Russian Creative Week – Eurasia Proposes International Framework for Creative Economy

An international festival and forum, Russian Creative Week – Eurasia, has concluded in Ufa. Participants discussed how Eurasian countries could jointly produce and market creative products, attract investment, protect intellectual property rights and train industry professionals. The event produced nine initiatives that could form the basis of a permanent international cooperation framework. Bashkortostan has been proposed as its central hub, potentially hosting the headquarters of the Eurasian creative economy, an educational center and Russia's first specialized production facility for the art industry.

More than 23,000 people took part in the forum's business and festival programs over three days. More than 150 Russian and international experts spoke at the event, which brought together participants from 14 countries, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, China, Belarus, Abkhazia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Brazil and Egypt.

The forum was held in an international Eurasian format for the first time. Participants included government officials, businesses, development institutions and creative industry representatives from Russia and partner countries. The central question running through the business program was how Eurasia's cultural diversity could be harnessed to create joint products capable of competing in international markets while strengthening the economic potential of participating countries.

Ufa at the Center of Eurasian Cooperation

One of the forum's leading proposals was to establish the headquarters of the Eurasian creative economy in Ufa. The plan calls for a permanent platform with a project office based at the Eurasian Research and Education Center of World-Class Level. Representatives from different countries would be able to develop joint projects, find partners and work out mechanisms for putting their plans into practice.

Radiy Khabirov, Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan, backed the proposal to position the region as one of the centers of Eurasian cooperation.

"We have always wanted to position ourselves as the heart of Eurasia, home to a unique concentration of European and Asian cultures. Here, you can stand with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia," Khabirov said.

The Eurasian Museum of Nomadic Civilizations, which the republic hopes to complete within the next two years, could become another venue for international engagement. Khabirov also pointed to the 2028 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which Ufa is scheduled to host. He proposed working with Russia's Foreign Ministry to organize a separate meeting on developing the creative industries of SCO member states.

Participants also backed further work on establishing a Eurasian Alliance of Creative Industries to build lasting ties with international partners. The proposed alliance would bring professional communities and development institutions together around joint production, exports, investment and the commercialization of intellectual property. One possible founding document would be a declaration on cooperation among Eurasian countries in the creative economy.

Nathan Brown, strategic adviser to the president of the International BRICS Alliance, highlighted the need for such an organization. In his assessment, access to capital remains one of the biggest challenges facing the creative industries. He suggested considering sovereign wealth funds as a potential source of financing for large-scale projects and establishing a permanent international institution to bring professional communities together.

Alexander Zhuravsky, Deputy Head of the Presidential Directorate for Public Projects, also stressed the importance of creating the Eurasian Alliance of Creative Industries. He said the initiative had emerged from within the professional community and reflected businesses' demand for common mechanisms for international cooperation.

"The idea of creating the Alliance came primarily from the grassroots. It is a deliberate initiative that responds to a real need, formulated and put forward by representatives of the creative industries. The Alliance will do more than help implement projects. It will also help change the conditions and rules of the game across our Eurasian community, taking into account legislation, regulatory frameworks and the specific features of individual markets. The creative economy moves faster than other sectors of the economy, which makes it a matter of tangible interest to governments and encourages investment in creative industries. This applies not only to Russia but to other countries as well. Over the course of the forum, we laid a solid foundation for establishing a hub in Ufa, a platform that will bring together industries from different countries. After all, our countries have much in common, including their markets, tools and human capital," Zhuravsky said.

Where the Industry Will Train and Produce

Bashkortostan has proposed establishing a Eurasian University of Creative Economy at the Eurasian Research and Education Center of world-class level. The institution is intended to train professionals who can do more than create creative products: they will also learn to manage production and marketing.

The proposed curriculum includes regional development, intellectual property management, exports, creative entrepreneurship and international production. Particular attention is expected to go to managers working in the creative economy at the national and regional levels.

Another initiative addresses a shortage of production capacity for the art industry. Russian artists and sculptors often have to commission the production of their works abroad. Sculptor Dashi Namdakov raised the issue during the forum's main plenary session, describing, among other things, his experience working with Chinese manufacturers.

The proposed solution is to establish an industrial cluster in Bashkortostan serving Russia's and Eurasia's art industries, the first specialized production facility of its kind in the country. It could give artists access to the technologies and manufacturing expertise they need while opening up opportunities to take on international orders.

New Markets for Creative Businesses

A study by the Unified Center for Creative Economy examining Bashkortostan's position in the wider Eurasian market highlighted the international potential of regional products. The researchers analyzed about 2,240 sources and 11,000 comments and reviews, and interviewed experts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Belarus. Mobile games developed by four studios in the republic have recorded at least 3.45 million installs. The animated film Ni pukha, ni pera (Keep Your Fingers Crossed) has received about 9.5 million views, while independent content about the region has attracted around 2.2 million views. Meanwhile, respondents in all four countries readily recognized the song Homay by the group AY YOLA. However, the products' popularity has yet to translate into broad recognition of Bashkortostan itself. The study recommends introducing a unified origin label, promoting products in partner countries' languages and maintaining ongoing support for international contacts.

Against this backdrop, a separate group of forum initiatives focuses on promoting creative products abroad. The Sdelano v Bashkortostane – dlya Evrazii (Made in Bashkortostan – for Eurasia) program is designed to bring promising regional brands together and develop a common export support system in the languages of partner countries. It is expected to cover market preparation, intellectual property protection, distributor searches and participation in international exhibitions and festivals.

Her Excellency Farida Abdulla Kamber Al Awadhi, founder of Cinmar Design (UAE), proposed creating an international platform for designers and manufacturers from Eurasian countries. The platform would help them find overseas partners, exchange expertise and promote their products in international markets.

Anita Tsoi, People's Artist of Russia and Director of the Institute of Creative Industries at Don State Technical University, presented a distinct initiative to develop music exports. She proposed launching a pilot program for joint music projects involving Russia, CIS countries and Asia, bringing performers, songwriters and producers together to create new works. The program is intended to cover more than joint music recording. It would also support promotion in overseas markets, engagement with local partners, and advance agreements on copyright ownership and revenue sharing. Anita Tsoi said she was ready to take part personally and bring young musicians into the project.

The forum also produced early examples of potential cooperation. At the Sdelano v Bashkortostane (Made in Bashkortostan) pitch session, six local teams presented projects in film, design, music and video games. Following the presentations, participants proposed organizing screenings of Bashkir films in Istanbul and showcasing products from a regional workshop at the Unikalnaya Rossiya (Unique Russia) exhibition in Moscow.

International creative projects also require a common framework for intellectual property protection. Accordingly, one of the forum's final initiatives calls for continued cooperation with the Russian Center for Rights Management in Creative Works (RTsIS). The proposal includes developing tools for joint intellectual property ownership, licensing, international distribution and the commercialization of rights.

At the plenary session, Irina Yakovleva, Deputy Chair of RTsIS, stressed that participants in international projects need to establish ownership rights, revenue-sharing arrangements and applicable legal jurisdictions in advance. Potential tools she identified included a Eurasian trademark, digital registration of intellectual property rights and the use of intellectual property as collateral for loans.

Russian Houses could provide overseas infrastructure for these projects. During the forum, participants proposed rethinking their traditional role and developing Rossotrudnichestvo's overseas offices into modern public spaces for entrepreneurs, designers, emerging creators and international teams.

Alexey Kleshchev, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo, said Russian Houses could introduce international audiences to Russia as a country of modern technology and opportunity. Under the proposed model, they could also help Russian creative teams establish business ties with local partners.

The Next Generation and Regional Economies

The forum proposed developing the next generation of participants in international projects through the Kreativnoye pokoleniye – Evraziya (Creative Generation – Eurasia) initiative. It envisages cooperation between youth and educational programs in Russia and CIS countries through project-based schools, internships, hackathons and joint work in digital environments.

The goal is to give young entrepreneurs, creators and developers opportunities to form international teams while they are still studying. Over time, these connections could provide the foundation for joint companies and creative products.

Creative tourism has also been proposed as a new development area for Bashkortostan. Ufa plans to explore a pilot model of so-called "return tourism," in which the visitor experience draws not only on local attractions but also on food, events, the urban environment and regional brands. The main objective is to give travelers a reason to visit the region again.

Local businesses also featured in the festival program. The forum hosted a fashion show featuring Bashkir brands, while the Zur-bazar (Big Bazaar) brought together manufacturers and creative entrepreneurs from the republic. Visitors were introduced to design products, handicrafts and other goods that reinterpret national traditions in a contemporary way.

The Creative Economy Beyond Individual Industries

Marina Mongush, president of the Unified Center for Creative Economy, said Russia had developed its own system for supporting the creative industries over the past six years. The country has adopted dedicated legislation, formally recognized 16 creative industry sectors and established support institutions. However, she argued that the creative economy should be viewed more broadly than a collection of individual industries and their financial performance. She identified seven interconnected dimensions of its development: industry, policy, society, spatial development, human resources, management and research. Together, they encompass the economic performance of creative businesses, the impact of their products on society, new approaches to regional management and the need for research. International cooperation also plays a distinct role, with creative products serving as tools for economic partnerships between countries.

"Russia's creative economy is primarily distributed. We believe it is important to recognize that it is not concentrated solely in major cities. Developing the creative economy in small towns and rural communities matters just as much," Marina Mongush emphasized.

The main outcome of Russian Creative Week – Eurasia was a practical agenda for international cooperation built around shared cultural values and economic interests. The proposed initiatives envisage regular joint work by governments, regions, businesses and professional communities. The expected results include new creative products, access to international markets and projects that can strengthen traditional economic sectors while supporting the contemporary identity of local communities.

To advance the initiatives developed at the forum, the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Unified Center for Creative Economy are establishing a working group. Its work will focus on further developing the proposed projects, identifying partners and sources of financing, and determining how the initiatives can be carried out.

Vadim Titov, Head of the Presidential Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation and co-chair of the forum's organizing committee, highlighted the importance of the international format of Russian Creative Week – Eurasia as a foundation for long-term cooperation among countries in the creative economy.

"This is the beginning of a long journey. And it is encouraging that we are making it together, with so many friends from different countries taking part. I am confident that all of this makes an important contribution to developing our relations and, ultimately, to improving people's quality of life," Titov said.

The organizers of Russian Creative Week – Eurasia are the Unified Center for Creative Economy (ANO Kreativnaya ekonomika) and the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan.