More than 11,000 people have visited an exhibition celebrating Ghana’s Kente cloth in Moscow, organised by the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) as part of the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Forum.
The exhibition is being held at the Academy of Arts and Sciences in partnership with the Russian parliamentary group for friendship with Ghana. It was coordinated by the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry and includes exhibitors from Ghana.
President John Mahama praised the organisers and hosts, saying the event would help strengthen understanding between the two countries through cultural exchange.
“Let me thank the Director Anna and all our friends from the Academy of Arts and Sciences, and our friends from the Russian parliamentary group for friendship with Ghana,” he said.
Mr Mahama said formal links between governments were important, but argued that stronger and more lasting relationships were built through contact between ordinary citizens.
“While we have contacts from government to government, and we have relations between our two governments, the more enduring partnerships are the relations between people and people,” he said.
“People-to-people relationships, and the only way we can consolidate people-to-people relationships, is to understand each other’s cultures.”
The President also welcomed GEPA’s role in bringing the exhibition, which showcases one of Ghana’s best-known textiles, to the Russian capital.
“And so I’m very appreciative that the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, together with their partners, have been able to bring this Kente exhibition to Moscow,” he added.
Kente is displayed alongside Adinkra symbolism, with the exhibition’s information translated into Russian to explain the background, meanings and cultural importance of the items to local visitors.
“I understand almost 11,000 people have so far come to see this exhibition, and it is well laid out, and all the explanations have been translated into Russian, and so you can understand the Adinkra symbols and all the exhibits that are here,” President Mahama said.
“And so, I want to thank the Director of the museum and all the partners for inviting me here. Congratulations.”
The exhibition is part of wider efforts through the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Forum to develop trade, cultural and parliamentary cooperation between the two countries.
Ghanaian exhibitors are presenting authentic Kente designs and Adinkra symbols to visitors in Moscow, where interest in the exhibition has continued to grow.
