75 Years Of RI's Cultural Relations, Tolstoy Statue Becomes A New Icon At UI

JAKARTA - The Indonesian government has reiterated that cultural diplomacy has a strategic role in international relations.

This was marked by the inauguration of The Bust of Leo Tolstoy by the Minister of Culture Fadli Zon at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FIB UI), Depok, Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

The statue is a symbol of the 75th anniversary of Indonesia's cultural relations as well as a new momentum for the collaboration of literature between the two countries.

In his speech, Fadli emphasized that the presence of the Tolstoy statue was not just a gesture of friendship, but also a form of Indonesia's commitment to encourage literary works to appear stronger in the global arena. He even opened up opportunities for Indonesia to participate in presenting national literature figures in public spaces.

"In the future, we hope to present the statue of Chairil Anwar at UI or other cultural spaces," he said.

Fadli added that literature plays an important role in building the character of the nation. He considered Tolstoy's works including War and Peace and Anna Karenina to be proof of how literature can influence the views of the world community.

"Russian SAStra has an important position in the world's realm, along with the richness of Indonesian literature," he said.

He also noted the increasing number of Indonesian students studying in Russia. The government, according to him, is committed to expanding cultural cooperation through residential programs, museum development, to joint film production.

"Indonesia's cultural relations continue to grow. There are still many opportunities to synergize in the preservation of cultural heritage and cinema cooperation," he added.

Russian representative, HE Lilia Gumerova, in her speech emphasized the universal education values contained in the work of Tolstoy. He said that Indonesia and Russia have similarities in noble values that strengthen relations between the two countries.

The inauguration of the statue took place with a ribbon cutting procession, a Russian fairy tale reading by Minister Fadli, a Russian music and dance performance, as well as a public lecture entitled Study of LN Tolstoy in Indonesia by Prof. Mina Elfira.

The event was also attended by high-level delegates from the Russian Federation, FIB UI leaders, and officials from the Ministry of Culture. At the end of the event, Fadli conveyed the message that culture has always been the glue between nations.

"Hopefully the relationship between Indonesia and Russia will continue to strengthen and develop together," he concluded.