The Cross Years of Russian and Chinese Culture, spanning 2024 and 2025, have concluded with remarkable success. Over 400 various events were organized during this period, including concert tours, exhibitions, festivals, movie forums, educational initiatives, and professional meetings. The scale of cultural exchange was unprecedented, bringing together millions of participants across both nations.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova emphasized that cultural cooperation remains one of the key pillars of bilateral relations, playing a vital role in strengthening trust between the peoples of the two countries. “Friendship between countries and their peoples is not only about major international summits and formal agreements. It is also what stays with a person when they turn off the news: the music they listen to, the book they read, the film they discuss with friends, the exhibition they visit on a day off, the language they study,” Golikova stated.
Golikova noted that Russia and China are civilizations with centuries-old histories, for whom continuity between generations, respect for family, labor, language, and historical memory hold special significance. She stressed that in the face of attempts to impose foreign cultural models on various states, Russian-Chinese cooperation demonstrates an alternative approach based on preserving one’s own identity and respecting cultural diversity.
Cinematography has emerged as a particularly promising area. Russian-Chinese cooperation in film has already moved beyond individual initiatives and is becoming a sustainable area of interaction. Russian cinema is generating growing interest among Chinese audiences, with annual festivals of Russian cinema in China and Chinese cinema in Russia, while filmmakers from both countries regularly collaborate on joint projects.
The years 2026 and 2027 have been declared the Years of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in the Area of Education. Joint educational institutions are already in operation, academic mobility is expanding, and research projects are being carried out. According to Golikova’s office, the Russian side has included several hundred events in the program, marking a new stage in humanitarian rapprochement between the two countries.
Speaking at a press conference in Irkutsk, Chinese Consul General Liu Yu highlighted that humanitarian exchanges between Russia and China are gaining momentum. The total number of Russian and Chinese citizens participating in cultural and educational exchanges continues to grow steadily, reflecting the deepening ties between the two nations.
