The Moscow Business Community Looks at Crisis in Arts

MOSCOW - Outside its borders, Russia was always famous for its creative achievements in arts and sciences. Plays of Russian writers still fill up theatres around the world. Novels by Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky continue to affect minds in many languages. Tchaikovsky and Rakhmaninov are known and played in all countries. Mendeleyev and Tsiolkovsky are quoted in all leading universities. The Soviet 20th century gave the world Gagarin, Sakharov, Shostakovich, Nabokov, Pasternak, Tarkovsky and many others. The new, barely understood, 21st century is unsure as it struggles through economic crisis, a crisis of minds and generations - generations of the past, present and future. During the few years since the collapse of the USSR the world saw the new Russia as a land of suddenly appearing billionaires, aggressively claiming their world recognition, and a land of vast territories with an abundance in natural resources and a rapidly shrinking population.

On Thursday 9 July 2009, at the height of the summer holidays, diverting from its usual business topics Finance & Investment Markets Players Club “KIFIR”, joined by business contacts Club “Partners” and Moscow business club “Sobranie”, gathered nearly two hundred of the Moscow international business community to discuss contemporary performing arts against the background of materialistic reality in Russia at the time of current crisis.

The main guest of the program became the famous Russian actor Mikhail Gogevoy ( www.gorevoy.ru ). Open interview with the actor soon turned into a lively discussion and a dialogue with the audience. Values of contemporary society, goals that we set in life and priorities that we choose were at the centre of discussion. The sincerity with which the actor spoke of his views on reality brought profound thoughts on business audience. The actor spoke of his theatre “Fabrika” and his new project - a feature film entitled “Downway”, which touches upon the most sacred themes of contemporary reality. Club “KIFIR” offered to assist the actor in raising finance for his new project.

Pop-singer and showman Vladimir Efimov offered his original views on the effect of the crisis on the pop industry, and a few of his songs performed live gave the meeting a concert like ambiance.

Later, Russian company Sale Luxury Spirits offered the party a taste of rare spirits during a light buffet meal.

During the event the sum of 11,510 roubles was collected in aid of “Downside Up” Benevolent Fund (www.downsideup.org) whose mission is to improve the quality of life for children with Down syndrome in Russia.

Photo gallery from the event: www.kifir.info/kifir/?page_id=234

PR Newswire Europe is the official information distribution partner for the Club “KIFIR” and this meeting.

(www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=226970)

KIFIR - Finance & Investment Markets Players’ Club, is the first of its kind in Russia, created to unite international professionals involved in the volatile markets of Finance and Investment.

Eugene Kasevin, Club Chairman, +7-963-716-5837, kasevin@kifir.info. www.kifir.info

Source: KIFIR

Eugene Kasevin, Club Chairman, +7-963-716-5837, kasevin at kifir.info.