New Director of the Russian House: Happy to Return to Work in Egypt

Dr. Vadim Zaychikov, the new Director of the Russian Cultural Centers in Egypt, expressed his happiness at returning to work in Egypt after 20 years, recalling his previous post as Deputy Director of the Russian Cultural Center in Alexandria in 2005.

This came during a meet-and-greet event organized by the Russian House in Cairo, attended by:

Dr. Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency; Dr. Raouf Saad, Egypt’s former Ambassador to Moscow; Dr. Karima Sami, President of the National Center for Translation; Dr. Venus Fouad, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture; Walid El-Shehawi, Head of the Central Administration for Creativity Centers at the Cultural Development Fund; Hussein El-Zanaty, Senior Undersecretary of the Journalists’ Syndicate and Editor-in-Chief of Alaa El-Din magazine; Eng. Sabry El-Ashmawy, President of the High Dam Builders Association; Director of Photography Mahmoud Abdel-Samie, President of the Film Association; Dr. Ahmed Taher, Director of the Dialogue Center; Dr. Ghada Fouad, Director of the African Center for Research and Strategic Studies; writer Manal Radwan, member of the Cultural Development Committee at the Writers’ Union; Dr. Nahed Halim, Director of PR and Media at the Museum of Islamic Art; anthropological researcher Hassan Ghazaly, Director of the Global South Youth Office; Dr. Mohamed Younes, President of the Sheikh Imam Lovers Association; Ahmed Owais, Executive Director of the Egyptian Russian Foundation for Culture and Science; Ahmed Mahmoud, Director of Planning at Dar Al-Hilal Foundation; screenwriter Sayed Fouad, President of the Luxor African Film Festival; poet Sayed Anaba; filmmaker Ashraf Fayeq; director Ahmed Abdel-Alim; Dr. Sayed Noufel, Egypt’s former Tourism Attaché in Moscow; Dr. Mona Al-Sabbaan, Director of the Arab School of Cinema and Television affiliated with the Academy of Arts; Dr. Riham Omran, Secretary-General of the Plastic Artists Syndicate; as well as a delegation from the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association and representatives of the Egyptian and Russian media.

The event was moderated by Sherif Gad, Director of Cultural Activities at the Russian House.

In his remarks, Vadim Zaytchikov thanked the large audience at his first gathering since taking up his new post, noting that such strong attendance was encouraging and aligned with his ambition to strengthen cultural relations between the two countries in all fields.

He emphasized his interest in cooperating with Egyptian schools and universities, while also building bridges with Russian universities, and expressed his desire to work with institutions under the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. He also referred to continuing cooperation with the Alumni Association, the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, the High Dam Builders Association, the Film Association, and the Academy of Arts, stressing his willingness to partner with new institutions to further cultural ties.

Zaytchikov revealed plans for vocational education cooperation between the two countries, noting Russia’s extensive expertise in this field. He also announced the revival of the Russian House Cinema Club and the return of Russian film screenings.

Dr. Sherif Sedky welcomed cooperation with Russia in the field of space, pointing out that collaboration with the Russian House had already begun and that there was great potential for expanding it further.

Several proposals were presented by representatives of different organizations, which Zaitchikov welcomed, stressing that they would contribute to strengthening cultural relations.

The evening concluded with a performance by Egyptian singer and composer Mohamed Ezzat, who presented two songs from the Egyptian musical heritage in honor of the new director. Opera singer Sherif Carlos then performed “Kalinka,” a classic piece from Russian musical heritage.