A four-day festival dedicated to all things Russian will launch at City Walk Dubai on May 2. Named after the popular Russian wooden dolls, the free-to-attend festival will include a Yarmaka (Russian marketplace), fashion displays, light shows and performances by prima ballerinas from the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg.
The Dubai police will also participate at the event and add their own creativity with an Emirati and Russian music performance on the grand opening, along with a showcase from their exotic car gallery. There will also be masterclasses with celebrity chefs and special events related to the Fifa World Cup 2018 that Russia is hosting in June.
Here are some of the top events to look out for:
Official opening
The official opening promises to be grand, featuring a Dubai Police parade as well as a striking Emirati and Russian music performance.
This will be followed by a welcome speech by former Miss Russia Victoria Lopyreva, who is also the Fifa World Cup 2018 Ambassador and the face of the Matryoshka Festival along with the Russian Consul General.
Date: May 3
Time: 7.30pm
Bis-Quit Orchestra
Representing modern Russian culture, the Bis-Quit Orchestra is set to put up a folk music performance using instruments including the accordion, saxophone and percussion. They are known to recreate Russian folk magic as they musically narrate stories of life, love, happiness and sorrow in their own style.
Date: May 2
Time: 5.30pm
Ballet performance
Ballerinas Ivan Sitnikov and Maria Menshikova, professionals from the legendary Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, will showcase true Russian culture with a performance. Their grace and elegance are bound to mesmerise the visitors on that very day.
Date: May 2
Time: 7.10pm
Classical meets pop
Nikolai Baskov, the celebrated Russian tenor, will charm the audience with a soul-stirring performance of both classical and pop music.
Date: May 3
Time: 8.45pm
Sports day
Younger audiences have something look forward to with an opportunity to participate in traditional games and other exciting events, starting with the Fifa World Cup Trophy Tour with the Dubai Sports Council.
The event continues with a special freestyle football show performance, followed by a meet and greet with football celebrities.
Audience members will also be treated with a special 3D light show the same evening.
Date: May 4
Time: From 6pm
The day of fashion
Fashion takes centre stage as Russian designers and labels such as Igor Gulyaev, Inna Zhirkova, Solo A’telier and OpenHouse showcase their collections in a series of shows.
The event begins with a children’s fashion show which will take place at 6pm. The event continues with Inna Zhirkova’s showcase of her exclusive women’s fashion brand.
The open house fashion show set will enhance the mood of the evening with individual brand of originality. The night will close with the much awaited raffle draw, where football fans stand to win tickets to the Fifa World Cup 2018.
Date: May 5
Time: From 5pm onwards
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David Thomas is an intern at Gulf News.
