Vietnam culture festival opens for 1st time at Moscow’s iconic Red Square

The first-ever Vietnamese Culture Festival at Russia’s Red Square officially opened on Friday, drawing a large crowd of Russian visitors and dignitaries, including Madame Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam.

Held in the heart of Moscow, the festival showcases the Southeast Asian nation’s rich traditions to thousands of Russian and international visitors, as well as marks a milestone in Vietnam-Russia cultural relations.
Vivid testament to Vietnam-Russia cultural partnership

The iconic Red Square as the venue for this festival underscores Russia's deep respect for Vietnamese culture and its desire to bring Vietnamese heritage closer to the Russian people.

With approximately one million visitors to the area each month, the festival offers hundreds of thousands of Russians, especially the youth, a unique opportunity to experience Vietnam's cultural beauty firsthand.

In her speech at the opening ceremony, Madame Ngo Phuong Ly expressed her profound emotion at the sight of the 2025 Vietnam Culture Festival, themed ‘Vietnam: Colors from the Tropical Land’, taking place at Red Square, a location rich in historical symbolism for Russia.

She emphasized that the festival celebrates 75 years of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Russia and stands as a testament to the enduring friendship and cultural connection between the two countries.

“Culture has always been a powerful bridge linking the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese and Russian people,” she stated.

The festival features traditional arts like water puppetry, dry puppetry, and folk music, silk and traditional ao dai (Vietnamese traditional long gown), as well as cuisine like com (green rice flakes), handicrafts, and lacquer jewelry.

Madame Ly also unveiled a special lacquer collection she personally designed for the event.

Every performance and booth at the festival reflects not only aesthetic value but also the depth of Vietnamese heritage, highlighting a nation known for its peaceful spirit, compassion, and resilience.

"The traditional, vibrant photos, colors, and flavors of a tropical country, presented in this ancient and majestic historical space, will create a cultural image that is both harmonious and complementary, enriching global cultural diversity," Madame Ly stated.

Believing that mutual understanding and empathy for culture and people form the foundation of the sustainable bond between Vietnam and Russia, Madame Ly described the Vietnamese Culture Festival in Russia 2025 as a symbol of a constantly evolving relationship that always preserves its historical depth.

Strengthening people-to-people ties

In their remarks, First Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council Andrey Yatskin and representatives from the Moscow city government applauded the festival for deepening people-to-people ties.

Moscow officials noted that Vietnam is among the top seven destinations for Russian tourists, and events like this would encourage even more mutual understanding and tourism between the two nations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi affirmed the festival as a key outcome of the May 2025 meeting between Party General Secretary To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Hosting the event at Red Square, Khoi said, highlights the special attention Russia pays to Vietnamese culture.

Following the opening ceremony, Madame Ly and delegates toured booths offering Vietnamese cuisine, ao dai exhibits, and lacquerware.

These experiences left a deep and positive impression on the delegates and Russian people about a peaceful, culturally rich, and hospitable Vietnam.
Festival highlights

The Vietnamese Culture Festival runs from July 25 to August 3.

During the 10-day festival, Russian citizens and international visitors to Red Square can enjoy traditional music and puppet performances under the theme ‘Sounds of the Tropics’ and explore a Vietnamese cuisine booth themed ‘Flavor of Com: Essence of Hanoi, Soul of the Red River.’

The event also features an ao dai exhibition and performance area titled ‘Hanoi: 12 Seasons of Flowers,’ a lacquerware showcase named ‘Lacquer Garden: Tropical Colors,’ and a photo exhibition about Vietnam and its people.

Minh Duy - Duy Linh - Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre News

(2025/07/28-16:38)

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