The event featured insightful presentations on the culture, history, traditions and distinctive customs of Sri Lanka, Ceylon tea, amazing sights and attractions of the island delivered by the staff of the Embassy. A representative of SriLankan Airlines highlighted the ease of travel from Russia to Sri Lanka with the resumption of direct flights and relaxation of Visa process. The audience also treated with a colourful collection of traditional Sri Lankan dances, Sinhala songs performed by the Russian youth and students of the Sinhala course conducted by the Embassy and a fashion show including batik dresses and Sri Lankan wedding costumes.

The event was attended by around 50 guests representing culture, trade, tourism, tea – related spheres as well as Russian media, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Russia Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, Deputy Director of the RSL Natalya Samoilenko and Deputy Director of the Center for Oriental Literature of the RSL Mikhail Milanyin. Since due to the pandemic restrictions the admission to the site was restricted, those who could not visit the event were able watch it online through the Embassy social media.

In the course of event, the Embassy donated a number of cultural items, which were received from the National Crafts Council, to the State Museum of Oriental Arts and to the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera). Russian books translated to Sinhala to Russian were also donated to the State Library and the Center for Oriental Literature of the RSL.

The exhibition included books of the Russian State Library collection of Sinhala, Tamil, Russian and English, published in Sri Lanka, in the USSR, Russia and other countries of the world. The exhibition is open for the readers of the library from 23 to 30 November 2021, It includes more than fifty publications, including novels and stories by the outstanding Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickramasinghe.

The Embassy provided for the exhibition numerous objects of culture and everyday life of Sri Lanka: traditional dresses, wooden masks used in rituals and theatrical performances, musical instruments, jewelry and boxes, brass items, batik paintings, etc.

The Embassy highly appreciates the input of everyone who helped to bring the initiative of the “Sri Lankan Day – 2021” to a reality.

− Administration of the Russian State Library and the Center for Oriental Literature;

− Students of the Folk vocal studio «Azure sapphire» from the Marfino Center for Leisure and Culture;

− Sri Lankan students, who performed traditional and national dances and model show of batik dresses;

− Interns of the Embassy who supported for the model show of batik dresses;

− Russian students of the online Sinhala course, who performed a song in Sinhala;

− All Sri Lankan and Russian volunteers;

− All sponsors of the event, etc.

Embassy of Sri Lanka

Moscow