Singers, dancers and craft workers from all over Russia and the CIS gathered in the capital over the weekend for a culture fest called ‘Multinational Moscow’.

The festival’s goal was to create a common space to showcase different cultural traditions.

“Groups have come from across Russia and the CIS. And there are plenty from Moscow too. Many are not well-known because they mainly perform in their national regions. But we're giving them a much bigger stage, at the All-Russian Exhibition Centre,” said Pavel Klimov, one of the event’s organisers.

Music was the core of the programme, with visitors crowding the space in front of the stage to enjoy the performances. From children to grown-ups, there was room for everyone in the highly-emotional show. 

One of the musical highlights was a Belarusian band ‘Osi Mira’. They played and sang a set inspired by the natural world. The rhythms and melodies covered a wide range of themes.

The band’s leader says the group usually play to audiences in Western Europe, because Russia is not as involved in the revival of folk traditions.  

“We are an ethno-project and not a musical band as such. Folk music is very demanding, so we create our own interpretations. We use ethnic motifs of Belarus to remind people of their cultural roots, using national instruments and costumes. Our inspiration is the vibrations of the earth, of our native land,” Andrey Polovchenya said.

A doll’s theatre designed in the style of a traditional Russian fair was a big attraction.

The rest of the festival's activities included ‘live pictures’ to introduce the wide range of regions on show.

The event’s achievement was to make entertainment key to learning about diverse traditions.