Russian conductor Valery Gergiev calls for revival of US-Russia cultural exchanges

ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Russia and the United States must revive the practice of cultural exchanges between the two countries, said Valery Gergiev, a prominent Russian conductor and a People’s Artist of Russia.

"I suggest we act not as pioneers but as revivers of cultural exchanges. Naturally, we are ready for that," Gergiev, General Director of the Bolshoi Theater and Artistic and General Director of the Mariinsky Theater, said at the Russia-US: Dialogue of Cultures session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). "[US] has parted ways with Russia, on the one hand, and there is a bridge that still compels us to look for ways [of cooperation], on the other hand. And we must find what was prepared and strengthened by our greatest predecessors," Gergiev emphasized.

The 29th edition of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 3-6. This year, the event is being held under the theme "Pragmatic Dialogue: the Path to a Stable Future." The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.