Chairman Of Trump's US Commission Of Fine Arts Participates In 'Russian Davos' The Art Newspaper International Art News And Events

Rodney Mims Cook Jr, chairman of the US Commission of Fine Arts, took part in a cultural roundtable at Vladimir Putin's St Petersburg International Economic Forum this week, becoming the first U.S. official to attend the event in nearly 10 years.

The session, titled“Russia-USA: dialogue of cultures,” was moderated by Mikhail Shvydkoy, Putin's cultural envoy, and brought together a cast of figures closely associated with Russia's cultural establishment. Among those seated on the panel were Mikhail Piotrovsky, director of the State Hermitage Museum; Olga Lyubimova, Russia's culture minister; conductor Valery Gergiev; actor Steven Seagal; and Vladimir Legoyda, a spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church.

Cook used his remarks to describe a long personal affinity for Russian culture. He spoke about heritage projects in Russia, including the cathedral of the New Jerusalem Monastery and Arkhangelskoye Palace near Moscow, and said he has built a dacha in Atlanta, Georgia, in the Russian village style. He also referenced his work on Donald Trump's White House ballroom project and a proposed triumphal arch opposite the Lincoln Memorial, both of which he has helped steer through the approvals process in his role at the commission.

The appearance carried added political weight because it came as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has left official U.S.-Russia ties severely constrained. The forum itself, long known as Putin's“Davos,” was hit by Ukrainian drones on 3 June, just as it opened in St Petersburg. The panel was broadcast live on Rutube, the state-linked video platform owned by Gazprom-Media.

Cook and the commission did not respond to requests for comment about the purpose of the trip. But the optics were unmistakable: at a moment when sanctions have isolated much of Russia's official cultural sphere, the forum still managed to draw a small but conspicuous American presence. Marco Rubio later told senators he was not aware of the delegation in St Petersburg, underscoring how little coordination appeared to surround the visit.

The forum has long served as a stage for Russia's effort to project normalcy and international reach. This year, it did so with a panel that placed culture, heritage, and diplomacy at the center of a geopolitical moment that remains anything but settled.

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