Participation of the artists from Karelia in the VIIIth world festival of youth and students in Helsinki in 1962

The article is concerned with the issue of preparation and participation of the artists of the KASSR in the VIIIth World Festival of Youth and Students. This topic has not been previously studied in historical science. The study is based on the archival sources, the Soviet and Finnish periodicals. The aim of the research was to assess the importance of the artists’ participation in the international event. The artists from the Musical Drama Theater and the ensemble “Kantele” took part in the festival. The ballet “Sampo” demonstrated the best traditions of the Russian dance art and showed how high the level of cultural development in the regions of the USSR is. Participation of the artists from Karelia in the VIIIth World Festival of Youth and Students made them world famous and acquainted them with creative works of foreign colleagues, which became an incentive for further development of the art in the region. Preparation of the ballet troupe of the Musical Drama Theater and of the ensemble “Kantele” for the participation in the festival helped to establish close cooperation ties with multiple specialists from Moscow and Leningrad. These particulars provided conditions necessary for the further professional development of dance groups in Karelia. After the festival, cultural contacts between Karelia and Finland became more regular and productive.