Report from the Great Rus' 2026 Festival

The "Great Rus" music festival took place in Nizhny Novgorod, near the Cathedral of the Holy Right-Believing Prince Alexander Nevsky. For the sixth time, this major cultural event brought together classical music, the spoken word, and modern multimedia technologies. /2026

Great Rus'

This year, the festival is dedicated to the history of the Russian army’s glorious victories. Dzen has become the festival’s general and news partner. The concert featured soloists and the orchestra of the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after A.S. Pushkin, as well as guest artists. The festival’s artistic director is Alexey Trifonov. The "Great Rus" festival is organized by the "Center 800" autonomous non-profit organization with the support of the Nizhny Novgorod Region government and the Nizhny Novgorod Eparchy. Before the event began, Kaya and I spoke with the organizers and artists.