Russian cultural festival raises funds in aid to quake victims

MOSCOW, March 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Funds raised from the Sixth Festival
of Russian Culture due to open in the city of Hakodate on July 2 will be
contributed to the fund in aid to quake and tsunami victims, Mikhail
Shvydkoi, a special representative of the Russian president for
international cultural cooperation, told a press conference held at
Itar-Tass on Monday.
"All the funds raised from the festival will be contributed to the
Japanese Red Cross Society", Shvydkoi said. "Many artists said they are
giving pay in victims' favor. The Pyatnitsky Russian folk choir and
leadings artists of the Bolshoi Theatre will give charity concerts,"
Shvydkoi said.
The organizing committee of the festival has made a decision to turn
over more than 10,000 food parcels to quake and tsunami victims. Earlier,
Japan had accounted for around 65 percent of expenditures on the festival,
while this time Russia will pay all the expenditures itself, Shvydkoi said.
On Monday the Itar-Tass news agency declared that it is inviting its
Japanese colleagues to Russia on vacation in solidarity with the Japanese
people who suffered from the devastating calamity, Shvydkoi said.
"We have long been thinking whether it is appropriate now to hold in
Russia cultural events devoted to Japan. Japan is going through severe
hardships, but measures taken by its government and courage displayed by
the Japanese people who faced these hardships as well as humanitarian
assistance given to Japan by many countries, including Russia, imbued the
world with hope that the situation is under control and even positive
dynamics has surfaced," he said. Therefore, an exhibition of Japanese
photographs scheduled to open at the Museum of the Orient on March 22 will
not be cancelled.
Chief of the information department of the Japanese embassy in Russia
Akira Imamura told the press conference that the quake followed by
tsunami on March 11 was one of the worst calamities in the history of
Japan. More than 21,000 people were reported missing, he said. The
Japanese government is doing everything possible to create maximum good
conditions for people who lost their homes. We are grateful to the Russian
Ministry for Emergency Situations which was one of the first organizations
to come to the rescue, the spokesman said.
He expressed gratitude to residents of Moscow who are bringing flowers
to the embassy building in Moscow. He also thanked the organizing
committee of the Russian festival which is attended by around a million
people annually. Imamura thanked the committee, saying it imbued Japan
with strength and confidence, and expressed hope that Russia's charity act
would help Japan revive its culture.