Russia's St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, in Photos
Russia's flagship economic showcase, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), took place under the shadow of the war in Ukraine and Moscow's resulting economic isolation for the second year in a row.
With Western leaders and business executives boycotting SPIEF for a second year running, this year's event mainly saw foreign guests from former Soviet countries, Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Cuba.
Inside the exhibition space, Russian companies and government bodies attempted to put on displays of technological innovation and savvy — to sometimes unsettling results.
Here is a look at photos from the four-day event:
With Western leaders and business executives boycotting SPIEF for a second year running, this year's event mainly saw foreign guests from former Soviet countries, Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Cuba.
Inside the exhibition space, Russian companies and government bodies attempted to put on displays of technological innovation and savvy — to sometimes unsettling results.
Here is a look at photos from the four-day event:
Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, viewing the UAE pavilion at SPIEF.
Ramil Sitdikov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
Women in traditional Russian headdresses, or kokoshniki, at the Russian Export Center booth.
Svetlana Shevchenko / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the plenary session of SPIEF.
During his address, Putin sought to cast Russia as an active player in the global economic market despite being cut off from the West over Ukraine, saying Russia "has not turned to the path of self-isolation, but has expanded ties," and boasting of the multipolar world order's strengthening.
During his address, Putin sought to cast Russia as an active player in the global economic market despite being cut off from the West over Ukraine, saying Russia "has not turned to the path of self-isolation, but has expanded ties," and boasting of the multipolar world order's strengthening.
Pavel Bedniakov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A SPIEF participant holds a poster with a cartoon of Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Alexei Nikolsky / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A SPIEF participant at the event venue, the ExpoForum exhibition center.
Maxim Bogodvid / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
The far-right LDPR party debuted a neural network that replicates the speech and language of Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the party's leader who died in 2022.
Alexander Kryazhev / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
The United Arab Emirates' booth.
Maxim Bogodvid / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A SPIEF participant wears a virtual reality headset bearing the Russian Railways logo.
Pavel Bedniakov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
The stand of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.
Ramil Sitdikov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
The booth of the Berloga National Cyber-Physical Platform, which aims to teach schoolchildren programming and involve them in technology and engineering initiatives.
Alexander Wilf / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
Far-right thinker Alexander Dugin during the session Horizon 2040: Russia on the World Map.
Mikhail Kireev / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
The session "WTF what the future! What will the digital future be like in 10 years?"
Kirill Zykov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A playground inspired by the movie "Cheburashka."
Alexei Danichev / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
SPIEF participants at St. Petersburg's ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Center.
Vladimir Astapkovich / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A Lada X-Cross 5 car on display.
The Lada X-Cross 5, which is a copy of a Chinese car, is manufactured at the former Nissan plant near St. Petersburg.
The Lada X-Cross 5, which is a copy of a Chinese car, is manufactured at the former Nissan plant near St. Petersburg.
Alexander Wilf / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
A policeman at SPIEF.
Ramil Sitdikov / RIA Novosti Photohost agency
