Officials from the press service of the Main Directorate of Diplomatic Unit Services, a department within the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, disclosed that five million rubles were allocated for purchasing tickets to performances at the Bolshoi Theatre. This information was published on the administration’s official site as part of a formal press release. The report clarifies that 350 seats were bought specifically for the traditional New Year’s reception hosted for foreign diplomats who are accredited to represent the ministry’s leadership during the season of official engagements.
The State Department subsequently commented that the planned events, for which these tickets were acquired, are standard elements of diplomatic protocol and are categorized as official ceremonial activities. This framing aligns with long-standing international practice, where receptions and cultural engagements are considered routine tools for diplomacy and relationship-building among foreign officials, ambassadors, and ministry leadership.
Earlier, the Telegram channel Baza reported that the purchasing list compiled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs included tickets for protocol events that foreign diplomats would attend. In addition to the 350 Bolshoi Theatre tickets, the report noted that the ministry had secured 500 tickets for a separate venue, the Moscow Circus, as part of the same broader program of protocol-related hospitality and ceremonial hosting. The coverage emphasizes an organized approach to coordinating cultural invitations as part of official foreign policy activities, with ticket allocation designed to accommodate a range of international visitors and dignitaries in line with established procedures.