The International Theater Festival "Art Workshop" will be held in Finland from August 16 to 18. The one-man performance of actor Andrei Emelyanov based on the novel “The Reserve” by Sergei Dovlatov and the street performance of the Mongolfieri circus theater from St. Petersburg will represent Russia at the International Theater Festival. According to the website of Union of Russian Theaters Abroad, four countries will take part in the Festival of Russian-language theaters.

Pro Helvetia, a Swiss Foundation for art and culture is extremely active in Russia, bringing the best of Swiss art, film and theatre. And even the typical down-season does not apply to Swiss art professionals. Later in August the Kazan Centre for contemporary culture welcomes the duo of Francoise and Daniel Cartier, while Yekaterinburg museum of photography “Metenkov’s House” is getting ready to host Marianne Mueller. The Open Look festival of contemporary dance once again invited Swiss dancers and choreographers.

​The14th Chekhov International Theatre Festival, the largest theatre event of a kind in Russia, is in full swing. Better known to a broader audience in the country and beyond under the name of the Chekhovsky Festival, it has long become an integral part of the international cultural dialogue: every other summer since 1992 various Moscow venues host crème de la crème of the world theatre across genres and formats. Running through the summer until the end of July, this year festival’s programme includes 22 stage productions of different genres from 15 countries, including Argentina, Belarus, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, China, Russia, Taiwan, France, South Africa and Japan.​

Muscovites have long got used that every December, the darkest month of the year, one of the city's central squares across from the Bolshoi Theatre, is brightly lit not only by a huge Christmas tree, but also by the Grand menorah traditionally installed for Hanukkah when Jews around the world celebrate the Festival of Lights and the miracle of the temple’s menorah burning brightly for eight full days. It has been over 25 years now, since it was first publically celebrated in Moscow in the 1990-s.