The director of the Moscow Cossack Choir, Veniamin Novotochinov, after their performance in a theater in the Cuban capital said: "We were surprised by the reception of our first presentation in Cuba."

The presentation of the Russian artists on Tuesday night drew loud applause from the audience, which included members of the diplomatic corps, officials of the Russian embassy on the island, the Ministry of Culture and admirers of Slavic culture.

Novotochinov highlighted to Prensa Latina the warm hospitality offered by the Cuban public, present in the Miramar Theater, in the capital’s Playa municipality, despite a persistent drizzle, and who thanked the performance standing and with prolonged ovations.

Traditional songs and dances, spectacular sword juggling and a combination of voices of the six members of the artistic delegation delighted the audience, which thanked the artists.

The Moscow Cossack Choir was founded in 2013, and has a long international career that has led it to perform in Brazil, Belgium, Belarus, China, France, Greece, India, Italy, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Luxembourg, Monaco, Paraguay, Switzerland and Vietnam.

It has also merited major awards at various festivals and competitions both in Russia and abroad.

Novotochinov stressed that with its presentation in Cuba, the music-dance group wants to strengthen cultural and friendship ties between Russians and Cubans.

Cuba and Russia have maintained close and historic ties of friendship for more than six decades, particularly in the field of culture and art.