Moscow House of Nationalities hosted the second Window to Africa cultural festival on February 8, drawing over 150 participants from 30 African countries and hundreds of Russian attendees.
The event was organized by the State Budgetary Institution of the City of Moscow Moscow House of Nationalities and the African Business Club, with support from African diaspora communities representing more than 30 nations. The International Association GATINGO partnered in the exhibition program, presenting the Soul of Africa exposition as part of its travelling art project titled The World of Africa: Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday.
Sergey Anufrienko, Director of Moscow House of Nationalities, delivered opening remarks emphasizing the festival’s role in expanding cultural interaction between Russia and African nations. Louis Gouend, Chairman of the Festival Organizing Committee and President of the African Business Club, highlighted how such initiatives reveal contemporary Africa to Russian audiences and promote unity through cultural diplomacy.
Ambassadors from Burundi, Senegal and Kenya attended the opening ceremony, alongside diplomatic representatives from Gambia, Cameroon, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Ghana and Guinea. State Duma Deputy Angelika Glazkova described the festival as a platform for people’s diplomacy that strengthens Russia-Africa relations.
The Soul of Africa art exhibition featured traditional works from across the continent alongside pieces by Russian Africanist artists and students from Stieglitz Academy and Moscow State University of Civil Engineering. Exhibition curator Tatyana Tudvaseva conducted guided tours explaining the cultural significance of displayed items.
The festival program included a gala concert and national costume fashion show demonstrating African design diversity. Master classes taught visitors traditional skills including African headscarf tying techniques, hair braiding with kanekalon extensions, djembe drum playing, and choreography for traditional dances including Kizomba and Nzango.
Intellectual activities featured African board strategy games Songo and Bumuntu. A photo zone allowed attendees to wear national clothing and capture memorable images.
The culinary section offered tastings of banana donuts called puff-puff, bissap refreshment drink and baobab juice. Coffee from Kenya, Ethiopia and Cameroon was served alongside signature tea blends from Cameroon, Congo and Kenya, providing guests with authentic African flavours.
Additional speakers at the opening included Zenebe Kinfu Tafesse, President of the Union of African Diasporas and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAN). Alexander Berdnikov, Executive Secretary of the Russian-African Club at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Mikhail Yakushev, Advisor at the Historical and Documentary Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also addressed attendees.
Sergey Chesnokov, President of ANO MIR and expert at the Russian-African Club of Moscow State University, praised the organizational quality and noted the contribution of diaspora communities in preserving African cultural heritage within Russia.
The festival reflects growing cultural exchange between Russia and African nations following increased diplomatic and economic engagement in recent years. Moscow has hosted multiple Africa-focused events since 2023, including the Russia-Africa Summit and the Russia-Africa Expo business forum series.
Organizers expressed gratitude to Moscow House of Nationalities for hosting support and thanked participants, artists, craftspeople and guests for making the event successful. The festival was described as bringing warmth to Moscow’s winter through hospitality and cultural celebration.
