The IX St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum has been canceled due to the war in Ukraine.

In a press release, the organizers said, “the forum has always been more than just a meeting point for professionals. It is a platform for sharing best practices and for establishing creative and business contacts. It has become a real feast for the professionals of creative industries which is reflected by Forum’s extensive festival programme.”

The organizers added, “Amid the current circumstances, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation does not consider it appropriate to hold the Forum and has to announce its cancellation. We hope that Russian cultural figures, leaders, and experts, and their colleagues from abroad will have a chance to gather on the hospitable platform of the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum next year.”

In past years the forum has seen such musical leaders speak as Yusi Bashmet, Valery Gergiev, and Denis Matsuev.