Newly appointed director of the Russian Cultural Centres in Egypt Vadim Zaychikov.
Vadim Zaychikov, the new director of the Russian Cultural Centres in Egypt, made his first public appearance at a reception hosted by the Russian House in Cairo this week.
Speaking in fluent Arabic, he said he was delighted to return to Egypt after two decades and emphasized his ambition to expand cultural exchange “across all fields.”
Zaychikov, 44, is a graduate of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN University), where he studied humanities and social sciences before earning an MBA and a PhD in international relations.
He has spent more than two decades with the Federal Agency for International Cooperation, the body that oversees Russia’s network of cultural centres worldwide.
Earlier in his career, he served as deputy director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Alexandria (2005–07) and later directed centres in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
In 2025, he received a presidential honour from Vladimir Putin for his long-standing service.
Zaychikov told the gathering that strengthening cooperation with Egyptian schools and universities, alongside strong channels of communication with Russian institutions, will be "at the heart" of his work.
He also highlighted partnerships with Egyptian cultural associations, including the Association of Alumni of Russian Universities, the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, and the Academy of Arts, and announced plans to revive the Russian House’s popular cinema club with regular screenings of Russian films.
Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency, new director of the Russian House Vadim Zaychikov, Sherif Gad, director of the Cultural Activities at the centre.
Egypt and Russia share a long history of cultural and political ties, dating back to Soviet support for the construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s.
In recent years, cooperation has extended to military and energy agreements, as well as Russia’s prominent role in the El Dabaa nuclear power project. Moscow has also sought to cement its cultural presence through education exchanges and language programmes.
The event, moderated by Sherif Gad, Director of the Cultural Activities at the Russian House and Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, drew Egyptian cultural figures and state officials.
Among them were Sherif Sedky, CEO of the Egyptian Space Agency; Raouf Saad, former ambassador to Moscow; Karma Samy, head of the National Centre for Translation; Venus Fouad, under-secretary at the Ministry of Culture; Walid El-Shehawy, head of the Central Administration for Creativity Centres; Hussein El-Zanati, first under-secretary of the Journalists’ Syndicate and editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram's Alaa El-Din magazine; and engineer Sabry El-Ashmawy, chairman of the High Dam Builders Association.
Also present were Ghada Fouad, director of the African Centre for Research and Strategic Studies; writer Manal Radwan of the Writers’ Union Cultural Development Committee; Nahed Haleem, head of public relations at the Museum of Islamic Art; Ahmed Oweis, executive director of the Egyptian-Russian Foundation for Culture and Science; screenwriter Sayed Fouad, president of the Luxor African Film Festival; and Reham Omran, secretary-general of the Syndicate of Fine Artists.
The reception ended with musical performances by Egyptian and Russian artists, including a rendition of the folk song Kalinka.
Zaychikov, who replaces Marat Gatin after his tenure ended in February, said he hoped the warm welcome signalled “a strong new phase” in cultural exchange between the two countries.
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