On February 26, the international exhibition “Islamic traditions in Russia” was opened in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The exhibition is held in the museum complex of the Holy Quran.

The opening ceremony was attended by Lukman Hakim Sayfuddin (Minister of Religious Affairs of Indonesia), Lyudmila Vorobyova (Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Indonesia), Wahid Supriyadi (Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Russian Federation), heads and representatives of the diplomatic missions of Morocco, Venezuela, Egypt, Ecuador, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Brunei and other countries, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of government and public organizations of Indonesia.

The event started with the hymns of Indonesia and Russia, followed by  the verses of the Holy Quran.

Rushan Abbyasov, head of the Russian delegation, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Mufties Council and the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech and thanked The Embassy of Russia and the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Indonesia for their assistance in organizing and implementing this unique international project.

“I believe that this exhibition will allow you to know more about our country, our culture, history and traditions of Islam in Russia, and will bring our two countries and our peoples closer together,” said Rushan Abbyasov.

The head of the Russian delegation noted that the exhibition was held under the patronage of the Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council and the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin with the support of Rustam Minnikhanov, Chairman of the Russia-Islamic World strategic vision group, President of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Lyudmila Vorobyeva, Russian Ambassador to Indonesia, mentioned that relations between Russia and Indonesia are productive and are covering many areas, including the religious field. She also expressed a high opinion of the great contribution of the RMC and the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group to the development of bilateral relations.

Lukman Hakim, Minister of Religious Affairs of Indonesia, stressed that such events strengthened bilateral relations between the countries, promoted cultural enrichment, and familiarized the Indonesians with Islamic traditions in Russia.

The photo exhibition “Islamic traditions in Russia” is a special international project that reveals the centuries-old history of Russia.  The exhibition contains more than 150 photographs demonstrating Islamic traditions in Russia, the daily life of Muslims and the Russian mosques, religious and national holidays, folk art, traditional costumes and exquisite cuisine. The exposition is divided into 8 zones, each them being dedicated to one of the eight federal districts of the Russian Federation. The exhibition will be open until March 18.