MOSCOW, June 6. A packed cultural and sporting programme awaits participants at the 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, to be held on June 16–18 2016, in addition to a tight business schedule.
Some of the cultural, sports and entertainment events at the Forum will have a charitable focus. In particular, on June 15, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will stage a charity night to support the fight against cancer, involving world ballet stars Nikolay Tsiskaridze, Ekaterina Krysanova, Andrei Merkuriev, Denis and Anastasia Matvienko, Irina Perren and Marat Shemiunov.
The sports programme will be opened on June 15 with the Art-Football football and music festival, as part of the Russian National Charity Initiative ‘Under the Flag of Kindness!’ Well-known Russian politicians, actors, athletes and journalists will take part. The funds raised through these events will be donated for the treatment of critically ill children.
On June 16, the Turner Scientific Research Institute for Children’s Orthopedics will host a unique première for children with disabilities. The inclusive performance A Completely Unexpected Event: Marriage has been produced by the So-edinenie Deaf-Blind Support Fund. Professional actors work alongside physically disabled performers in this staging of Nikolai Gogol’s play.
The first day of the Forum will conclude with a gala hockey game for the SPIEF 2016 Roscongress Cup between SPIEF and St. Petersburg Government teams at the mixed-use Tauride Garden entertainment centre. Team SPIEF will be made up of political figures, business representatives, and figures from culture and sport. The exhibition match is organized with support from the Night Hockey League.
Early in the morning on 17 June, the SPIEF RACE will take place for the first time, crossing the historical centre of St. Petersburg. Many Russian and international politicians, business leaders, and celebrities from showbiz and TV, including Dmitry Peskov, Dmitry Razumov and Olga Slutsker, will be running the five kilometer race. The starting line will be at St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The participants will then pass the Winter Palace, crossing Palace Square, before running back down to the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and Kazan Cathedral.
On the same day, the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Valery Gergiev, will invite St. Petersburg residents, Forum guests and participants to Palace Square. The concert is timed to coincide with the Year of Russian Cinema and the 125th anniversary of composer Sergey Prokofiev. Music composed for the films Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible, directed by Sergey Eisenstein, will be performed.
On June 17, the Manege Central Exhibition Hall will host a gala event on behalf of Governor of St. Petersburg for SPIEF 2016 guests and participants. The guests will be presented with works of contemporary Russian art and a performance from some of St. Petersburg’s greatest musicians and singers: Maxim Leonidov, David Goloshchekin’s jazz band, instrumental group BIS-QUIT and leading soloists of the Mariinsky Theatre.
For sports fans, Sibur Arena will host the FIGHT NIGHT GLOBAL 50mixed martial arts tournament, centring on the the legendary Fedor Emelianenko’s first fight in Russia since coming out of retirement. The event programme also includes bouts by the best Russian MMA fighters.
On June 18, tennis, ping pong, billiards and chess tournaments will be held on the grounds of the Elagin Island Tennis Club.
Tennis events will also be held as part of the White Nights tournament, with representatives of the Russian Government, executive authorities from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region, governors and deputies of the State Duma participating.
On the same day, futsal and mini basketball gala matches between SPIEF and St. Petersburg Government teams will take place simultaneously on the grounds of the Nova Arena sports complex. Among the players will be Forum participants and representatives of the political and business elites of St. Petersburg. These matches will mark the beginning of the St. Petersburg Corporate Games.
Also, on the last day of the Forum, the Roscongress Cup golf tournament will be held at the GORKI golf club. Public officials, businesspeople, and representatives of science and culture will compete in ‘shotgun start’ format, while novices may take lessons from professional coaches.
In the words of Advisor to the President and Executive Secretary of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov, the Forum’s cultural and sporting programme for this year is notable for its large number of eye-catching and interesting events. “I’m sure they will leave the participants with many pleasant impressions and memories,” Kobyakov said.
For more details about the cultural and sporting programme at the 20th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, please follow the link.