Festival of Eastern Cultures showcases growing Russia–Arab ties

“Demand for Arabic and other Eastern languages is expected to continue growing in Russia amid increasing cultural, academic and economic engagement with the Islamic world, according to experts speaking at the Festival of Eastern Cultures during the 17th International Economic Forum “Russia–Islamic World: KazanForum.” Andrei Zeltyn, a leading simultaneous interpreter, Arabist and senior lecturer at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs at the HSE University, said younger generations are showing a strong interest in language learning despite the rapid development of artificial intelligence and translation technologies. “Young people today are very drawn to languages. Neural networks have significantly improved the efficiency of translation programmes, but the lack of emotion in machine translation encourages people to learn languages themselves,” Zeltyn said during a press conference dedicated to the festival. He added that demand for Eastern languages, particularly Arabic, is likely to rise further in the coming years due to their growing importance in international relations and global cooperation. Zeltyn also highlighted the historic role of Kazan Federal University in the development of Arabic studies in Russia, describing it as one of the country’s pioneering centres for Oriental studies. Arabic remains one of the most widely spoken languages across the Middle East and North Africa and continues to play a key role in diplomacy, trade and intercultural communication, he noted. The Festival of Eastern Cultures was organised as part of the broader programme of the KazanForum, with the aim of promoting cultural dialogue and strengthening international academic and humanitarian cooperation. The festival featured a wide range of activities, including photo and art exhibitions showcasing Arab and Eastern cultures, competitions in photography, posters and video production, open lectures, workshops on Eastern languages and writing systems, cultural performances by representatives of Islamic countries, and screenings of documentary and educational films focusing on the East.

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