Russia hosted a symbolic wedding ceremony for two AI-powered humanoid robots this week at Moscow's Pushkin Library, as part of a public demonstration highlighting advances in the country's humanoid robotics technology.

The two robots, named Robert and Matilda, exchanged wedding bracelets instead of rings and delivered AI-generated vows during the ceremony. Robert was designed to resemble an office worker and blogger, while Matilda was modelled as a ballerina. A robot dog named Dogmatik carried the bracelets onto the stage, and Matilda performed a dance as part of the event.

The ceremony was not a legally recognised marriage but a staged demonstration. Robert and Matilda were first introduced at the 2026 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and the event was held to coincide with Russia's Family, Love and Fidelity Day.

The robots were developed by Russian company IT-Imperial. Deputy CEO Anna Bagdasaryan said the event was intended to showcase the potential of humanoid robotics and encourage greater public engagement with the technology. She added that the company's robots are built on open platforms, allowing users to develop their own behavioural algorithms. As part of the event, IT-Imperial also donated books on robotics, artificial intelligence and automation to the library.

The demonstration comes amid growing investment in humanoid robotics worldwide, with companies in China, the United States and Russia developing increasingly human-like machines for research, commercial and service applications. Industry players are also using public demonstrations to showcase advances in robotics as competition in the sector intensifies.