Russia is set to host a significant exhibition dedicated to Chinese gastronomic traditions from 11 April to 17 August 2025. The announcement was made by Elena Gagarina, Director of the Moscow Kremlin Museums, during a meeting with journalists at the BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre.
Gagarina noted Russia’s commitment to promoting Chinese culture, responding to a question from Ksenia Komissarova, Editor-in-Chief of TV BRICS, which organised the press conference and is serving as the international media partner for the project.
According to Gagarina, the exhibition will provide visitors with an insight into the history of Chinese dining, showcasing items ranging from Neolithic-era kitchenware to imperial-era ceremonial tableware. Wine and tea, considered staple beverages in Chinese culture, will also feature in a dedicated section.
The Moscow Kremlin Museums have a history of collaboration with the National Museum of China dating back to 2006,when Beijing hosted the exhibition “Golden Russia. Treasures of the Moscow Kremlin”. Since then, the collaboration has expanded to include six major events in Chinese museums over almost 20 years. These events include “The Armoury Treasury of the Russian Sovereigns” at the Shanghai Museum in 2015, which attracted over 640,000 visitors, and “Tsar of All Russia. Holiness and Splendour of Power,” held in Hong Kong in 2021.
“We have held three expositions from China in the Kremlin and are now preparing a fourth,” Gagarina added.
Gagarina highlighted the unique nature of the upcoming exhibition, noting that Chinese authorities allowed the Moscow Kremlin Museums access to their vaults to select items specifically for the Russian public.
She further explained that she had requested an increase in the number of exported items. “China has a complicated system of issuing permits, it is not usually accepted to export more than 50-70 items. 145 items is the most representative number of exhibits of an exhibition of this subject that they have ever exported and shown in other museums. The exhibition, which will be presented at our place, ended up being absolutely exclusive,” she said.
The exhibition forms part of the programme for the cross-cultural years of Russia and China (2024-2025). It is a reciprocal event following the “Russian Feast – Traditional Foods, Drinks and the Art of Table Setting” exhibition from the Moscow Kremlin Museums’ collection, which was previously held in Beijing.
The BRICS+ Information and Cultural Media Centre, created by the All-Russian State Library for Foreign Literature named after M. I. Rudomino and the TV BRICS International Media Network, serves as a platform for fostering humanitarian cooperation between BRICS+ countries. It hosts press conferences, seminars, round tables, teleconferences, film screenings, and presentations of cultural, educational, and scientific projects, with a capacity for up to 50 participants.
