From March 16 to 20, MGIMO University of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a series of unique events dedicated to the Republic of Austria. The “Austrian Week” was organized by the Russian-Austrian Public Forum Sochi Dialogue and the German Studies Club of MGIMO’s Student Research Society.

The week’s program brought together a wide variety of formats — from intellectual competitions and film screenings to academic discussions and art exhibitions — becoming an important platform for those seeking to broaden their horizons and professionally study the region.

The week opened with a themed quiz on Austrian culture and history, where students had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and discover new facts about the country.

A special highlight of the program was the screening of the documentary film “Hare Hunt”, organized in cooperation with the Alexander Pechersky Foundation. The film is dedicated to a heroic and tragic episode — the escape of Soviet prisoners of war from the Mauthausen concentration camp. Before the screening, the audience was addressed by Daria Kozlova, Deputy Director of the Sochi Dialogue, and the film’s director, Ilya Vasiliev, Chairman of the Board of the Alexander Pechersky Foundation. The screening served as an important reminder of shared historical experiences and the significance of preserving historical memory.

Another central event of Austria Week was a conference dedicated to cultural diplomacy.
The speakers addressing the students included:

• Wolfgang Scheidt, a renowned Austrian conductor;
• Stanislav Smirnov, Counsellor of the Embassy of Russia in Austria.

Participants discussed the Embassy’s cultural projects and were given a rare opportunity to engage directly with a native speaker. For the Sochi Dialogue, this meeting became a prelude to future cooperation: already in April, the educational project “The Voice of Music” will be launched in Yaroslavl in collaboration with Maestro Scheidt.

The week concluded with a roundtable discussion, held in a hybrid format and bringing together experts and student researchers. Participants delivered presentations on the most pressing challenges facing the Republic:

• The Future of Neutrality: Egor Belyachkov analyzed the prospects of Austrian neutrality in the context of the global crisis.
• Migration and Identity: Vadim Trukhachev (Financial University) and Viktoria Skrypnik examined integration challenges, while Evgeny Vorobyov explored the origins of modern Austrian identity.
• Soft Power and Public Engagement: Anna Mironova outlined the mechanisms of Austrian influence in the 21st century. Particular attention was drawn to Tatyana Chikisheva’s presentation, which offered an in-depth analysis of the activities of the Sochi Dialogue Forum.

The attention of the academic community to our platform once again confirms the role of the Sochi Dialogue as an effective bridge for fostering expert and public dialogue.

In addition to the events described above, a photography exhibition featuring the best works from the international FOTORUAT competition, organized by the Austria Friendship Society, has been on display at the university throughout the week and will continue until March 26. The exhibition showcases photographs by Russian and Austrian participants — winners from different years — capturing, through the lens, the unique character and diversity of both countries.

The project was implemented with the active support of the German Studies Club of the Student Scientific Society at MGIMO University. We would like to thank our colleagues for their productive cooperation and significant contribution to the organization of the events: thanks to your involvement, Austria Week was held at a high level and received such a strong and positive response. We truly value our partnership.