Mic, Camera... Masterpieces 🗽

When our journalists stepped into the Hermitage, they weren’t just visiting a museum — they were stepping into a living dialogue between history, culture, and global exchange. At the heart of it all? An insightful meeting with Dr. Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage and one of the most respected voices in the museum world.

So, what came up in conversation? Quite a bit — and it went far beyond art:

🧡cultural bridges with the Arab world;
🧡the role of politics and diplomacy in the life of the museum;
🧡stories behind the exhibits — from ancient artifacts to imperial treasures;
🧡and yes… the cats. You can’t talk about the Hermitage without mentioning its fluffiest residents.

After the talk, it was time to roll camera. The fellows toured the museum’s grand halls, filming segments for their own reports, so every corner of the Hermitage became a story waiting to be told.

If you had a press pass to the Hermitage for one day — what would you report on first?

The InteRussia program in journalism is implemented with support from the Presidential Grants Foundation and World Youth Festival Directorate.

#interussia #journalism #PresidentialGrantsFoundation #WYFD

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Our Journalists at SPIEF 2025: Reporting from the Frontlines of Global Dialogue ✍️

Last week, St. Petersburg — Russia’s cultural capital — hosted SPIEF 2025, the country’s flagship international forum for dialogue on business, diplomacy, and global development. And right there — at the heart of the conversation — were our InteRussia journalists.

Forum Coverage

SPIEF isn’t just about panels and policy — it’s a dynamic media environment where InteRussia fellows gain real-world reporting experience. For the second year in a row, our journalists from the Middle East and North Africa have been on the ground, producing news reports, working in press centers, and witnessing diplomacy at its highest level firsthand.

Among the standout interviewees this year are

⭕️Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
⭕️His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
⭕️Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary,
⭕️Ibtisam Ahmed Said Al-Farouji, Undersecretary for Investment Promotion at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion of the Sultanate of Oman,
⭕️Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

Dialogue Without Borders and Exchange of Experience

Our journalists also took part in the session “Dialogue Without Borders: Youth Cooperation for the Future.” Among the speakers was Mohammed Hassanein, Director General of BlueBee Productions and InteRussia fellow, who shared Egypt’s experience in international youth engagement and building horizontal diplomacy through content and storytelling.

SPIEF 2025 proved once again that it's about voices being heard, stories being told, and new connections shaping what comes next. Want to be part of the next story?

The InteRussia program in journalism is implemented with support from the Presidential Grants Foundation and World Youth Festival Directorate.

#interussia #journalism #SPIEF2025 #PresidentialGrantsFoundation #WYFD

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InteRussia Team in India 🇮🇳

Last week, the Russian House in New Delhi hosted the first Russian-Indian Youth Forum — a dynamic gathering of young leaders, change-makers, and future diplomats. At the heart of the conversation: how today’s youth can shape a more balanced, multipolar world through shared values, collaboration, and bold thinking.

InteRussia curators and alumni joined an insightful dialogue on public diplomacy and the role of the next generation in building strong, long-lasting ties between Russia and India. Among the voices in the spotlight were

🎧Liana Saakyants, InteRussia program manager;
🎧Aleksandr Novikov, coordinator of InteRussia fellowships in international relations and STEM;
🎧Aman Kumar, Research Associate at the Indian Council of World Affairs and fellow of the InteRussia program in international relations 2024.

And of course, we couldn’t visit India without bringing our alumni together. There’s something truly meaningful about catching up, exchanging stories, and hearing how your life and careers have grown since the fellowship. These moments remind us that InteRussia isn’t just a program — it’s a global community of professionals and like-minded people.

💘 Drop a comment and let us know which country we should visit next!

#interussia #interussiafemily #india #PresidentialGrantsFoundation

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Four weeks. Dozens of reports. And one unforgettable journey to Russia 📸

Our InteRussia journalists from the Middle East and North Africa have just wrapped up an intense month across Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Grozny — packed with insider moments, cultural immersion, and stories that demand to be told.

Here’s a look at what made this chapter so special:

🌟At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the fellows were right in the middle of the action — interviewing key global figures, working behind the scenes in press centers, and witnessing international diplomacy unfold in real time.

🌟In Chechnya, they dove deep into local culture, met with regional leaders, and experienced the region’s blend of tradition and modernity — even joining a live talk show as featured guests.

🌟During expert sessions, our journalists exchanged ideas with leading voices like Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage Museum; Vasily Pushkov, Director of International Cooperation at Sputnik International News Agency and Radio Broadcast Service; and Vasily Kuznetsov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies.

🌟Through cultural exploration, they traced Russia’s past at the Victory Museum and Hermitage, and captured its present at the National Center “Russia” and on guided tours through Moscow and St. Petersburg.

From headline interviews at SPIEF to cultural deep dives in Grozny, from museum halls to media newsrooms, our fellows didn’t just observe, they reported, questioned, edited, and published. A multitude of exclusive stories were filed, with more still in production✈️

The InteRussia fellowship in journalism is implemented by the Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund, RT Arabic, and World Youth Festival Directorate with the grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.

#interussia #journalism #PresidentialGrantsFoundation #WYFD

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