From 19 to 20 November 2024, in Moscow were held the Days of Culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Russian Federation. The Kingdom is located in Southwest Asia, in the Middle East, on an archipelago of more than thirty islands in the Persian Gulf, connected to Saudi Arabia by a system of bridges and dams named after King Fahd. The capital of the country is the city of Manama.
The central event of the Days was the opening of the exhibition "Treasures of Bahrain: The Art of Goldsmithing Through the Ages" at the State Historical Museum. Inspired by the rich culture of the Persian Gulf region, jewelry masters in the Kingdom of Bahrain create real works of art, which will be presented as part of the project for three months. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to get acquainted with the history of Bahraini gold, covering the period from ancient times to the present day. Guests will also see extraordinary jewelry, a collection of unique jewelry and various tools for working with jewelry.
Expressing gratitude to colleagues from Bahrain, the team of the State Historical Museum and its director Alexei Levykin, Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova noted that the previous exhibition took place a long time ago – 11 years ago. The Minister expressed joy at the restoration inter-museum communication between countries.
The head of the Culture and Antiquities Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, in turn, noted that such events contribute to the development and strengthening of relations between the states. The Sheikh called the presentation of Bahraini culture in the Russian museum a great pride and honor.
On November 20, at the State Historical Museum was held a lecture on the art of jewelry making. His Excellency Mr. Talal Mohammed Al- Mannai, Member of the Advisory Council of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Bahrain and Managing Director of the Al- Mannai Jewelry House, shared his knowledge about the traditions of making various gold jewelry in the Kingdom.
On the same day, the Poklonka cinema, located in the Victory Museum, hosted screenings of short films that immersed viewers in the atmosphere of contemporary cinematography in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In addition, took place a concert by an Arab folk group. The event was supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Kingdom of Bahrain's Department of Culture and Antiquities.
Bahrain declared sovereignty on August 14, 1971, and less than two weeks later the USSR declared its recognition of the kingdom as an independent state. However, diplomatic relations between the countries were established only in 1990 as part of the USSR's policy of improving relations with Israel and the Persian Gulf states.
The first visit of the King of Bahrain to the Russian Federation since the establishment of diplomatic relations took place in December 2008. At that time, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa discussed issues of overcoming the international economic crisis and the situation in the Middle East during negotiations with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. Following the meeting, were signed memorandums of understanding between the ministries of culture and financial banks of the two countries.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: B.alotaby/Creative Commons 4.0