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Putin expects Russian Seasons to be held at highest level in France

Russian Seasons is a large-scale project to present Russian culture to European audiences

© Vyacheslav Filippov/TASS

MOSCOW, December 11. / TASS /. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed hope that the Russian Seasons, which will begin in mid-January 2020 in Paris, will be a success, he told a meeting with members of the government on Wednesday.

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About 3.5 million people visit Russian Seasons festival in Italy

"I hope that the preparation will go well and the quality of the works presented by us, the level of our performers will be the highest, as usual," President Putin said.

Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets noted that about 9 million people attended the Russian Seasons in Italy and Germany in 2018 and 2019. "On December 7, the Russian Seasons project closed in Germany with a ceremony, and it was a huge success. Both ordinary citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany and officials warmly thanked the Russian Federation for staging the Russian Seasons. We are ready for the next Russian Seasons due in France," she commented.

The festival Russian Seasons will open in France on January 16 with Uncle Vanya production by the Theater of Nations at the Paris Odeon Theater. Also ahead is the tour of the Bolshoi Theater, many exhibitions and other projects.

Russian Seasons is a large-scale project to present Russian culture to European audiences. It was initiated by the Russian government and the Ministry of Culture. The festival features Russia's best creative groups, exhibitions by major museums, circus art festivals, Russian film premieres, ice and circus shows and other events taking place in some foreign country throughout the calendar year.

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The Russian Seasons, named in honor of the Sergei Diaghilev ballet company, originated in 2017 in Japan. Back then, the festival gathered more than 3.5 mln visitors in 42 cities of the country. In 2018, the festival ran in Italy; in 2019, it was held in Germany. The total number of visitors in two years numbered about 9 million people.

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