Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The second Russian Arts Festival in Uzbekistan, “World of Arts,” will take place in Tashkent from 1 to 4 October 2026.
Over four days, the Uzbek capital will host music and choreography programmes, exhibitions, film screenings and educational projects featuring Russian artists, performers, filmmakers and educators.
The festival is supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture. Organizers include the Centre for Film Festivals and International Programmes, the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Khakassia, the Russian Academy of Arts, the A.Y. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and the Rosconcert federal state cultural institution. The project is supported by the Art, Science and Sport Charitable Foundation and the Melnichenko Foundation.
The festival will open on 1 October with “More Than Life,” an exhibition by internationally renowned sculptor and artist Zurab Tsereteli. The exhibition at the Gallery of Fine Arts of Uzbekistan will feature the artist’s paintings, sculptures and enamel works and will remain open to visitors for two months.
As part of the opening, Vasily Tsereteli, president of the Russian Academy of Arts, will present one of Zurab Tsereteli’s paintings to the Centre for Contemporary Art in Tashkent.
Another event on the opening day will be the presentation of the Honorary Badge “For Contribution to Strengthening Cultural Ties between Russia and Uzbekistan.” This year, the organizing committee decided to award the distinction to Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan, for her contribution to the development and strengthening of cultural dialogue between the two countries.
The ceremony will take place at the Uzbekistan International Forums Palace and will be followed by the “Opera Masterpieces” gala concert. Russian performers Olga Zhigmitova, Alexander Chernov, Guzel Sharipova, Valentina Pravdina and Konstantin Brzhinsky will perform accompanied by the National Symphony Orchestra of Uzbekistan conducted by Alibek Kabdurakhmanov.
On 2 October, as part of Cinema Day dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of director, actor and public figure Stanislav Govorukhin, the Uzbekistan Palace of National Cinema Arts will host a photography exhibition and a creative meeting with theatre and film actor Boris Kamorzin. The programme will conclude with a screening of Govorukhin’s film “The End of a Beautiful Era.”
On 3 October, the “Kÿn suzy” Khakass Dance Ensemble of the V.G. Chaptykov Khakass Republican Philharmonic will perform at the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theatre. The ensemble will present “Rays of Sunny Khakassia,” a programme featuring performances dedicated to the culture and traditions of Khakassia.
The festival will conclude on 4 October with a concert by young artists from the A.Y. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. The programme will showcase the skills of a new generation of dancers trained by the academy’s teachers.
The festival’s educational programme will begin on 30 September.
As part of the Zurab Tsereteli exhibition, an intensive programme will be held by the Centre for Film Festivals and International Programmes in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Arts and the Free Workshops School of Contemporary Art at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. Teachers from the A.Y. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet will also conduct ballet masterclasses for representatives of Uzbekistan’s professional and educational communities.
The “World of Arts” programme will bring together concert, exhibition and film projects with educational initiatives. Organizers view the festival as a platform for professional communication and exchange of experience among cultural institution representatives, performers, artists, educators and students from Russia and Uzbekistan.
Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova highlighted the importance of cultural cooperation between the two countries for the development of their partnership.
Gayane Umerova, chairwoman of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, in turn, emphasized the two countries’ long-standing traditions of cooperation in museum work, performing arts, restoration, education and exhibition activities.
