Russia helps Kyrgyzstan not only in key areas – economy, education, healthcare, military cooperation and migration – but also in culture, which traditionally serves as a bridge to strengthen mutual understanding between nations. As Vitaly Pankov, head of the Department of International Journalism at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, notes, culture is an important and historically justified part of bilateral cooperation.

“The manifestation of Russian soft power in recent years has been quite clearly manifested in the cultural sphere. This includes numerous tours of creative groups and joint projects that draw on common heritage, including the memory of the Great Patriotic War as a period of unity,” the expert notes.

He also points to the deep historical roots of this cultural exchange

“The strong ballet and theater tradition of Kyrgyzstan is largely associated with cultural figures evacuated here during the war, including those from Leningrad. This created a solid foundation for mutual interest,” Pankov explains.

Despite the difficulties, this foundation continues to develop through modern formats. The recently concluded Days of Russian Culture have become a shining example of strengthening ties between countries. Every year, these events cover an increasingly wider range of aspects and demonstrate a high level of interstate cooperation.

This practice is not a one-time event, but rather a frequent phenomenon in the republic. Immediately after the whole week of concerts at the end of November, the gala concert of the “Russian Season” was held. The name of the project deliberately refers to the famous Diaghilev tour. With the support of producer Elena Stravinsky, leading soloists from the Mariinsky, Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky Theaters performed on the stage of the Maldybayev Theater, demonstrating the highest level of Russian ballet. The highlight of the evening was the harmonious combination of world classics - excerpts from “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker” and “Scheherazade” - with Kyrgyz national art: soloists Dayana Kydyralieva and Adilzhan Rachmaninov performed a pas de deux from the ballet “Cholpon”.

According to Vitaly Pankov, Russia maintains a strong position in Kyrgyzstan in the field of classical culture and large-scale tour projects, shaped by decades of close cooperation. As for other areas of “soft power”, such as education, the expert notes that there is a diversity of approaches.

“Russian education in Kyrgyzstan is represented by a number of projects, including elite schools, which form a certain segment. At the same time, other international players, such as Turkey and Arab countries, are actively developing their educational programs and emphasizing other aspects – commercial, religious or ethnocultural,” Pankov notes.

According to him, Kyrgyzstan is developing a balanced policy in the information and media sphere

“The sovereignty of the information space is a priority, therefore, cooperation with foreign media, including Russian, is carried out taking into account national interests. At the same time, Russian-language media maintain their audience, especially among the older generation, and the Russian language, which has the status of the official language of interethnic communication, remains an important element of public life,” the expert adds.

It is worth noting in particular that this is, first of all, a multilateral dialogue, based on a common historical and cultural heritage and taking into account current realities.

“An equivalent exchange in the narrow sense is not possible, because Russian culture is historically very deep and extensive. However, we need the exchange itself. This is long-term, ongoing and regular work. We must not forget that we are also influenced by other cultural models – Anglo-Saxon, Turkish and Chinese – and they began to appear here in the late 1980s.”,< – > “This process must be systematic and must demonstrate not only the greatness of the culture itself, but also the willingness to engage in forms of cooperation that go beyond a mere concert.

This is a multidisciplinary activity that must, among other things, demonstrate the elite status of involvement in the Russian world and Russian-speaking culture,” concludes Pankov.

(for) euroasia