VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
“Russia has a chance not only to preserve its culture but to use it as a powerful force for progress in international markets. The Russian language is spoken in nearly all the former Soviet republics and in a significant part of Eastern Europe. This is not about empire, but rather cultural progress. Exporting education and culture will help promote Russian goods, services and ideas; guns and imposing political regimes will not.”
“The government will pay special attention to how museums, theatres, libraries and creative societies operate in small towns, where there is the greatest deficiency of cultural pastimes. The Ministry of Culture together with heads of regions should draft a government cultural development programme for small towns and put it up for broad discussion by the intellectual community.”
“Cultural practices should regain their key role as leisure organisations. We will promote a system of amateur creative activities starting from secondary school, where the position of children's creative work organiser should be introduced (in each particular case the position can be filled by a film director, a painter, a choreographer or a musician), and allocate other needed resources. The important thing is that children should become familiar with Russia's national culture while still in school.”
“We must ensure that each citizen enjoys broad and unrestricted access to national and global cultural values. The government will support the creation of public electronic libraries, as well as museum and theatre Internet resources; it will purchase the rights to the free distribution on the Internet of outstanding films and plays.”
“We see fewer and fewer literary publications in the languages of small ethnic groups of Russia. This cultural diversity that we often mention and that we take pride in could be lost unless we recover this system of support for cultures and languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation. Quite simply, it is necessary to extend funds.”
“A 2.5 billion-rouble loan is to be issued for the «Film Club: Culture, Education, Communications» project involving the creation of a cluster of such clubs as part of the KinoCity project. At least 250 multimedia cinemas are to be built, above all in small and medium-sized towns. There is not enough social infrastructure of this kind in our small and medium-sized towns, and everything must be done to get this project up and running.”
“The intellectual and cultural potential of the nation are shaped by how much we read and how much we publish; but even more than that, they are shaped by the moral and ethical values that are conveyed by these books; whether they encourage critical thinking, reflection and analysis. <…> It is for the good of the country and its future that we will revive our people's appetite for a good read. We have all the necessary tools for this: talented authors and professional publishers.”
“Reading high quality and serious literature directly influences people’s level of education and cultural sophistication. It sets social trends and shapes the nation’s aspirations to make scientific and economic breakthroughs and other significant achievements. To a great extent, it serves as a springboard for the entire nation, giving it a competitive edge on the world scene.”
“It is an excellent ground for arts enthusiasts and theatre lovers, in particular. <…> The theatre was joined by people with both the talent and enthusiasm necessary to take charge of this work and push through it. It is a real pleasure to see this enthusiasm”.
"One of its (Government programme “Russian Culture”) main elements will be the development of museums in Russia and the preservation of museum collections. Under the programme, the material and technical base of federal and municipal museums will be strengthened, some of the museum items will be restored, and conditions for the safety and accessibility of exhibits will be created. <…> I think it would be proper to form an interagency commission to ensure the preservation of the museum collections of the Russian Federation."
"It would not be an overstatement to say that the Tchaikovsky Competition is this country's most prestigious music contest, part of our national heritage. It reflects how our society relates to the arts in general, and to music in particular. And it reflects our nation's pride in the remarkable contribution it has made to the world treasury of art."
“Language and a country's spiritual, cultural and historical heritage are what define national identity and bind together the people, society, and the entire country. What’s more, in many ways, these form the foundations for state sovereignty. And therefore, I think it is absolutely right that we focus on these issues and take advantage of new opportunities that become available to us.”
“As you know, we plan to adopt the state programme “Culture of Russia,” and as early as the beginning of 2012, we will substantially increase funding for museums and libraries. <…>Of course, one of the priorities here is to support the Russian language – strengthening its position as an international language and generating interest in Russian language, literature and history both among the peoples of the Russian Federation and in other countries.”
“Naturally, many items stored at the Hermitage are of global cultural significance. It is the pride of Russia, and we must make sure that this date is celebrated accordingly. I’m referring not only to the celebration but also to using this anniversary as an occasion to carry out a series of long overdue measures to strengthen the museum.”
“Obviously, we cannot ensure a high level of culture in this country without due attention to and support for its cultural environment. To achieve this, it is imperative that we have a strong material-technical base that meets modern demands. <…> In making a decision on the construction or renovation of cultural facilities, it is necessary to determine the concept behind a given theatre’s development, choose a competitive repertoire, and hire a decent company so that it can live a fully-fledged life and fulfill its noble mission rather than lie idle or simply get leased out, as it happens sometimes, regrettably.”
“I’d like to address all those present and even those who are not here but are directly linked to the arts and have devoted their lives to this cause: we need modern, domestic content. What Mr Fokin said about the need to create an appropriate environment for that work – in this case in theatre arts – is very important. If we don’t do so, foreign producers will just squeeze us out as is the case in many European countries. If so, we will have to introduce non-market forms of regulation, which means that we will restrict our audiences and deprive them of choice.”
“I suggest that United Russia should propose and execute a special, socially important project to support Russian museums and contribute to restoring sites of historical or cultural interest. War memorials should receive special attention. While moving forward, we must always remember that we are building our future on a strong foundation – the 1,000-year history of Russia, its accomplishments, the courage and patience of our fathers.”
“I’m sure you’ll agree that cinema has a high educational potential, and can promote high civic and moral values, as well as mutual respect and tolerance, which is all the more relevant in a multi-ethnic and multi-faith country like ours. As I understand it, some specific proposals have been prepared for today’s meeting, ones related to the construction of new, modern movie theaters.”
“Russia is a very wealthy country, and that our greatest wealth lies in our cultural diversity, as I said at the beginning. And so it is very important that we understand your work, that we begin to understand the problems and trials of our ancestors, what our country went through as it took shape... the difficulties they encountered and how they overcame them. This allows us to say with confidence that we will overcome the problems we face today. And if we achieve success, it won't go to our heads or prevent our further progress. Everybody knows this, but I'll say it anyway: we can only be sure that we are building the right future if we know the past.”
"We will make with priority given to support for young musicians. Over half of the four billion roubles appropriated for grants will be allotted for young musicians, choreographic and music schools, conservatories and so on. We are certainly going to support touring musicians. People living in remote Russian regions must not feel alienated from the country's cultural life."
"I would like to note that support for music will always be one of the government's top priorities in culture. A total of 6.4 billion roubles will be allocated from the federal budget for musicians and choreographers in 2010."
"I have recently visited Vladivostok and announced the transfer of yet another facility, a convent, to the Russian Orthodox Church there. I want to tell you that we plan to completely release the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow throughout 2010 and to transfer it to the Russian Orthodox Church."
"As you know, we now rely on the Law on Religious Organisations. However, such legal regulation is not enough. The Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Culture have now drafted another bill on transferring previously owned property to religious organisations. This is the first thing. Second, the Ministry of Culture has drafted yet another bill and has submitted it to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development. This implies the restoration of those religious facilities having artistic and historical value but which are already owned by religious organisations. It is common knowledge that the state is now unable to directly finance restoration projects in this respect. Nonetheless, we have stipulated over 2 billion roubles for restoring facilities currently owned by the Church."
"Along with the restoration of monuments of historic and architectural interest, the Institute of the National Languages and Culture of the Finno-Ugric Peoples will be established at the University of Mordovia in Saransk. This institute is intended to become the centre of Finno-Ugric research and educational projects."
“Our strategic objective is to create the conditions in Russia, in particular in the Republic of Mordovia, that will allow the Finno-Ugric languages and culture to flourish, their rich legacy to be studied, and their friendly contacts with related ethnicities in other countries to be expanded.”
"The last decade has made obvious the importance of direct government participation in the development and promotion of domestic film making, supporting film studios, and securing contracts for related organisations. We have managed not only to preserve the cinematographic personnel and industrial infrastructure, and all those present know how difficult it was to achieve this in the early and middle 1990s and the early 2000s, but we have done this, and also managed to elevate our film industry to a new level, primarily in sales revenues and in production capacity."
"We have a great cinematographic legacy. Our films traditionally receive prestigious awards at international festivals. However, our films have not yet won a mass foreign audience. In other words, we are still unable to exert in full measure economic and cultural influence, which is one of the most important and serious tasks of national film making."
"Needless to say, the financial crisis has had an adverse effect on the development of the film making infrastructure, or in simpler terms, the construction of new movie theatres and other facilities. However, the growth of box-office revenue from Russian films is a positive change. It has reached 15% in the last nine months. Other industries have been in decline, but box-office revenue has increased by 15% in the last nine months. The Government can render financial aid, help acquire equipment and build the infrastructure. It can help streamline the educational process, as we are doing at VGIK. But the Government cannot force spectators see what they are not interested in. This is what creativity is all about."
"So-called thick or literary magazines have traditionally played a major role in Russian literary life. The writers at the meeting repeatedly brought up the idea of supporting these thick magazines. Let me point out that these magazines must be available to general readers, both directly through subscription and in our libraries."
"It is still a government priority to encourage literature and writers. Accordingly - as I understood it - you proposed a Russian Federation Government resolution that would increase the number of Russian Government awards for arts and culture from 20 to 25. Unfortunately, in previous years there were no writers among those who received awards. But this increase of five awards will enable additional support of talented writers, and these additional five awards will be given exclusively to writers. Let me remind you that a laureate receives one million roubles with his or her award. In addition, grants for creative initiatives in the arts will be doubled from 25 to 50 million roubles, which also means an increase in funding for literary projects. We will allocate the necessary funds from the federal budget for 2010."
"Next year we will conduct the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia. Together with our Chinese friends, we are planning a large number of joint events at the same level, notably youth and student exchanges, meetings of professionals and fans of Chinese culture, as well as a competition of Chinese songs. In a word, we have very interesting and embracing plans."
"It's common knowledge that Russia has always been a reading nation; we often mention this fact. Russia has even surpassed the Soviet Union in terms of the number of titles published. At the end of the 1980s, the number of book titles published stood at some 80,000, while it reached 123,000 in 2008."
"I would like to draw your attention to another item of our agenda, the expanded intra-CIS cultural ties. In May 2006, we signed an agreement with our CIS colleagues on establishing a special Cultural Cooperation Foundation. I would like to note that the Foundation has become an outstanding aspect of CIS cultural life in the past three years. Dozens of publishing and museum projects have been implemented. The Foundation has some interesting ideas on education, science, support for the media, sports, tourism and youth policies."
"In the long run, our countries are mostly united by a shared history and cultural heritage, a common information space, science and sports ties. This is why Russia has invariably supported and will continue to support expanded contacts between CIS nations and is ready to create the most favourable climate for the successful performance of the Cultural Cooperation Foundation."
"It is therefore vital that, in accordance with the current law, a new competition be held to select the architectural concept and subsequent design work. The fundamental condition of this competition must include maintaining the current construction schedule, since we already have an established budget and a 2011 deadline. Further, the new design will have to be built using the foundation currently under construction."
"In my opinion, Chechen Muslims and all Muslims in Russia can rightfully be proud of this mosque. It is a truly great gift to the Muslim community".
"I would like to add that we have started developing a unified federal system called the Electronic Ticket. I have already discussed this with Mr Mikhalkov. In fact, he suggested this idea, referring to some problems with film distribution. We hope that this system will give us full information about film distribution in the country."
"It is clear that organization of the system of public participation in the production and distribution of domestic films will require a new approach. In this context, we have already made decisions on the allocation of considerable funds to support our filmmaking industry.This applies to films which are aimed at promoting a value system that meets the interests of Russian society and facilitates the strategic task of national development. The Government will spend as much as $2 billion rubles a year for this purpose. We will pay great attention also to the development of films for children, art films, and documentaries."
"Be that as it may, cinema has always been one of the most popular forms of art. We are pleased that in the last few years, the Russian film market has been markedly on the rise. In the last seven years, the number of Russian films more than doubled, and their share in the total box-office takings has gone up nine times."
"At the same time, cinema's potential as a major instrument of education and building up society's values is not being used in full measure. And this is a subject for serious discussion."
"In 2010 it is being planned to allocate an additional 14.9 billion roubles, and 21.5 billion roubles in 2011. This money is supposed to be used as grants for creative groups, for the restoration of museums, theatres, libraries and other facilities, for the construction of new buildings and structures of this nature, and for planned events in the cultural sphere".
"Of course, we should pay special attention to libraries. All it takes is to finance their revival, to impart a new quality to them, to put their work on a modern technological basis. Financing for this will come through two channels".
"On the whole I think we should change the system of remuneration for cultural workers. The Culture Ministry must think about it and make corresponding proposals. Of course, the salaries of people working in this sphere are very small and do not match the importance of culture for society. It is an evident fact".
"We well understand what moral significance the national culture has, how important it is for the harmonious development and unity of Russian society, for the strengthening of its statehood. Therefore, we will pay careful attention to Russia's museums, theatres and libraries, to the preservation and development of its art movements. We will do our best to preserve and multiply our Motherland's cultural artefacts".