Delegates perform at an event commemorating the 81st anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing on September 3, 2026. Photo: Dong Feng/GT

The Russian Cultural Center in Beijing held a grand event commemorating the 81st anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War on September 3. The event featured a photo exhibition, short film screenings, and a concert.  

Tatiana Urzhumtseva, director of the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing, said in her speech, "Today we mark the anniversary of the victory over militarist Japan and the end of the Second World War. This event is forever inscribed in golden letters in the history not only of Russia and China but of all humanity. We bow our heads before those who, at the cost of their lives, defended peace on our land." 

On this special day, all delegates speak of the past; touch it through the frames of film and the faces looking back at us from the screen. "Here, on the eve of the screening of Memory of Generations, a film created by our creative team, we wish to convey the most important message: No one is forgotten, and nothing is forgotten," said Urzhumtseva.

Talking about the short film screenings showcasing video clips of Memory of Generations, Urzhumtseva said the film is grounded in a great deal of research efforts. "We pieced together information bit by bit about the heroes of the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation - that swift and crushing campaign of August 1945 that decisively brought WWII to a close," Urzhumtseva remarked. 

She noted that the film screening is a lesson in courage and humanity. "May it remind us of the fragility of peace and the price our ancestors paid for our future," Urzhumtseva noted. 

"Katyusha," a famous Russian folk song, was performed at the end of the event. The name "Katyusha" evokes a sense of home, familiarity and salvation. 

Such an event highlights how political mutual trust between China and Russia has been further consolidated and deepened through the joint commemoration of the victory of global justice. At the same time, cultural exchanges between the two countries continue to deepen.

The Russian Film Festival 2026 Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in China

The Russian Film Festival 2026 kicked off in Beijing on August 27. The festival is expected to cover cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hohhot in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Harbin and Heihe in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. 

The festival has brought a slew of outstanding Russian movies. Elsa Antonova, general director of ROSKINO, Russia's state-owned organization responsible for promoting domestic films, television series, and animation in international markets, said at the opening ceremony that cooperation agreements reached between Russia and China in the film sector will provide strong support for promoting Russian films on Chinese online platforms, offering broad prospects for collaboration.

According to Antonova, Russian and Chinese filmmakers are already discussing new projects.

The festival will mark another significant milestone in the development of Russian-Chinese cultural cooperation. The program features contemporary Russian premieres, historical dramas, family films, and animation, as well as special programs dedicated to Russian animated cinema.

The Russian Culture Festival Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in China

What's more, the Russian Culture Festival opened in Beijing on August 28, featuring an opening performance by the Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance, a dance troupe based in Moscow, Russia focusing on character dance.

The ensemble's artists showcased dances representing various ethnic groups of Russia to the Chinese audience. The program also featured the Quadrille and the Chinese Ribbon Dance - one of the ensemble's signature performances.

Film screenings for the award-winning films at the "Diamond Butterfly" Open Eurasian Film Award Photo: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in China

Additionally, film screenings for the award-winning films at the "Diamond Butterfly" Open Eurasian Film Award was launched in Beijing on August 28. 

Audiences in China can enjoy six films - all winners of the first Diamond Butterfly Film Award. 

This Beijing screening event functions as a significant overseas showcase for the award, bringing together outstanding award-winning and nominated films from countries such as Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Venezuela, Belarus, and China, thereby offering a concentrated look at the social landscapes and cultural reflections of diverse regions.

Jiao Hongfen, chairman of the China Film Producers' Association, said at the launch ceremony that outstanding films serve as vital vehicles for cultural and emotional exchange among humanity, and the Diamond Butterfly Film Award provides a premier platform for discovering and showcasing exceptional films from around the world.