Ashraf AboArafe
At the Writers’ Union Seminar, Sherif Gad Highlights the Power of Egyptian-Russian Cultural Ties
The Foreign Relations Committee at the General Syndicate of Egyptian Writers—headed by poet and literary critic Dr. Baseem Abdel Aseem—hosted a seminar titled “Egyptian-Russian Cultural Relations: A Dialogue of Creativity and the Written Word.” Held under the auspices of Dr. Alaa Abdel-Hadi, President of the Syndicate and Secretary-General of the Arab Writers Union, the event featured Dr. Sherif Gad, Director of Cultural Activities at the Russian Cultural Center in Cairo, as its key speaker, drawing a large crowd of writers, intellectuals, and public figures.
The seminar was moderated by poet Mohamed Ramadan, member of the Foreign Relations Committee, with the attendance of Dr. Engy El-Basyouni, Vice-Chair of the Committee, media coordinator Assem El-Kady, alongside fellow committee members.
The audience included a distinguished lineup of guests, such as MP Atef Maghawry; Ambassador Emad El-Din Fayez, Vice Dean of the British Harvard College; Dr. Amira El-Nabrawy, member of the Egyptian Writers’ Union; Dr. Ahmed Khalil, Rapporteur of the Translation Division; Moroccan writer Nabila Hammai; Azza Abou El-Ezz, Head of Documentation at the Syndicate; visual artist Maha El-Gendy; author Ahmed Galaby; writer Galal El-Sayyad; and several prominent cultural figures.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Baseem Abdel Aseem highlighted the depth of Egyptian-Russian ties, emphasizing that cultural cooperation acts as one of the strongest bridges uniting the two nations. Dr. Engy El-Basyouni followed with a reflection on key milestones in Russian literary history and its profound influence on modern Arab literature, noting that the rich shared history of both countries continues to foster meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.
Taking the stage, Dr. Sherif Gad traced the evolution of Egyptian-Russian relations and highlighted the Russian Cultural Center’s active role in promoting artistic, intellectual, and literary exchanges. He outlined core initiatives aimed at deepening mutual friendship, including joint translation projects, artistic workshops, and expanded academic scholarship programs across various cultural disciplines.
The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session where Dr. Gad engaged with questions from the audience and expressed his gratitude to the General Syndicate of Egyptian Writers. To mark the occasion, Dr. Gad and several key contributors were honored with certificates of appreciation, reinforcing the commitment to ongoing cultural collaboration and creative dialogue between Egypt and Russia.
