PARIS DID NOT CHANGE. PLAZ DE VOZH, AS I WILL, TELL YOU, SQUARE. THE RIVER DID NOT FLOW ANOTHER BACK. Boulevard Raspaye as before. FROM NEW - CONCERTS FOR FREE AND TOWER TO FEEL - YOU ARE LICE. There are many with whom it is pleasant to meet, but the first to shout "How do you live?" Joseph Brodsky
The organizers of the annual congresses of the World Association of the Russian-language Press (WARP) have always been distinguished by their thoroughness and thoroughness in choosing places and dates for events. So this year, catching up with intrigue and after a truly mhatov pause, it was announced - we’ll fly to Paris!
Comparing the dates indicated in the official invitation with the dates appearing in the official news from France, and also understanding that there are no accidents in the WARP, it became clear that not only Russian-speaking publishers from around the world are going to visit the banks of the Seine, but also a whole landing from ministers, politicians and public figures of Russia, and that a fantastic program is planned for all of us in Paris. But first things first.
Flydudubai
Recently, I began to notice that more and more often I choose flydubai flights for my numerous flights - reasonable prices, a well-developed route network, a compact and therefore convenient departure terminal, a fresh fleet and quality service on board. So this time, having scored the Dubai - Paris route in the search, I realized that there is no reason to change the tradition - with a change in Prague and convenient connection (an hour - when flying to Paris, and an hour and a half when driving home) the price for the flydubai business class pleasantly pleased. And the airport of Prague over the past few years has already managed to become almost native.
Departing from Dubai early in the morning, already at five in the evening we were in Paris, at Charles de Gaulle Airport. But, unfortunately, the Parisian traffic jams somewhat “oiled” the final stage of the route, extending it by as much as an hour and a half.
There are many who are nice to meet
At seven in the evening, I and Olga Adigamova, my partner at the Russian Emirates company, entered the lobby of the hotel, which, according to tradition, had previously arrived warpians, many of whom we met and made friends at at previous congresses. Word for word, meeting after meeting, glass after glass - and sat up after midnight!I must say that for me personally, the most expensive thing in WARP events is meeting with friends from different countries, while informal communication on the sidelines is often no less interesting and useful from a practical point of view than the official part of the program. The Czech Republic and Switzerland, Germany and Kazakhstan, Lebanon and the United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain, Bulgaria and Canada, the United States and the United Arab Emirates are more than 60 countries in which our compatriots live and where the Russian-language press is published. How many people, how many countries, how many media - so many unique stories, in each of which you can always find something that may turn out to be promising here and now. Looking ahead, I’ll say that we definitely found at least one idea and one new business partner at the Congress in Paris!
Golden domes
As I wrote above, the program of the XVIII World Congress of Russian Press was openly pleased. On the very first day of work, we had breakfast, got into comfortable buses and moved to the very center of Paris, to the Branly embankment, where the ceremonial opening of the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center (RCCC) was to take place any minute. The land for the construction of a complex of buildings was at one time acquired by the Russian government and is the property of the Russian Federation. Construction on the site began in 2014, and when we arrived, in front of us in all its glory opened the whole complex of four buildings - the Russian-French school, an exhibition center, an administrative building with a concert hall and, of course, the most noticeable - the Holy Trinity Church Korsun diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, with five golden domes visible from afar. We managed just in time - the opening ceremony of the Center was in full swing. In addition to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Medinsky, the mayor of Paris, Ann Hidalgo, the ambassador of the Russian Federation to France, Alexander Orlov, the mayor of the 7th district of Paris, the general director of the State Hermitage Mikhail Piotrovsky, French politicians, diplomats, public figures, representatives of business and scientific circles were present educational sphere, clergy of the Korsun diocese, descendants of Russian emigrants, parishioners of the Orthodox churches of Paris, representatives of Russian, French and other mass media. It was not possible to break through the large crowd of guests and police cordons, and we were patiently waiting in the wings - our event was to be the first in the newly opened Center, located just 800 meters from the Eiffel Tower. Just a few minutes later, Vladimir Medinsky, who had just cut the ribbon, greeted us, he sat past us and comfortably settled down to wait for an official meeting with us in a small street cafe next door. By the way, the Minister of Culture did not limit his speech at the opening of our Congress only by reading out a welcoming address from the President of the Russian Federation - after all the official speeches, he again went to the rostrum, having managed to tell a lot of interesting things in a small but quite interesting speech. From the memorable - an episode of the miraculous salvation of ex-President of France Giscard d'Estaing forces of the Russian-French cavalry during the reconstruction of the Battle of Borodino on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the historic battle of the Patriotic War of 1812.
By the way, on June 11, 2010, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon visited the site of the future Russian spiritual and cultural center. And the ex-president of France, Jacques Chirac, on the same day at a meeting with Vladimir Putin said: "This will be a bridge that binds the peoples of our countries in spiritual terms." It remains only to regret that the current leadership of France has put a momentary foreign policy benefit above the strong bilateral relations of the two countries and two peoples. But, as they say, everything flows, everything changes, we will work on it. As Vladimir Putin said in a welcoming address to Congress: "In the current difficult international environment, your work in disseminating complete, truthful information is of particular importance."
And we suddenly went down in history - in his welcoming telegram to the participants of the Congress Dmitry Medvedev said: “Russia greatly appreciates your contribution to the dissemination of Russian culture, the support of the Russian language, and the preservation of the information environment for millions of compatriots. Every year, the Russian Government is awarded with diplomas and prizes the most vivid and authoritative media in their countries.The very names of such newspapers and magazines are symbolic and sound like the headlines of entire chapters of the history of the “Russian world” - “Russian Swe tsariya "," Russian Emirates "," Russian Germany "," Russian messenger of Warsaw. "
UNESCO
As originally stated, the main working plenary sessions of the XVIII Congress were held in the UNESCO headquarters building, inaugurated in 1958 on Piazza Fontenoy. As you know, for the design of its headquarters, UNESCO ordered eminent artists works of art, some of which, in addition to decorative and artistic design, would symbolize the world, the strengthening and preservation of which UNESCO sets as its main task.
According to information on the official website, it was assumed that we will work surrounded by the works of Picasso, Bazin, Miro, Tapies, Corbusier and other famous masters. In fact, high art remained unknown - for half an hour we discussed a gigantic creation on one of the inner walls of a historical building, whose authorship remained a mystery to us. Most converged on Picasso, but there were doubters.
By the way, in addition to the Russian language at the Congress, the main theme of which was traditionally the issues of preserving and strengthening the position of the printed Russian word in the world, French was also heard - on October 21, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Frank La Rue addressed the participants of the Congress.
Tower, louse and other attractions
It would be foolish to think that, having flown from the shores of the Persian Gulf to the glorious city of Paris, we won’t find a few hours to see the local sights. Naturally, we started from the Eiffel Tower, in comparison with the dimensions of which Joseph Brodsky compared one with a louse in one of his poetic works. We, the inhabitants of Dubai, where the tallest building on earth rises, did not think so - so-so, mediocre. Still - 324 meters against "our" 828!
Well and further down the list is the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame de Paris (Notre Dame Cathedral), the House of Disabled Persons, in which the great Russian scholar Napoleon Bonaparte and the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Montmartre found their last refuge. But can you see Paris in a day? And for two? At the same time, you need to understand that we were not just taking pictures against the backdrop of iconic objects, but taking excursions, going inside, penetrating, getting into. And the list above, of course, was not limited! For example, thanks to our friend and partner Maxim Artsinovich, we managed to run a couple of hours at the FIAC - the Paris annual fair of contemporary art, which this year was held in Paris from October 20 to 23 under the arches of the Grand Palais. There, we finally realized why Maxim himself sometimes calls himself "Mad Max." By the way, read the interview with him in this issue.
And we also managed to visit no less legendary establishments - Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. But this is already material for another article, in a completely different magazine!
All a pleasant and useful trip!
Text: Sergey Tokarev
