On May 17, 2019, on the opening day in the Historical Park “Russia - My Story” participants from 45 countries of the world were greeted by representatives of federal authorities and authorities of St. Petersburg and Moscow, who took part in a fruitful discussion on work with compatriots.
The Forum was organized by the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
The first deputy chairman of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg, Sergey Markov, informed the participants about the role of St. Petersburg as one of the leaders among the Russian regions in working with compatriots. The peculiarity of the activities of the Government of St. Petersburg is the practical fullness of events for representatives of the Russian world. The main activities of the Committee for External Relations are the development of the Russian language, work with young people, support for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Sergey Markov also noted: “The Committee, following the recommendations of young compatriots at the VI World Congress of Compatriots Abroad, resumed work in one of the sections“ Leadership ”at the Forum in addition to the two existing ones -“ Mass Media ”and“ Art History ”. Implementing such cultural and educational programs, the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg seeks to provide each of you with the opportunity to form an objective image of Russia.”
Vladimir Katenev, a member of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, outlined the issues that the Committee is currently working on.
The Head of the Division for the Department for Work with Compatriots Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Aleksey Roskoshny, noted that youth issues are a priority area of activity, within which around 40 events are held in 2019.
Andrei Yakovlev, Head of the Department for Support and Development of Non-Profit Organizations of the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations, invited participants to the youth projects of the Committee - the Forum “Vsmysle” and “Social Petersburg”. Andrei Yakovlev also reported on the systems of subsidies and grants that compatriots can join.
Director of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, Oleg Mukovsky, spoke about the areas in which the Foundation is ready to assist the participants: Olympiads, conducting refresher courses in the Russian language, organizing summer camps, creating new textbooks, etc.
Arkady Beynenson, press secretary of the Moscow House of Compatriot, reported on the forms of support for compatriots, defining the main vector of work of the Moscow Government - projects implemented abroad.
Representatives of the St. Petersburg Youth Board also took part in the discussion and called for interaction and implementation of joint projects.
The participants showed interest in the topic of volunteering, conducting trainings for young compatriots within the framework of the Days of St. Petersburg abroad, resolving the visa issue for members of families of compatriots, sending Russian teachers to conduct language courses in the US, supporting compatriots who do not speak Russian, and etc.
The Russian Abroad Forum opened the anthem to the Great City of Reinhold Glier, performed by the V. Andreev State Academic Orchestra. This work served as a reminder that it was in St. Petersburg that the concert balalaika was born.
The substantive component of the program was revealed by the heads of the sections “Mass Media”, “Art History” and “Leadership”: Alexander Potekhin, director of TASS-Saint Petersburg, journalist, Anastasia Prichislenko, director of the Center for Personal Development of ITMO University, Christina Sasonko, co-founder of Arts Square Gallery, director of the foundation promoting the development of education, science and art "New Art History".
Information of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg
As part of the implementation by the Government of St. Petersburg of the state policy of the Russian Federation towards compatriots abroad
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79 compatriots from 45 countries: Abkhazia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Canada, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, China, Latvia Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Finland, France, Croatia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia and South Ossetia.
As part of the direction of "Art Criticism" compatriots will study the topic of contemporary art from the perspective of the consumer market with the participation of leading experts ArtsSquareGallery (Art Gallery on Arts Square), the Electrotheatre. K.S. Stanislavsky, Fontanka Youth Theater, Alma Mater Foundation, Masters School and others.
Participants in the Leadership Section will be presented with a brief insight into modern approaches to leadership, based on the 21st century skills necessary for living in the VUCA world. They will study the portrait of a modern leader together with leading marketers, business coaches of St. Petersburg.
Employees of foreign Russian-language media will learn the trends and transformation of media projects in a constantly changing information environment, visit TASS News Agency, TV channel 78, Komsomolskaya Pravda Publishing House in St. Petersburg and Panorama TV.
Also within the framework of the Forum program there will be a sightseeing tour of St. Petersburg, a visit to the Maly Drama Theater and the Hermitage and more.
For the first time, a reconstruction dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the fascist blockade will be organized within the framework of the Forum. The event will demonstrate the defense of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War with the participation of reenactors.
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