2003
The WORLD of Siberia Festival traces its origins back to 2003. The first festival was held upon an initiative of Andrey Katayev and the travel agency “Sayan Ring”. That time the festival’s name was the Sayan Ring Festival and it gathered in the village of Shushenskoye more than 40 folk bands and about 7,000 spectators.
Musicians, whose creative work reflects cultural traditions of the Krasnoyarsk region, Khakassia, Tuva, Altai and Buryatia, had a perfect opportunity to announce themselves to the world.
2004
The second festival, which was held in 2004, became all-Siberian. Music bands from Omsk, Tomsk and other regions visited Shushenskoye.
From year to year, the geography of the festival has been widening and then achieved the international status.
During 2003-2004, the Chairman of the Jury was Artemy Troitsky, a journalist, music critic and producer.
During 2003-2004, the Chairman of the Jury was Artemy Troitsky, a journalist, music critic and producer.
2005
From 2005 to the present day Sergey Starostin, a world famous Russian folk musician, heads the Jury of the “MIRA” World Music Competition.
Sergey Starostin is a performer, Russian folk and jazz composer, collector of traditional folk instruments, and nominee of the BBC World Music Award (2003). He is a record producer of the animated feature film “Knyaz Vladimir” ("Prince Vladimir") and a showrunner of the Russia-Kultura channel TV series “Mirovaya Derevnya” (“global village”). Sergey Starostin gives lectures and masterclasses on the history and theory of Russian culture.
2006-07
In 2006 due to the lack of funding, the festival was canceled, but in 2007, it was resumed and the project acquired the international status.
For the first time winners of the festival obtained 12 bronze figurines of the World Music Award "Golden Iria".
2008
The 5th International Festival of World Music in Shushenskoye was held from July 9 to July 13, 2008. The Sayan Ring Festival celebrated its anniversary as one of the largest ethnic festivals in Russia. The founders of the project were the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region, the Administration of the Shushensky district and the fund "Kulturnoye naslediye Sibiri" ("Cultural heritage of Siberia").
The Sayan Ring Festival became the most significant cultural project of the Krasnoyarsk region that gave everyone an opportunity to get acquainted with traditional culture in its various manifestations.
2009
Since 2009, the festival has been developing the educational and communicative features: its program includes various masterclasses and lectures, where participants and guests can acquire new knowledge and experience through familiarity with forgotten or traditional crafts, dancing, games and rituals.
Within the festival, such traditional venues were formed: Zdravnitsa (“health resort”) - for fans of healthy living; Pavilion – a place where invited guests give fascinating lectures; Ethno Film Club – screenings of the brightest films of Russian documentarians.
2010
Since 2010, the Ministry of Culture of the Krasnoyarsk region and the Administration of the Shushensky district are the founders of the festival. The 7th International Festival of World Music “Sayan Ring” in 2010 set a record with more than a hundred performers and 30 000 spectators. World music is gaining momentum – folk dances, guttural singing, indigenous musical instruments… The Sayan Ring Festival became a platform for experiments, where performers combine jazz and folk, guttural singing and operatic arias. Little-known folk groups and stars of world music perform on one stage.
High-quality live sound is the festival’s сredo. The Russian-Dutch project "Polaris" became a highlight of the concert program. Jorge Americo, a musician from Peru, played European and Russian musical motifs with Peruvian folk instruments. Mariss Jansons, a performer from Latvia, gave one of the best performances at the festival.
2011
From 2011 to the present day, the festival is held with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. The year 2011 was a landmark in the history of the festival: it moved to new creative and organizational levels.
The festival became "alcohol-free", in accordance with its mission of a large-scale event that promotes the culture of healthy recreation.
2012
The turning point for the festival was in 2012, when the owner of the Sayan Ring brand offered the government of the Krasnoyarsk region to buy out a right to hold the festival under its name. However, the festival took a different road and continued to form its own traditions as the International Festival of World Music and Crafts "WORLD of Siberia". Today the main award of the festival is the "MIRA" Award in the form of a 5-kg bronze cup on a mount made of Siberian stone pine.
Since 2012, bands and musicians, who did not pass the competitive selection and did not participate in the festival officially, could perform on the "free stage". During the festival thousands of guests could participate in a special flash mob and play boom whackers under the guidance of experienced conductors. The main prize of WORLD of Siberia Festival was awarded to the ensemble "Chirgilchin" from Tuva.
2014
In 2014, the online broadcasting became the main innovation of the festival, and was available on the festival’s official website. Forty-four nominees for the "MIRA" World Music Award were chosen from a wide variety of talented groups and soloists, who applied for participation.
In 2014, nominees represented 25 territorial entities of the Russian Federation. In addition, there were participants from Latvia and Mongolia.
2015
In order to preserve and develop national artistic crafts and decorative and applied arts, in 2015 the first "MIRA" Crafts Competition was held, and 120 craftsmen from 20 regions of Russia took part in it. The project steadily gained popularity among residents of the region and authority in the cultural sector – it received acknowledgement from the State Duma Committee on Culture of the Russian Federation, the Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography of Russia, the Russian National House of Folk Arts, and recognition from world-famous musicians.
In 2015, the festival got the prestigious national prize in the field of event tourism – Russian Event Awards-2015, which was claimed by 104 projects from 36 regions of Russia. The International Festival of World Music and Crafts "WORLD of Siberia" won the first place in the strongest nomination "The best project in the field of promotion of national traditions and crafts". Along with, the WORLD of Siberia Festival entered the top-5 according to the results of online audience’s voting.
2016
In 2016, the festival was included in top-5 of the National Calendar of Events (eventsinrussia.com), the project initiated by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Tourism.
The information about the cultural and ethnic project WORLD of Siberia Festival is published on the official portal of the National Calendar under a special logo and distributed at tourist information centers, travel agencies, hotels, as well as Visit Russia offices for the purpose of the international promotion.
2017
In 2017, the WORLD of Siberia Festival was included in the RBC TV review as one of the largest summer festivals.
Denis Boyarinov, a music reviewer, recommends seven summer music festivals outside the Russian capital: from Radiohead at the aerodrome and indie rock on the Pacific coast to the ethnic festival in Shushenskoye. The reviewer points out that today Shushenskoye is not only known as the place of exile of V. Lenin, but also as the important festival site. World music stars from different countries perform at the WORLD of Siberia Festival. Besides, a trip to the festival is also a rare opportunity to participate in a traditional Russian wedding ceremony or to visit the Taimyr сhum (a tent).
Denis Boyarinov, a music reviewer, recommends seven summer music festivals outside the Russian capital: from Radiohead at the aerodrome and indie rock on the Pacific coast to the ethnic festival in Shushenskoye. The reviewer points out that today Shushenskoye is not only known as the place of exile of V. Lenin, but also as the important festival site. World music stars from different countries perform at the WORLD of Siberia Festival. Besides, a trip to the festival is also a rare opportunity to participate in a traditional Russian wedding ceremony or to visit the Taimyr сhum (a tent).
In 2017, a new venue Ethnoderevnya ("ethno-village") appeared at the festival. Now dwellings of indigenous peoples of Siberia locate at the festival: the Evenki and Taimyr chums; the Khakass, Buryat and Tuva yurts (tents).
In 2017, the "MIRA" World Music Competition received applications for participation from 12 countries: Australia, Ghana, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Mongolia, Portugal, Spain and Tanzania.
In 2017, the "MIRA" World Music Competition received applications for participation from 12 countries: Australia, Ghana, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Mongolia, Portugal, Spain and Tanzania.
2018
In 2018, the WORLD of Siberia Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary. Many famous bands were invited to celebrate its anniversary: Pelageya, Goran Bregovich, Mgzavrebi, Morgane Ji and others.
The 16th International Festival of World Music and Crafts “WORLD of Siberia” was held under the patronage of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO. It was recognized as the best event in Russia in the field of promotion of national traditions and crafts according to Russian Event Awards.
2019
In 2019 within the Cultural Programme of the 29th Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, the International Festival of World Music and Crafts "WORLD of Siberia. Winter Edition" was held.
In the pavilions of the Siberia International Exhibition and Business Center they reconstructed all venues of the summer festival. Krasnoyarsk citizens and guests of the Universiade-2019 were able to join the real atmosphere of the WORLD of Siberia Festival in the urban space and for the first time in Krasnoyarsk.
In the summer 2019, the WORLD of Siberia Festival received the patronage of UNESCO.
In the summer 2019, the WORLD of Siberia Festival received the patronage of UNESCO.
