DHAKA: Cultural Affairs Ministry and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will organize a four-day ‘Russian Cultural Festival’ in the country from Friday.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor told the media at a press conference held at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in city’s Segun Bagicha area on Wednesday.

A total of 47 Russian artistes will participate at the festival to be held in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The festival will take place at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy at 6:00pm on November 21 and 22.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith will be present as chief guest on the inaugural day of the festival while Cultural Affairs Minster Asaduzzaman Noor and Russia’s deputy cultural minister Grigory Pertorvich Ivliev will be present as special guests.

The festival will be held at the Russian embassy in city on November 23.

Asaduzzaman Noor further said that the festival will also be held at Chittagong Theatre Institute in Chittagong at 6:30pm on November 24.

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain will be present as chief guest at the program.

Noor said that Bangladesh and the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) now Russia, signed a cultural treaty in 1972. The upcoming Russian cultural festival will be held in line with the treaty.

A ‘Bangladesh Cultural Festival’ will also be held in Russia next year, the minister added.

Terming the relations between Bangladesh and Russia as historic, the minister hoped for regular cultural exchanges between the two friendly nations.

Bangladesh culture secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar Biswas and Russian ambassador to Dhaka Alexander A Nikolaev attended the press conference chaired by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky.

BDST: 2130 HRS, NOV 19, 2014