The cultural program of the XVII International Economic Forum "Russia – Islamic World: KazanForum – 2026" was presented, along with the solemn opening of the Year "Kazan – Cultural Capital of the Islamic World."

      Today, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Irada Ayupova, during a briefing at the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke about the key events of the cultural and business agenda being prepared for the XVII International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum - 2026" and the solemn opening of the Year "Kazan - Cultural Capital of the Islamic World." The central event of the business program will be the Congress of Ministers of Culture of Islamic countries, which will take place on May 14. The main theme of the congress is formulated as "The Art of Dialogue: The Role of Russia and Islamic Countries in Preserving World Culture." Heads of delegations will discuss issues related to the preservation of cultural heritage and the prospects for implementing joint cultural projects. "We expect 38 official representatives from 28 countries and four international organizations - OIC, ISESCO, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the OIC, and the League of Arab States. At the ministerial level, heads of relevant departments from 14 countries (Azerbaijan, Guinea-Bissau, Egypt, Iran, Yemen, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, UAE, Pakistan, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan) will arrive in Kazan. Deputy ministers or special representatives have been sent from Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Cameroon, Somalia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Ambassadors from five countries in the Russian Federation: Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Sudan," noted the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Irada Ayupova. In the evening of the same day, a solemn ceremony will take place at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center to open the Year "Kazan - Cultural Capital of the Islamic World" in the format of a gala concert. Concurrently with the main program of the forum, on May 13-14, the 15th session of the General Conference of ISESCO will be held at the Millennium Panorama Hotel. The conference will involve 10 ministers of education from Egypt, Yemen, Libya, Maldives, Senegal, Sudan, Chad, Tunisia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and 3 deputy ministers from Kazakhstan, Oman, Uzbekistan. The business program within the framework of "KazanForum" will be complemented by three specialized sessions. The first session, "Living Heritage: Cultural Dialogue in the Era of Globalization - From Identification to International Recognition," will take place on May 14 at 1:00 PM at the Center for Unique Crafts. The discussion will focus on the preservation and promotion of intangible ethnocultural heritage objects of the Islamic world. The moderator of the meeting will be Tamara Valentinovna Purtova, Director of the State Russian House of Folk Art named after V.D. Polenov, a member of the Russian Commission for UNESCO. The outcome of the session should be specific recommendations to enhance the role of intangible ethnocultural heritage in the global cultural agenda. On May 15 at 10:00 AM at the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Center, a session titled "Islamic Heritage in the Context of Intercultural Interaction: The Role of Museums in the Modern World" will take place. Among the key speakers are Ahmed Abdelaziz Siyam, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, and Zhyldyz Bakashova Kemelovna, Director of the Kyrgyz National Historical Museum. Experts will discuss the contribution of museum work to the preservation and popularization of Islamic heritage and the development of intercultural dialogue. On the same day at 1:00 PM, a session dedicated to the cinema of the Islamic world in a multicultural paradigm will be held. The discussion will be moderated by the Deputy Mufti of Tatarstan for Information Policy, Rishat Akhtyamovich Khamidullin. Cultural Program The actual start of the Year "Kazan - Cultural Capital of the Islamic World" was given on April 24 with the International Prize of the Holy Quran at the G. Kamal Theater. On May 13 at 7:00 PM on the same stage, an evening of one-act ballets by leading soloists of the State Academic Mariinsky Theater (artistic director Valery Gergiev) will take place. The troupe will present "Chopiniana" and "Scheherazade" - benchmark performances of Russian ballet art. On May 15 at 7:00 PM at the Kamal Theater, an International Gala Concert "Evening of Unity and Devotion: Voices of Hearts" will be held under the direction of director Hans-Joachim Frey. Accompanied by the theater's orchestra, artists from more than ten countries will perform - this will be an artistic embodiment of the main idea of KazanForum: the unification of cultures through dialogue and creativity. From May 14 to 16, a multimedia project of the "Dzen" platform will unfold on the walls of the Kazan Kremlin: a 480-meter-long ticker will broadcast current information about the progress of KazanForum, key events of the business program, expert comments, and news from the venue. Additionally, as part of the project, video mapping will be presented for the first time on the Kul-Sharif Mosque. The projection show will combine visual images inspired by the national culture and historical heritage of our republic. Special attention should be paid to exhibition projects. A large-scale exhibition "Cultural Code of Kazan: Spiritual Heritage and Traditions" has already opened in the Presence Places of the Kazan Kremlin. Over 500 unique exhibits covering the historical period from the early Middle Ages to the early 20th century are presented in five thematic sections. The large-scale exhibition will be open to visitors for more than two years. The National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan will open an exhibition "Paradise Garden: The Art of Russian Islam," uniting works by artists from the Volga region, North Caucasus, and Crimea with historical rarities and multimedia installations. On May 15, a chamber exhibition "The Beauty of Everyday Life: Traditions of the Tatar People" will open at the Kazan City Hall, featuring jewelry with Arabic calligraphy, cases for miniature Qurans, samples of patterned leather, and Eastern dishes. From May 11 to 16, the Center for Unique Crafts will host an exhibition "Traditions and Craftsmanship," showcasing the richness of folk crafts in the region - from leather mosaics to gold embroidery. At the Kamal Theater, starting May 13, an exhibition "Muslim Literature and Spirituality" can be visited, which will then continue at the Kazan Expo venue and in the Bolgar Museum-Reserve as part of the annual event "Izge Bolgar Zhyenyi." In the Gallery of Contemporary Art, an exhibition of traditional sculpture from Burkina Faso opened on May 5. The exhibition features works in the "lost wax" technique by 34 contemporary African sculptors of world level. The culmination of all events will be the annual Muslim Majlis "Izge Bolgar Zhyenyi," dedicated to the Day of the Official Acceptance of Islam by Volga Bulgaria, which will take place on May 17 in Bolgar. A concert program, a fair of folk crafts, and interactive sites will also be organized for guests.