.Week of Russian cinema opens in Vietnam.

HANOI, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian film "Zvezda" (the Star)
directed by Nikolai Lebedev opened a week of Russian cinema in Vietnam
late on Saturday. The film tells about the feat of Soviet reconnaissance
men during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The Ministries of
Culture of Russia and Vietnam and the Russian embassy in Vietnam organized
the Russian film festival.
Tran Chien Thang, Vietnam's minister of culture, sport and tourism,
said that cinematography was the brightest evidence of good relations
between Vietnam and Russia.
"For more than half a century, for as long as the Vietnamese cinema
exists, Russian film makers have always been by our side. In harsh years
they helped us creating priceless documentaries about the heroic struggle
of Vietnamese people for freedom and independence. Afterwards, many
generations of Vietnamese film-makers studied and underwent professional
training in the former Soviet Union and Russia," the Vietnamese deputy
culture minister said at a ceremony held at Vietnam's national cinema
centre.
Tran Chien Thang thanked the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Russian
Cinema Union and the Russian Embassy in Vietnam for organizing the week of
Russian films.
For his part, Andrei Kovtun, the Russian ambassador in Vietnam, noted
that cultural ties were an important part of strategic partnership between
Russia and Vietnam without which it would be impossible to pass the baton
of friendship and partnership on to young generations in Russia and
Vietnam. "The week of Russian cinema in Vietnam serves this lofty goal,"
the Russian diplomat emphasized.
"After the festival in Hanoi the copies of the films will be handed
over to other Vietnamese cities so as greater numbers of local viewers get
an opportunity to see new Russian films," Kovtun said.
The festival's program includes most recent Russian films of various
genres. They range from family pictures and action war films to
melodramas: "Spartak and Kalashnikov", a moving story of friendship
between orphan Shurka Kalashnikov and the shepherd dog named Spartak; the
fantastic adventure film by Andrei Malyukov "We are from the Future" and a
contemporary psychological melodrama by Yaroslav Chevazhevsky "Kuka".


.Russian, Finnish PMs to open House of Finland in St. Pete.

ST.PETERSBURG, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - The House of Finland, a centre
of Finnish culture, science and business, will open in St. Petersburg on
Sunday. The event is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the
establishment of Finnish statehood.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Finnish counterpart
Matti Vanhanen will be present at the opening ceremony, a source at the
Russian government press service told Itar-Tass.
The House of Finland was founded on the initiative of the St.
Petersburg Foundation and the Institute of Finland in St. Petersburg to
establish closer good-neighborly relations between the Russian northern
capital and the country of Suomi.
The new building on the Big Konyushennaya Street will house
representations of major Finnish cities, the Finnish Foreign Trade
Association, the St. Petersburg branch of the Finnish-Russian Chamber of
Commerce, the Institute of Finland, a children's educational centre under
the Finnish consulate in St. Petersburg, other cultural and business
organizations. Most organizations will start working in the new House in
spring 2010. But the first Russian-Finnish events will take place in the
renovated rooms already this year.
The Russian and Finnish prime ministers will see the renovated
premises of the House of Finland and get acquainted with an exhibition on
the history and renovation of the building.
The opening of the House of Finland and the 200th anniversary of the
establishment of Finnish statehood will be marked by performances of the
Symphony Orchestra of the Finnish Radio. It was founded in 1927. The
program includes classical and contemporary music.

.Govortsova to challenge Sciavonne in Kremlin Cup final.

MOSCOW, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - Olga Govortsova of Belarus has
reached her first WTA final. On Sunday, she will meet Francesca Sciavonne
of Italy in the Kremlin Cup women's final.
On Saturday, Govortsova defeated Russian Alisa Kleibanova in the semis
in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
This tennis season Govortsova, 67th in the WTA rankings, hadn't
advanced father than the quarters.
"I didn't start this season very well. I missed the end of last year
because of illness. I started playing normally by May and reached my top
form by the year's end. Of course, I am pleased to be in the final,"
Govortsova said after the match.
Commenting on her future match vs. Sciavonne, Govortsova said that the
Italian plays a more passive tennis. "Franchesca plays well in Moscow
because the surface here is quite slow. I'll have to play more actively to
beat her."
In men's singles, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia will meet Russian Mikhail
Yuzhnyi.