The Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Russia visited the Kazan theater "Ekiyat".

      The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the Russian Federation, Aristide Rapugdonba Ludovic Tapsoba, visited the Tatar Puppet Theater "Ekiyat." Today, a performance by the Malian theater Sogolon titled "Little Siu" was showcased as part of the international puppet theater festival "Shombai Fest." The Ambassador of Burkina Faso is visiting Kazan for the first time. In addition to the puppet theater, he also attended an exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art of the RT State Museum of Fine Arts, dedicated to the culture of Burkina Faso. "Besides these events, we also organized an informal cultural program. He (the ambassador - note by T-i) has already visited the Old Tatar Settlement and took a walk around Lake Kaban. Also, we might visit the Kazan Kremlin and the Blue Lakes today," said the assistant to the President of Tatarstan, Marat Gatine, to the correspondent of "Tatar-inform." Burkina Faso currently holds the presidency in the Confederation of Sahel States, which also includes neighboring Mali and Niger. "The essence of the performance is that together we can overcome any difficulties. This shows that Russia, Africa, and the Sahel countries are stronger together," said the Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the correspondent of "Tatar-inform." The Strategic Vision Group "Russia - Islamic World" began developing the African direction after a proposal from partners at the Higher School of Economics. In December 2025, the group agreed to assist in organizing a series of events with the active involvement of the Ministry of Culture of Tatarstan. The Ministry of Culture was interested in actively interacting with African countries and is currently the main organizer of events related to the implementation of this cooperation. "Our Ministry of Culture is actively involved in international projects. Our republic is an active participant in the foreign policy cooperation of our country, including with African countries and Islamic states," noted the Deputy Minister of Culture of Tatarstan, Lenar Hakimzyanov. Already within the framework of this cooperation, an exhibition titled "The Country of Honest People. Traditional Sculpture of Burkina Faso" is taking place at the Kazan Gallery of Contemporary Art, and one of the participants in the international puppet theater festival "Shombai Fest" is the Sogolon theater from the Republic of Mali. According to Marat Gatine, in just a month, events related to design will take place in Kazan, with representatives from Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Ghana participating. An exhibition of royal Ghanaian fabrics is expected to take place in October (during the "Russia - Africa" summit in Moscow). "We ourselves want to visit countries such as Senegal and Guinea-Bissau on a working trip to work with African partners on the possibility of organizing our exhibitions on their territory. One of such exhibitions may be dedicated to Tatar shamail," noted the assistant to the President of Tatarstan in a conversation with the agency's correspondent. The history of Russian Islam through the prism of Tatar shamail may be of interest to Muslims in Africa, explained Gatine. "Considering that the headquarters of the group is located in Kazan, we conduct main guests through Tatarstan and show partners Russia through the prism of Tatarstan. In the future, we will expand the geography to other cities and regions," he concluded.

      Photo: © Jamil Salimgareev / "Tatar-inform"

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      The Ambassador of Burkina Faso attended a performance at the Kazan "Ekiyat"

      Dilyara Aminova Weekend Editor

      In Kazan, as part of the international puppet theater festival "Shombai Fest," the visit of the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Russia, Aristide Tapsoba, took place. 17:15 21.06.2026 ProKazan.Ru - Kazan

      The Ambassador of Burkina Faso in Russia visited the Kazan theater "Ekiyat"

      The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Burkina Faso to the Russian Federation, Aristide Rapugdonba Ludovic Tapsoba, visited the Tatar Puppet Theater "Ekiyat." 13:31 21.06.2026 IA Tatar-inform - Kazan