Medinsky will “wake up” culture in 2014

MOSCOW. “The Year of Culture in Russia,” commented Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, “is not only a chance to receive additional funding. We want to “wake up” the culture in the regions. ”

Photo: medinskiy.ru

We do not have time to blink an eye, as autumn rushes with a whistle and hides behind our backs. The long-awaited December will come: the Christmas tree is dressed up, the table is set, the cork from champagne is about to fly to the ceiling or to the neighbor opposite. And until this happens, we quietly make a wish.

Someone dreams of love, or a trip to the Maldives, someone of luck and wealth - the choice is unlimited. Unlike the “common people”, people of art, clinking glasses, guess one thing: if only the coming year was truly saturated with cultural events.

Not so long ago, Vladimir Putin signed the Decree "On the Year of Culture in the Russian Federation." This happiness fell on 2014. This initiative was put forward by the chairman of the Federation Council, Valentina Matvienko.

Vladimir Medinsky presented the action plan of the Year of Culture - the main actions to be held in 2014. Only 12 sections. The Minister briefly introduced some of them, namely: the construction of 50 regional cultural centers, the holding of competitions in support of talented authors, the financing of projects to preserve the historical appearance of small towns, and the subsidizing of schoolchildren on trips to historical cities of the country.

The Ministry will allocate 50 grants of 5 million rubles to support projects of regional creative groups, 50 grants of 5 million rubles to create new exhibits for museum projects, 50 grants of 3 million rubles to support patriotic actions, events and competitions.

The minister noted that next year state funding of the cultural sector will amount to 82 billion rubles. But Medinsky is convinced: this is not enough. Already there is a problem with the distribution of funds. Critics argue which film is worthy of support, museum directors are “queuing up” for subsidies, and contemporary art is considered quackery. Next year, at the suggestion of the director of the State Hermitage Museum Mikhail Piotrovsky, one should be more careful about the selection of the exhibited works.

Funding for this project has increased this year, but in 2014 the money from the state budget will be sent for really useful needs. First of all, it is important that not only professionals, but also ordinary people in small towns and villages are connected to the creative tasks of the Year of Culture. Children, retirees and people with disabilities. “We want to move from supporting creative elites to mass participation of citizens in creative projects,” says Medinsky.

Next year, a “filter” will be installed in the selection of specific projects: something that will help the broad masses of people in the regions, different sectors of society to connect to creative projects.

But back to the state budget. Despite such a small amount, according to Vladimir Rostislavovich, the country’s leadership promises to increase salaries in the cultural sector.

The State Duma is also working on several laws and introduces amendments that will only be a joy to people of art. For example, the government changes the Tax Code so that all cultural organizations are exempt from income tax. And not only federal, but municipal and private.

The abolition of VAT for museums when they purchase exhibits abroad with extrabudgetary funds is the second bill. In the near future, the government plans to draft a law on patronage and the fight against film piracy.

In total, over the period from 2012 to 2018, it is planned to allocate more than 180 billion rubles for the development of domestic culture. Also, the money goes to decrypt documents of the First World War. According to Vladimir Medinsky, a large amount of work is being done by the ministry in the Russian State Library and the St. Petersburg Russian National Library to digitize documents related to the period of that terrible time. “The documents are decaying, and this is our heroic story,” the minister comments.

That the coming year? To us, actors and artists, dancers, directors, screenwriters - everyone who considers himself to be a cultural industry. It will strike twelve, and we raise glasses of champagne. A toast has been delivered, hope is warming in the soul: Medinsky promised - Medinsky will do. At least, I want to believe it.

Dasha Keller © Gallerix.ru