3-31 Dec 2004. Organised by Musica per Roma, this new festival aims to give Romans a chance to come into contact with the extraordinary wealth of Russian culture. The month-long programme includes the first performance in Italy of Alfred Shnittkes music drama Living with an idiot performed by the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre from Siberia. The drama section presents national premires of works by artists such as Lev Abramovic Dodin, Ach and Piotr Fomenko with his Theatre Studio of Moscow. For dance, Tatyana Baganova and Olga Ponas Contemporary Dance Theatre represents a somewhat unorthodox programme. The music section is particularly articulate with both famous and less well-known artists performing new trends in Russian electronic music. One section of the festival is devoted to Russian cinema. In addition, an exhibition space will be dedicated to the graphic work of Sergei Eisenstein film director and editor. Throughout the festival, the Auditorium-Parco della Musica, which hosts the extravaganza, will also cater for children with an open-air park featuring traditional Russian fairy tales and a life-sized game of chess.