Russian-Catalan Cultural Centre
Sodruzhestvo Amistat
A cultural and educational centre in Barcelona where music, languages and art bridge two cultures.
We started in 2002 organising Russian music concerts in Catalonia. Today we are a music academy, a language school offering art and chess workshops, and a vibrant cultural programme open to all.
Origins
The Russian-Catalan Cultural Centre Sodruzhestvo was formally established in December 2012, but its history began ten years earlier. In 2002, Marina Sipchenko and Danil Sayfullin started organising Russian music concerts and festivals in cultural centres, universities and conservatoires across Catalonia, with support from Barcelona City Council, the Generalitat, and private sponsors.
From that activity came the need for a permanent space. Since then, the Centre has grown in two complementary directions that continue to define it: education and culture.
2002
First concerts
2012
Sodruzhestvo Cultural Centre Foundation
2013
Russian Academy of Music in Barcelona — Founded
2015
First edition of the Alborada Rusa festival
2019
The academy becomes an official Trinity College centre
Our educational and cultural offering
Since its foundation, the Centre's activity has developed around two main pillars: education and culture.
Educational
Instrumental and vocal training since 2013. Official Trinity College London examination centre.
Art school for children aged 2 to 6. Music, art and movement.
Language school: Russian, Spanish and Catalan for children and adults, offered face-to-face and online.
Painting and dance for all ages, in small groups.
cultural
The Alborada Rusa International Festival-Competition has brought together young musicians from more than twenty countries since 2015.
Art samples made by Russian and Catalan artists.
Recitals and auditions throughout the year featuring Academy students and invited professional musicians.
Every year since 2013, Christmas shows for the Russian-speaking community in Catalonia feature professional musicians and actors.
Official Trinity certification
Over the years, the Centre's activity has expanded and evolved, adapting to the needs and interests of the region's Russian-speaking community. Gradually, the need arose not only to offer musical training to children and adults, but also to provide them with the opportunity to obtain official certification for their musical studies.
In 2019, the Russian Academy of Music in Barcelona became an official examination centre for Trinity College London. This recognition made the Academy a unique musical institution in Catalonia and one of the few in Spain where it is possible to receive musical training in Russian and sit international examinations.
Alborada Rusa
Since 2015, the «Russian Dawn» International Youth Classical Music Festival-Competition has brought together young musicians from over 20 countries. Over the years, this festival has become one of our Cultural Centre's flagship events and a defining hallmark.
Languages
Another important area of the Centre's activity is supporting Russian-speaking families newly arrived in Catalonia, helping them adapt to their new social and linguistic environment.
To this end, the "Lenguas Top" language school at our Centre offers Spanish and Catalan courses for Russian-speaking children and adolescents. These classes help them navigate their new linguistic environment with greater confidence, facilitate their adaptation and encourage integration. Meanwhile, our teachers also provide Russian as a foreign language for Spanish-speaking children and adults.
Private events
If you would like to organise a private event—a birthday, a wedding, a gathering of friends or any other celebration—please get in touch with us. We will help you organise and execute it with the highest level of professionalism: we will design the programme and provide excellent musicians and singers to make your celebration truly special and unforgettable.