Meeting the Russian Cultural Attache

It’s been quite a whirlwind weekend! I traveled to a very snowy Washington, D.C., where I had the honor to meet with Dr. Vyacheslav V. Moshkalo, Russia’s cultural attaché to the United States who works at the Russian embassy. Dr. Moshkalo plays an important role in promoting Russian’s world-renown orchestras, musicians, dancers, choreographers and more to the United States, making sure that Americans learn about the best of Russian culture.

Right now, an unprecedented number of esteemed Russian artists are coming to Chicago because the University of Chicago is presenting “The Soviet Arts Experience” from October 2010 to January 2012. The program is a 16-month-long showcase of theater, art, dance, music, film, and lectures that were all created during the Soviet era.

One event that Dr. Moshkalo and I discussed during dinner was the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg’s performance of “Don Quixote,” which will take place at the Auditorium Theatre at Roosevelt University on April 21 and 23.

Russian Culture Now is planning a pre-performance reception for the company’s choreographer, Boris Eifman, and we would love to partner with Dr. Moshkalo for this event. Hopefully, his involvement will make the evening even more special!

Let’s hope Chicago continues to be a center for Russian culture in America!