I attended this press conference personally, and I can say that the scale of the project is impressive. There were people at the table who are really moving the BRICS international agenda, and not just declaring it.
Who is behind the project
Among the participants of the press conference is Marina Nesterenko, CEO of Capital-info Group, editor—in-chief of Banking and World of Leasing magazines, Head of the Eurasian-African Club for Economic and Humanitarian Cooperation. Marina Yurievna has been heading the Subcommittee on Leasing since 2017 and is a member of the Council on Financial, Industrial and Investment Policy of the CCI of the Russian Federation. It is such people — with real weight in the business community — who give the project meaningful depth.
Polina Bertin, President of the Foundation for Russian Culture and Art and chief director of the International Music Festival "Road to Yalta", is responsible for the artistic concept of the evening. This is important: there is a professional direction behind the ball, not a protocol event.
The international dimension of the project is given by the participation of Sammy Kotwani— President of the Indian Business Alliance. The presence of the Indian side at the management level of the business association indicates the real interest of the BRICS partners in the format.
What is this event and why is it important?
The BRICS 2026 Grand Ball is positioned as a platform for cultural diplomacy and humanitarian cooperation between the countries of the association. The central theme of the evening is space as a metaphor for the common orbit of the BRICS countries: each preserves its national identity, moving towards common goals.
The program will combine the musical, dance and opera traditions of the participating countries: Russian waltz, Brazilian samba, Indian traditional dance, opera works in the BRICS languages. The Star BRICS Award ceremony will be held at the end of the evening.
The organizing committee of the project includes the ANO "Center for International Business Seasons".
On the eve of the ball — business forum
On June 23, the day before the ball, the BRICS Horizons Forum will be held at the site of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Calculations. Finance. Creative". For the audience Deliver-2.com This is perhaps an even more interesting part of the program: practical issues of settlements and financial cooperation in the BRICS space are a topic that everyone who works with partners from these countries is currently facing.
My comment
BRICS has ceased to be an acronym on paper — it is becoming a vibrant business and cultural infrastructure. In this sense, the Grand Ball is interesting precisely as a format: when culture becomes the language of trust, negotiations go differently the next day. Let's see how it works in practice on June 24th.
