The International Arts Festival "ALFA HUMAN" was opened in Nizhny Novgorod.

      On May 20, the first International Arts Festival "ALFA HUMAN" was opened, initiated by Alfa-Bank with the support of the government of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The first event in the extensive program was the opera installation "Dante. Ascent," based on Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy," which unfolded along the entire length of the Chkalov Stairs. The director of the production was Yuri Kvyatkovsky in collaboration with playwright Mikhail Degtyarev and music curator Nikolai Popov.

      "I am sincerely glad that Nizhny Novgorod has been chosen as the venue for this grand festival, and its opening takes place in a place that is absolutely symbolic for the city — at the foot of the Chkalov Stairs. It is unlikely that anywhere else could such a powerful creative idea be realized: to depict the ascent from the tormenting struggles of the human soul to the paradisiacal groves, to perfection — to what we all dream of. Here, in essence, there is a reflection on the human soul, on our experience, on our attitude towards art and culture. This is a rebirth through ascent. The ambitions of the festival are maximal, the bar is set the highest. The Nizhny Novgorod region already has a very successful experience of cooperation with Alfa-Bank precisely in the cultural and creative sphere, so we are absolutely confident in success. Our city has indeed earned a reputation as a territory where culture and humanity are discussed in new, bright, interesting formats and in the most diverse contexts," said the governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin.

      "This is indeed a historic moment. Today we are opening the festival, and this is the beginning of a great story — the story of a festival that will become a major international cultural platform. Already this year, artists from 10 countries are participating in the program. And in the future, there will be more. Over time, 'ALFA HUMAN' will not only be able to compete with the largest world festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, but will become an independent cultural phenomenon. Already this year, the program includes exclusives, world premieres, and unique projects that can only be seen within the framework of 'ALFA HUMAN.' And with each passing year, there will only be more such events," noted Timur Zulkarnaev, Senior Vice President, Director of Marketing, Design, and Client Acquisition at Alfa-Bank.

      The space of the Chkalov Stairs was transformed into 12 allegorical zones corresponding to the stages of the hero's journey in the "Divine Comedy." Viewers were offered not just observation but physical participation: the ascent of more than 500 steps turned the philosophical understanding of the text into a real bodily experience through overcoming. The accompaniment was provided by the Pratum Integrum baroque instrument orchestra. The performers of all solo vocal parts were soloists from the Nizhny Novgorod State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after A.S. Pushkin. The scenography by Anton Levdikov and costumes by Asya Solovyova did not compete with the architecture of the stairs but emphasized its power. The musical fabric of the production, created in the pastiche genre, combined masterpieces of the Baroque with modern sound design. The expressive video mapping from the renowned studio dreamlaser heightened the emotional intensity of the opera installation.

      The journey began at the foot of the stairs, where the vocal ensemble Intrada greeted the audience with "Crucifixus" for eight voices by Antonio Lotti. As they ascended, the audience heard "Let Me Weep" from George Frideric Handel's opera "Rinaldo," "The Nymph's Lament" by Claudio Monteverdi, "If Music Be the Food of Love" by Henry Purcell, "Have Mercy, My God" by Johann Sebastian Bach, and much more.

      Almost at the top of the stairs, a plastic performance unfolded, in which the bodies of the dancers were literally woven into the geometry of the steps. The concluding chord was a performance by the choir of the Nizhny Novgorod Theater of Opera and Ballet under the direction of chief choirmaster Arina Mirsaitova. The hymn of Saint Hildegard of Bingen "O Creator Spirit, Come" and "Ave Maria" by Tomás Luis de Victoria were performed.

      The opera installation "Dante. Ascent" opened a 12-day musical program, during which festival guests will be able to enjoy performances by Russian and foreign artists. Among them are Hibla Gerzmava, Teodor Currentzis, Dmitry Sinkovsky, Boris Berezovsky, Luca Piyanka, Davide Ranalli, and many others.

      A special event will be a five-hour electronic music marathon on May 30 at the 800th Anniversary Park of Nizhny Novgorod on the Fedorovsky Embankment. That evening, LI | LU, D’Maselle, and the Belarusian duo Police in Paris will perform. The headliner will be German DJ and producer HOSH — one of the most well-known global representatives of the melodic house genre.

      The "ALFA HUMAN" festival sets an incredibly high bar for future cultural projects in the region. Already this year, part of the program includes exclusive events and performances that have not been previously presented in Russia. In the future, the team plans to develop the festival and bring more unique projects created specifically for "ALFA HUMAN."

      Information about the "ALFA HUMAN" festival: The International Arts Festival "ALFA HUMAN" takes place in Nizhny Novgorod from May 20 to May 31, 2026. The festival covers more than 10 venues, including the Pakhgauzes at Strelka, Chkalov Stairs, Arsenal, the Rukavishnikov Estate, and others. Combining academic music, contemporary art, and science, the project explores the role of humans as creators and researchers in the modern world.

      The festival program includes three main areas:

      - Academic music program (concerts, musical interventions, electronic music);

      - Scientific and educational program (lectures, discussions, public talks);

      - Site-specific projects (radio "ALFA HUMAN" — an audio installation based on recordings from the legendary company "Melody").

      Every year, the festival organizers turn to one of the iconic figures of the Russian art scene, choosing an artist of the year. Based on one of their works, the resident composer creates a graphic score — a multidisciplinary work at the intersection of music and art. Paying tribute to the classic of conceptualism who passed away last year, the artist of 2026 is chosen to be Erik Bulatov — one of the most famous and significant contemporary Russian artists, whose works explore social space and the concept of freedom through the reinterpretation of images from the Soviet era.