The First BRICS Ball in Moscow: Cultural Diplomacy as the Cornerstone of the New World Order

Photo by BRICS Ball Organizing Committee

The first grandiose Ball of BRICS nations, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the association's establishment, took place in Moscow at the foot of the ancient Kremlin walls in Gostiny Dvor at the end of June. The event served as a magnificent finale to the "BRICS Horizons" Forum, combining a rich business program with a unique cultural spectacle. The Ball brought together more than 500 guests from Russia and 50 countries across different continents. Among the honored guests were Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, consuls, cultural and economic advisers, politicians, deputies, financiers, entrepreneurs, and public figures.

Marina Nesterenko, Chair of the Organizing Committee, emphasized: "The 'BRICS Horizons' Forum represents a strategic instrument where business contacts are organically complemented by acquaintance with the national traditions of the member states. The business segment served as a discussion platform for addressing key issues: the new financial architecture, settlements in national currencies, central bank digital currencies, cybersecurity, and the development of creative industries." According to Marina Nesterenko, the Ball was conceived to create an atmosphere of trust and open dialogue between representatives of government structures, diplomatic missions, and the business community. "It is precisely this combination of business and cultural diplomacy that allows interaction between member countries to reach a qualitatively new level," noted Nesterenko.

Prominent figures in international diplomacy delivered welcoming addresses at the ceremonial opening: Vicente Barrientos (President of the BRICS Center, Chairman of the Ball Committee) emphasized: "If two centuries ago at the Congress of Vienna the ball served as 'soft power' for redrawing the map of Europe, then today the 'BRICS Ball' must become 'soft power' for shaping a new world order." Denis von Meck, a member of the Ball Committee, a renowned people's diplomat, and a direct descendant of the legendary Davydov, Tchaikovsky, and von Meck families, spoke about the key role of cultural people's diplomacy in strengthening mutual understanding between peoples, noting that behind every diplomatic protocol there are living people connected by a common cultural memory and historical heritage. His speech was received with deep attention and support from the audience, as it reflected the essence of what was happening: behind official protocols stand living people, connected by common cultural codes and historical memory.

Honored guests at the ceremonial opening of the BRICS Ball

Greetings to the participants of the BRICS Ball were extended by Vladimir Gamza (Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation Council for the Financial Market and Investments), Alexander Murichev (Vice-President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Chairman of the Board of the FBA EAS), Sergey Lodočkin (President of the International Public-Business Center "BRICS House"), Ravil Sataev (publisher of the international journal Molecula), and Purnima Anand (Indian public figure).

A special highlight of the Ball was the photo zone organized at the initiative of Denis von Meck, featuring a large portrait of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and interior fragments stylized in the era of the composer. Here, guests could also view and photograph themselves with unique original 19th-century photographs of the great composer from the family archive of the von Meck-Tchaikovsky families, provided by Denis von Meck. This exhibition allowed Ball participants to touch the living history of Russian musical culture. All the more so as beautiful couples from BRICS countries waltzed to the music of the great composer. According to participants and organizers of the festive event, the success of the Ball and the guests' engagement in the dance represent an invaluable creative contribution by Gediminas Taranda, Honored Art Worker of the Russian Federation.

Gediminas Taranda and Denis von Meck in interiors stylized in the era of P.I. Tchaikovsky

Musical accompaniment was provided by the "BRICS Ball Orchestra" under the direction of conductor Pavel Soldatikov, who performed works by Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Lehár, and Strauss. The concert program featured soloists from the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre, Alexander and Olga Krasnov, as well as laureates of international competitions from Brazil, India, and China.

Artists from the People's Republic of China perform

Within the framework of the Ball, a solemn award ceremony took place—the "Star BRICS Award." Honored figures of culture, sports, and business received the awards. Among them were Sammy Kotwani (President of the Russian-Indian Business Alliance) for his contribution to the development of international cooperation in BRICS countries; Ekaterina Sirotina (Honored Coach of Russia, choreographer-director for rhythmic gymnastics) for her contribution to the development of educational programs for coaches and athletes of BRICS countries; Alexander Nesterov, Evgeny Trifonov, and Alexander Sunozov for their contributions to the development of economy and culture. As Denis von Meck told International Affairs magazine, the International Charitable Foundation named after Nadezhda von Meck, whose founder and president is Denis Andreevich, prepared special valuable gifts for the Award laureates. Each gift emphasized the significance of the recipients' contributions, as recognized by the jury, to the development of cultural cooperation between BRICS states.

The Master of Ceremonies of the BRICS Ball, Marina Nesterenko, drew a historical parallel with the "dancing" Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815, which took place in the capital of Austria-Hungary following the Napoleonic Wars: "Then, the most important decisions were made not only at card tables but also at balls. It was precisely in dance, in social conversation, that trust was born, which was then sealed with signatures under treaties. We are reviving this tradition today. The notes of a swift waltz can be no worse than a diplomatic note." Regarding the distinctive features of the early 19th and early 21st centuries, Marina Nesterenko noted: "Two hundred years separate two eras. Then, in Vienna, they danced to redraw the map of Europe. Today in Moscow, we dance because a new map of the world is already taking shape. The main goal is to show that in this new world, there is room not only for economy but also for culture and human warmth."

Director-Producer of the Ball Polina Bakhtalina-Berten explained the artistic concept: "Our task is to unite five cultures in one performance. The evening's program brings together Brazilian samba, Russian waltz, and traditional Indian dance. Opera arias will be sung in the languages of BRICS countries. Opera is a language understood without translation." The First International Ball of BRICS countries in the format of a social event became a kind of manifesto of a new multipolar culture, where respect for the traditions, art, and historical memory of each nation of the Association becomes the foundation for building a just world order. As Marina Nesterenko noted, the cultural program presents the heritage of BRICS countries as part of a single galaxy of cultures, where each country is a unique star with its own light and gravitational pull, but all are moving toward a common goal—peace, development, and cooperation. "We are a single orbital station, where everyone has their own role, but a common goal: peace, development, and cooperation," emphasized the Chair of the Organizing Committee.

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