Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025: General Secretary’s Spouse, Russian friends enjoy water puppetry and Vietnamese coffee at Red Square
WVR - On the afternoon of July 25, the Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025 officially opened in a vibrant ceremony at Red Square—a symbolic landmark of Russia. Present were Madame Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary To Lam, along with numerous Russian friends.
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| On the afternoon of July 25, the Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025 officially opened at Red Square—a symbolic landmark of Russia. Present were Madame Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary To Lam, along with numerous Russian friends. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
The choice of Red Square, an iconic venue, to host the festival reflects the Russian people’s deep respect for Vietnamese culture and their wish to bring it closer to the public. With around one million visitors to this area each month, the festival offers hundreds of thousands of Russians, especially the youth, an opportunity to discover and directly experience the unique beauty of Vietnamese culture.
During her speech at the opening ceremony, Madame Ngo Phuong Ly expressed her heartfelt emotions as the Vietnamese Cultural Festival, themed Vietnam – Colours from the Tropics, unfolded at Red Square—the heart of Russia.
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly delivers the opening speech at the Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Madame Ngo Phuong Ly emphasized that this particularly meaningful event stands out as part of the celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Russian Federation. Over three-quarters of a century, Vietnam–Russia ties have continuously been strengthened and developed across all fields.
The historical milestones of Vietnam–Russia friendship have left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of generations of people from both countries. Throughout this shared history, culture has always served as a bridge, closely connecting the peoples of Vietnam and Russia.
“The Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025, showcasing the quintessential and vibrant aspects of Vietnamese culture, is a vivid testament to the enduring cultural cooperation between our two nations,” Madame Ngo Phuong Ly affirmed.
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| The festival offers visitors a chance to experience the finest elements of Vietnamese culture> (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
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| The festival offers visitors a chance to experience the finest elements of Vietnamese culture> (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
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| The festival offers visitors a chance to experience the finest elements of Vietnamese culture> (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
The festival offers visitors a chance to experience the finest elements of Vietnamese culture—from traditional arts such as water puppetry, folk puppetry, and traditional music to silk weaving, the Vietnamese áo dài, green rice (com) cuisine, lacquerware, and handcrafted jewelry.
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| The festival offers visitors a chance to experience the finest elements of Vietnamese culture> (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Each performance, pavilion, and cultural product not only embodies aesthetic values but also carries profound historical and spiritual depth, reflecting the essence of the Vietnamese people—a peace-loving, compassionate, diligent, and affectionate nation.
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly and Russian friends enjoy Vietnamese cuisine and learn about the Ao dai at the festival. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
“The images, colors, and flavors of a vibrant tropical country showcased within this majestic and historic space will create a cultural tapestry that is both harmonious and complementary, enriching global cultural diversity,” Madame Ngo Phuong Ly stated.
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly and Russian friends enjoy Vietnamese cuisine and learn about the áo dài at the festival. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Believing that the enduring bond between Vietnam and Russia lies in mutual cultural understanding and empathy, Madame Ngo Phuong Ly reiterated that this 2025 festival is “a symbol of a relationship that continues to renew and grow, yet remains deeply rooted in history.”
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly highlighted that the Vietnamese Cultural Festival in Russia 2025 serves as “a symbol of a relationship that constantly renews and evolves, yet always preserves its profound historical depth.” (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Also present and delivering speech at the ceremony were First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Andrey Yatskin and representatives of the Moscow city government, who affirmed that cultural events like the Vietnamese Cultural Festival 2025 at Red Square would further strengthen ties between the peoples of the two countries.
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| First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council (right) and Deputy Mayor of Moscow speak at the opening ceremony. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Highlighting that Vietnam is among the top seven destinations for Russian tourists, the Deputy Mayor of Moscow expressed confidence that the festival would encourage more Russians to visit Vietnam and vice versa.
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| Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi speaking at the opening ceremony. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi stated that the festival is one of the outcomes of the successful talks between General Secretary To Lam and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May 2025. Holding the festival for the first time at Red Square carries special significance, drawing great attention from Russians and offering them a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s land and people.
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| Water puppetry showcases at the event. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
Immediately following the opening ceremony, Madame Ngo Phuong Ly and other delegates toured the festival’s booths, sampling Vietnamese cuisine, exploring áo dài displays, and admiring lacquerware exhibits. These experiences left profound and positive impressions on the delegates and Russian visitors, presenting Vietnam as a peaceful country rich in cultural traditions and hospitality.
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| Madame Ngo Phuong Ly and Russian friends enjoy Vietnamese cuisine and learn about the Ao dai at the festival. (Photo: Hoang Hong) |
The Vietnamese Cultural Festival runs from July 25 to August 3. Over the 10 days, Russians and international tourists visiting Red Square will be immersed in vibrant Vietnamese sights, sounds, and flavors through traditional music and puppetry performances themed “Sounds of the Tropics”; Vietnamese cuisine booths themed “Green Rice Flavours: The Quintessence of Hanoi, the Soul of the Red River”; Vietnamese Ao dai (long dress) showcases themed “Hanoi – Twelve Seasons of Flowers”; Vietnamese lacquer art exhibitions titled “Lacquer Garden – Colours of the Tropics”; and photo exhibitions themed “Vietnam: The Land and Its People”.
In addition to Ao dai showcases, cuisine, and water puppetry, the festival also features a special lacquerware collection personally designed by Madame Ngo Phuong Ly exclusively for this event.
