that runs on carbon-free energy, and ensure biosecurity in the Arctic. In addition, Russia is preparing draft proposals on the traditional medicine of Indigenous peoples and the development of creative industries in the Arctic, and is working on an initiative to create Digital Museums of the Arctic.