Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives to present its business programme at XII St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum

The XII St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum will take place in St. Petersburg on 24–26 September 2026. This year’s event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the St. Petersburg City Administration. The theme for the 2026 Forum is ‘United Cultures, Common Values’.

The XII St. Petersburg International United Cultures Forum will take place in St. Petersburg on 24–26 September 2026. This year’s event is organized by the Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the St. Petersburg City Administration. The theme for the 2026 Forum is ‘United Cultures, Common Values’.

The Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives’ business programme will include thematic discussions on the impact of new technologies on culture, regional development, and the transformation of the music industry due to the influence of artificial intelligence.

‘New Technologies in Culture and Art: Blessing or Curse, Advantage or Risk?’ – the first discussion will be devoted to how digital tools, platforms, and artificial intelligence are changing the cultural environment. Participants will discuss new opportunities for writers, museums, theatres, media projects, and creative industries, as well as the impact of technology on the nature of creativity and the perception of art. The conversation will focus on the questions: At what point does a tool cross the line into becoming a replacement for a human creator? And can technological development strengthen culture as a space of meaning, rather than blur it?

The session will be moderated by Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives Roman Karmanov. Panellists will include People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Igor Butman, designer Artemy Lebedev, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, General Director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky, Chief Executive Officer of the National Media Group Svetlana Balanova, and other experts.

‘Regional Cultural Code: How Local Becomes Common’ – the second discussion will focus on how regional cultural practices, traditions, and projects become part of a country’s shared cultural space. Participants will discuss how the digital environment helps regions make their presence felt and maintain their identity when entering the federal and international agenda, as well as why regional cultural codes often become a source of exciting new content.

The discussion will be moderated by Creative Producer and Founder of the Istok Cultural Centre Sofya Ernst. Participants will include Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Area Vladislav Kuznetsov, veteran of the special military operation, opera singer François Modeme, TV presenter Ruslan Ostashko, musician Oleg Abramov (RADIO TAPOK), and others.

‘AI in Music: Algorithms, Authorship, and the New Rules of the Industry’ – the third discussion will focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on the streaming services ecosystem. Experts will discuss how recommendation algorithms are changing the logic of popularity, as well as a new conflict within the industry: musicians, producers, and copyright holders are increasingly talking about the erosion of the profession and the declining value of copyright, while tech companies view AI as a tool for expanding creative possibilities. Special attention will be paid to the labelling of works created using neural networks.

The session will be moderated by Co-Chairman of the Muzcontent Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives production committee and President of GPM Radio Yuri Kostin. Participants will include Executive Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Development Department at Sberbank Alexander Gagiyev, Founder of the TopHit platform Igor Krayev, Head of the Government Relations Department at Yandex Anton Chetvertkov, Co-Founder and General Director of the record label Black Star Inc. Pavel Kuryanov, and others. Foreign speakers will also take part in the session.

Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives and member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation Roman Karmanov noted: “Today, we are seeing how digital tools and artificial intelligence are opening up fundamentally new horizons for culture and the arts. Our task is to understand how to use these opportunities for good, while preserving the meaningful content and authorial identity. The discussions at the Forum will help find a balance between technological development and preservation of the cultural code that makes art truly diverse.”

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