The “Peoples of Russia and the CIS” festival in 2025. Photo by Anna Yurgenson/press-service of the RGS
The International Week «Peoples of Russia» will be held from November 2 to 8 in Moscow. The framework of the business program has been published on the event’s website. The key theme is: «Solidarity of States through the Unity of Peoples and Traditional Values».
The year 2026 has been declared the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. One of its central events will be the «Peoples of Russia» week, which is being held for the first time in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 382 dated June 1, 2026. In the future, it will be held annually.
The International Week will begin its work on the eve of National Unity Day. The events will take place in Moscow at the venues of the World Trade Center, the national center «Russia, ” the pavilions of the «Mosfilm» film concern, the M. Gorky Film Studio, the «Moskino» cinema chain, and the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society, as well as in all regions of the country.
The Moscow program includes a rich business component, a film forum with screenings, educational and exhibition events, a vibrant and engaging youth agenda, sports events, and concerts. As part of the International Week, an award ceremony will also be held to honor the winners of the All-Russian Public Prize for Personal Contribution to Ethnocultural Development and Strengthening the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, «Pride of the Nation».
The framework of its business program is published on the International Week’s website. From November 2 to 4, about 40 panel sessions are planned, as well as plenary sessions dedicated to the unity of peoples. Experts will discuss topics related to the implementation of state national policy, strengthening the institution of the family, and demographic issues; the conversation will focus on history and the vision of the future, as well as promoting traditional values on the world stage as the foundation for equitable international cooperation.
«The program of the International Week 'Peoples of Russia’ is designed to demonstrate Russia’s openness to the whole world and to outline projects aimed at building a unifying interethnic dialogue, respecting cultural diversity, and joining forces to ensure the well-being and safety of every person, regardless of their nationality,» said Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and President of the Russian Geographical Society.
The «Peoples of Russia» week lays a long-term foundation for strengthening the multinational unity of our country, highlighting its unique civilizational model. Today, more than 190 peoples and ethnic groups live in Russia, preserving their uniqueness while being part of a great sovereign state.
«The main theme of the business program of the International Week 'Peoples of Russia’ reflects the strategic role of our country as a space for inter-civilizational dialogue, where the unity of peoples and reliance on traditional values become the foundation of multilateral cooperation, » said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of Russia.
As part of the International Week, this idea will be explored through a business program, exhibition projects, and youth tracks. Anton Kobyakov noted that such formats allowed not just to declare values, but to demonstrate their practical significance through joint investment initiatives, educational exchanges, and cultural partnerships. According to him, discussions about preserving value-based sovereignty and forming new models of trust between states in the context of global transformation are becoming particularly important.
The coordinator of the International Week «Peoples of Russia» is the Office of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, and the operator is the foundation «Roscongress».