Day: August 28, 2026

As part of the 5th International Children’s Cultural Forum, Dmitry Bak, Director of the Vladimir Dahl State Museum of the History of Russian Literature and curator of the Literature and Journalism programme, delivered the lecture «Poetry for All Time: How Classical Poetry Answers the Questions of Today».

The Vladimir Dahl State Museum of the History of Russian Literature is a partner of the Forum and Russia’s largest museum devoted to the history of the country’s literature. Its collection comprises more than 400,000 items, and one of the museum’s key missions is to introduce new generations to the legacy of Russian writers.

During the lecture, participants discussed why works written many years ago still resonate with readers today. Using Alexander Pushkin’s «Elegy» as an example, Dmitry Bak demonstrated how poetry can express meanings that cannot be conveyed in ordinary words:

«The vanished revelry of reckless years

Weighs heavily on me, like a troubled haze.

Yet, like old wine, the sorrow of days gone by

Grows stronger in my soul as time goes by.»

The poet reflects on joy and sorrow and on how a person’s view of the past changes over time. Yet the feelings he writes about remain just as understandable today.

Modern technologies were one of the key topics of the 5th International Children’s Cultural Forum. During the lecture “Bringing Culture to Life: Neural Networks, Projections and the Secrets of Multimedia,” Vladimir Rozin, CEO of GROUP OPEN, told participants how neural networks, projections and multimedia solutions are helping create new formats for museums and public spaces.

GROUP OPEN is a partner of the Forum and one of Russia’s leading developers of multimedia solutions for museums, educational institutions and public spaces. During the session, participants explored real-life projects where technology offers new ways to engage with cultural heritage:

• “A Call to Nikulin” — an interactive installation that allows visitors to hear Yuri Nikulin’s voice and interact with his digital likeness.
• “Living Drawings” — a project at the renowned artist’s museum, where images respond to visitors’ movements and transform into animated stories.
• Architectural 3D mapping — a multimedia projection technology that transforms buildings and monuments into large-scale visual spectacles.

“Neural networks will not replace people, but they are becoming a powerful tool in the hands of creators, enabling companies to develop truly innovative projects,” Vladimir Rozin noted.

The lecture concluded with an interactive quiz, giving participants a chance to test their knowledge of neural networks and sensor technologies in practice.