The 48th World Congress and the General Assembly of the International Council of Organization of Folklore festival and Folk Arts (CIOFF) took place in the Ufa from 15 to 25 September, 2018.
The event took place before the 6th International CIOFF Folkloriade that is planned for 2020. The International Council of the folk festivals and traditional arts organizations, Polenov’s State Russian House of Folk Arts, Government and the Ministry of Culture of Bashkortostan Republic, the Republic Centre of folk arts, and the “Convention Bashkortostan Bureau” company organized the Congress and the Assembly.
Before the Congress opening the CIOFF members held the venue survey in Karmaskalinsky, Beloretsky and Burzyansky districts where the members of the International Folkloriade will perform in 2020. Alejandro Camacho, the CIOFF Vice-President for cultural affairs, mentioned that the infrastructure of Bashkortostan already allows opening the festival, as it possesses performance venues and spaces for accommodation and dining.
During the Congress which was attended by 133 people from 51 countries the participants had the oppportunity to learn history, traditions and rich cultural heritage of Bashkortostan — the most populated Russian republic containing 160 nationalities. The Congress encouraged productive networking in maintenance and development of national cultures, folk arts and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The maintenance of such a global event conduced Bashkortostan international recognition as the republic with stable economy and the developed social infrastructure.
The event in Bashkortostan ranked up the maintenance of single cultural space as the national priority and growth of State cultural policy significance as the impact factor that can increase living standards and social relations harmonization.
The Bashkortostan Republic press service for the UNESCO affairs