On the 28th of April 2026, a day dedicated to the celebration of Indonesian culture, a lovely cultural event took place in a creative space on one of the most prestigious and oldest streets of Moscow — an artistic hub where people gathered to celebrate the friendship between Russia and Indonesia.
The evening opened with an introduction to Indonesia, kindly delivered by Faldi, an intern at the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow who is studying diplomatic studies at the prestigious MGIMO University.
Guests also had the opportunity to taste delicious Indonesian dishes prepared by Susi Susanti and her friend Susanti Errand Ayuningrum. A list of all the dishes was provided and included: risoles, martabak, nasa goreng, onde-onde. Sadly, there is no Indonesian restaurant in Moscow, and the Indonesian restaurant in St. Petersburg has also closed. This made our event the only opportunity for guests to try authentic Indonesian cuisine.
Of course, the main highlight of the evening was the stunning collection of paintings depicting the beauty of Indonesia by Olga Melnikova. A graduate of the Surikov Academy of Arts, Olga visited Indonesia in 2019 and created a series of remarkable works inspired by the country. Some of her paintings are now part of the permanent exhibition Equator Necklace, a prestigious project initiated by Mr. Anisimov began its tour in Jakarta in 2022. A selection of works by Russian artists, including Olga’s, is currently touring towns in eastern Russia, sharing the beauty of Indonesia with the Far Eastern regions of the Russian Federation and beyond.
The atmosphere of the evening was filled with laughter and joy. Guests had the chance to learn more about Indonesian culture, meet Indonesian friends, and mingle with people from all over the world. Among the attendees were:
- Iris Larsen, Secretary‑Archivist, a representative of the Norwegian Embassy;
- teachers and academics, and businessmen from the UK, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Northern Sudan, the USA, Germany, Assyria, Indonesia, Türkiye, Congo, the Philippines, and other countries.
We are grateful to Dmitry Kukushkin, artistic director of Russian Harp art development "Kupina" named after Luybov Zhuk,for introducing the Russian harp, (Gusli). Elena Gromova also gave a wonderful performance, which included a beautiful rendition of an Indonesian song.
The cherry on the cake, as we say, was the surprise appearance of Amy Maulana — a talented journalist, musician, and president of the Russian‑Indonesian Friendship Society. Amy travelled from Rostov‑on‑Don to participate in the event. His performance of a Russian Cossack song and an Indonesian song was greatly appreciated by all guests, beautifully demonstrating how deeply connected our cultures truly are — not only on an economic level (as seen, for instance, in growing energy cooperation), but also through genuine people‑to‑people connections. These moments of mutual understanding and appreciation are precious, helping us learn about each other and grow closer. It's worth mentioning that we have met with Amy on the way to Tavrida Art festival in Crimea last summer and now we are in touch and thinking about organising a solo concert for him and his lovely Russian (Tatar)wife, who is also a singer.
As a special gesture, one of Olga’s paintings was presented as a gift, followed by an exciting announcement: an Indonesian Cultural Festival will be organised in August.
We will continue to gather and celebrate together. Even if the weather outside is rough — and it did suddenly start snowing in Moscow at the end of April — we remain warm at heart, heated by our love for Indonesia. The temperature of our friendship is just right.
A big thank you to all participants for this amazing experience of building truly international connections in the heart of Moscow, Russia!
Official partners of the event:
- Mriya Hotel Crimea;
- Zhud‑Shi Clinic (Moscow).
- Satguru Travel