(L-r) Director of the Russian Cultural Centres in Egypt Marat Gatin is honored by Sherif Gad, Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association.
The day was overwhelmed by warm feelings in celebration of Gatin's pivotal role in fostering cultural and human relations between Egypt and Russia.
During the celebration, Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association Secretary-General Sherif Gad presented Gatin with the association’s shield of recognition in appreciation of his great efforts in supporting friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Gad stressed that Gatin, who completed his university studies at Cairo University and is very fluent in Arabic, has become Egyptian in identity and a lover of Egyptian culture.
He played a distinguished role in building bridges of communication between the two cultures during his management of the Russian House in Alexandria, and then he moved to the Russian House in Cairo, Gad added.
"Gatin has taken the Russian culture beyond the borders of the Russian Cultural Centres in Cairo and Alexandria to various universities and governorates, which played a direct role in strengthening human and cultural relations between Egypt and Russia," he stated.
Gatin in the middle with Gad on his left side and some of the Egyptian media figures at the Russian House in Dokki.
Many public figures, Russian and Egyptian media personalities, members of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, and a large number of Egyptian plastic artists attended the celebration.
The event was also attended by Engineer Sabry El-Ashmawy, chairman of the High Dam Builders Association, Mosaad Oweis and Samia Tawfik, members of the Board of Directors of the Association of Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities, Merry George, a member of the Board of Directors of the Film Association, and Mona Zidane, a professor at the Faculty of Music Education, Helwan University, who presented a song in her warm voice in tribute to Gatin.
For his part, Gatin thanked Ibrahim Kamel, chairman of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, and the board of directors for this honour and praised the distinguished period of cooperation between the association and the Russian house.
“My work period in Egypt gave me great experience and added a lot to me. I gained many friendships that turned into true friends who helped us a lot in implementing our activity well,” Gatin stated.
He also thanked the Egyptian media, stressing that "without their efforts and support, we could not have succeeded in our mission."
“I loved Egypt and the Egyptians, so last week during my visit to Aswan Governorate, I drank from the Nile water, confirming the famous Egyptian saying that whoever drinks from the Nile water will definitely return to Egypt,” Gatin concluded.
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