Joining the bandwagon of cultural imports from France, the United Kingdom, Spain, India and South Africa, among several others, a week-long festival featuring ballet, concerts, films and puppetry from Russia opens on Saturday in Hong Kong.

Jointly organized by the Russian Club and Russian Bazaar, the first Russian Culture Week in Hong Kong aims to offer an authentic experience of Russia through films, performances, discussions, networking, chocolate-making workshops and other such activities.

A traditional Russian-style market is being set up, with members of the Hong Kong Russian-speaking community in attendance. While concerts featuring classical music from Russia are a given and ballet workshops are only to be expected, did you imagine landing up in a cemetery to learn about some of the earliest Russian travellers who arrived in Hong Kong and what they added to the city?

Exhibitions will feature works by the award-winning underwater photographer Mike Korostelev. For two seasons in a row Korostelev had been photographing brown bears and spawning sockeye salmon in the South Kamchatka Federal Wildlife Sanctuary. He has also photographed killer whales and Kamchatka sea lions in the Pacific Ocean.

The organizers hope to open the door to the Russian soul. You've been invited.

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(HK Edition 10/20/2017 page21)