| Summary/Abstract |
This obviously also applies to Russia's current cultural diplomacy. Yevgeny Shmagin, Deputy Director of the Department on Cultural Affairs and Ties with UNESCO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscores in his article "Culture and Diplomacy" published in International Affairs the importance of cultural diplomacy in implementing the state's foreign-policy strategy, maintaining, in particular, that "the union of diplomacy and culture has at all times served Russia's national interests, over and over again demonstrating its vitality at different stages in our history. It was cultural diplomacy with its specific set of instruments and methods to influence public opinion that was able to essentially dissolve the ice of hostile and sometimes openly biased attitudes with regard to our country during its Soviet period, mitigating the impact of various negative tendencies of political and ideological nature. During the formation of new Russian state, cultural initiatives once again helped strengthen the country's international prestige, its reputation, demonstrate the Russian society's openness, serve as an evidence of Russia's revival, and its development as a free and democratic state."
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