Days of Moscow in India: A Cultural Extravaganza!

November in Delhi heralds the ‘event season’, as I like to call it! After enjoying my visit to the Cocktail Village over the weekend, I was invited to attend a Gala Concert by performers from Moscow, as part of the two-day festival “Days of Moscow in India 2019”. Read on to know about this interesting cultural experience.

DAYS OF MOSCOW IN DELHI:

Organised by Delhi Tourism, in collaboration with the Government of Moscow, this festival aimed to promote cooperative ties between the capitals of India and Russia.

“Days of Moscow is a comprehensive event aimed at deepening interaction between the two cities in the economic, cultural, sports, educational spheres, as well as in the field of urban development,” Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said (Source: Outlook India).

The festival included a cultural show, a movie screening, a business conference, a session of chess with a Russian grandmaster, and a speech by a Russian cosmonaut.

India and Russia have shared a strong bond since India’s independence, which has deepened over the years through economic investments and the exchange of technical expertise.

The Days of Moscow in India festival aims at further enhancing these bilateral ties.

The vocal group ‘Kvatro’ regaling us with their songs

THE CULTURAL PERFORMANCE:

The festival opened with a fabulous gala concert at the Siri Fort Auditorium on November 18. There were two main attractions – a musical performance by popular Russian vocal group “Kvatro”, and a stunning set of dances by the troupe “State Academic Choreographic Ensemble Berezka”.

Kvatro, a group of four classical singers, has been popularising and modernising classical music, since they came together in 2003. Delhi’s audience was delighted to hear their powerful vocals, and enjoyed watching their on-stage chemistry, as well as their ability to deliver soulful and foot-tapping numbers with equal ease.

Having set the tone for the evening, Kvatro made way for the talented dance troupe of the State Academic Choreographic Ensemble Berezka. The ensemble consisted of two groups, one of women and one of men, who performed nine traditional Russian dances over the course of an hour.

The female dancers moved with a fluid grace and were coordinated to perfection. Their beautiful appearances, costumes, and movements made them seem like Russian dolls. The elegant and classy female dancers were perfectly complimented by the highly energetic and acrobatic performances of the male dancers. These agile artistes performed amazing stunts on the dance floor without letting their smiles waver even for a moment!

The last two numbers were mixed group performances that were upbeat and fun to watch.

Directors N. Nadezhdina and M. Koltsova assembled a phenomenal cultural representation of their country through these dances. They were ably aided by a host of talented musicians and costume designers.

The audience at Siri Fort Auditorium consisted of varied age groups. There were contingents of school children, senior citizens and a multitude of international guests, and everyone hooted and applauded the wonderful performers.

The talented dancers from the Berezka group

THE ORGANISERS- DELHI TOURISM & THE GOVERNMENT OF MOSCOW:

Days of Moscow in India festival is the brainchild of Delhi Tourism and the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow. It was flagged off by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India, Nikolai Kudashev, and important dignitaries from the Tourism Department of the Delhi government.

I laud Sudhir Sobti, Chief Manager (Public Relations and Publicity) Delhi Tourism on the well-organised execution of this exclusive cultural festival. Here’s hoping Delhi Tourism plans to endorse and organise more cultural events of this nature, both national and international.

Did you visit Days of Moscow in Delhi? If yes, what did you think of this festival? Let me know in the comments section below!

Read more about what’s happening in Delhi and other fun things to do in the capital by clicking here.

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