Meeting with Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova

The Minister briefed the President on the modernisation of museums and libraries, the development of film studios in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to supply children’s art schools with domestically produced musical instruments, and joint efforts with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Lyubimova, good afternoon.

Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova: Good afternoon, Mr President.

I would like to report on several key issues, particularly our support for the new regions and border areas. There has been significant progress in theatres and model libraries.

Vladimir Putin: Is the work going well?

Olga Lyubimova: Yes, it is. We are working in close collaboration with the professional community. Every museum and theatre has a federal patron overseeing its development. For example, the State Historical Museum is assisting in the creation of a Cossack Museum in Lugansk, while the Bakhrushin Theatre Museum is helping establish a theatre museum in Debaltsevo, including major children’s cultural centres. There are 77 museums in the new regions, and in each one, we are working with federal museums to create dedicated children’s centres.

We have discussed this with you before, and we are very grateful for your support of local history museums. It is particularly significant that this initiative is starting with the new regions.

We have also been thinking about how to make these museums a regular part of children’s lives. Right now, many children visit a local history museum only twice – in first grade and again in eleventh. But what if they could go twice a week instead? We were inspired by Irina Antonova’s Young Art Historian Club, something every parent in Moscow hoped their child could join, as mine did. It is essential that parents have this opportunity, and by the end of this year, such programmes will be available in all 77 museums in the new regions.

We are working with the border territories wherever possible as well to create and upgrade these unique spaces.

Importantly, among other things, this work is being done by the cultural institutions themselves, without us issuing any directives. When tragedy broke out at the local history museum in Sudzha, and we learned about the death of our colleague, our absolutely devoted employee, and about the enemy destroying this museum, you know, I had special feelings reading messages in a chat room that is used by all museums in our country. They said, colleagues, let us give all our receipts to Sudzha on this beautiful weekend, when thousands of visitors will come to federal museums. You could see messages like “Pavlovsk stands with you,” “Veliky Novgorod will support you,” “The Far East is here,” and “Colleagues, let us keep working.” Our colleagues collected 90 million over the weekend to pass these funds to our colleagues from…

Vladimir Putin: Sudzha.

Olga Lyubimova: Yes. This is, of course, a separate effort.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Olga Lyubimova: It is a great joy to see this work unfold across all areas.

Libraries are part of it. There are over 1,100 libraries in the new regions. As you may be aware, the Culture national project spawned a number of modern model libraries, and people in the new regions welcome them. By 2030, we will have 70 such new libraries catering to people of all ages from the very young with clubs and developmental activities to visitors of advanced age who enjoy book discussions.

Our library community has made a cultural revolution of sorts on its own: we have replaced the old-fashioned quiet studies and uncomfortable furniture with a large number of armchairs and bean bags, and made free broadband internet available. People of different ages come to do their homework, or to prepare a report. Of course, such a modern use of the library, using the library as a club, a meeting point, an opportunity to make friends for teenagers who have difficulty socialising, such as children who read and think, and can meet like-minded friends makes library communities a completely different environment.

Vladimir Putin: How is the stocking of libraries progressing?

Olga Lyubimova: Extremely actively, particularly in the new regions. Thanks to your instruction, nearly 800,000 books were delivered last year. These libraries had not received new materials since the Soviet era, dating back to the 1980s. As for the books they did receive in recent history – to be frank, Mr President, it would have been better if none of us had ever seen them. This includes literature, even for children, that is utterly indefensible.

Of course, the professional community and teachers are now delighted that summer reading assignments can be given, knowing children can visit libraries to access these books. This effort involves close coordination with our colleagues from the Ministry of Education. This year, we will add a further 200,000 volumes, with plans to supply 1.1 million books by 2030. At present – though the network is vast, with over 1,100 libraries in the new regions – the acute shortage of materials persists. We aim to address this through the Family national project, which has recently begun operating with notable vigour.

I must also highlight the work of our circus performers, who have demonstrated unwavering dedication since the onset of the special military operation. By decision of Rosgostsirk (Russian State Circus Company) and the Zapashny brothers, all earnings from performances in the new regions remain there. Rosgostsirk, which has itself long required additional funding, has donated 206 million rubles. Their shows are not staged for profit but to connect with audiences, and the proceeds are retained for the people working in these regions.

The Lugansk Circus, once supported by Iosif Kobzon, remains in excellent condition. Previously, the surrounding square was in a deplorable and unwelcoming state, creating difficult conditions for visitors. It now resembles a park with benches and photo zones, attracting families with prams and young people gathering for photographs. The atmosphere has been completely revitalised.

This is extremely important, just as another issue I would like to mention. It concerns our cooperation with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and support for participants in the special military operation. This includes free theatre and museum tickets and even the possibility of employment at our restoration workshops.

Vladimir Putin: It is very good that you have established such strong contacts with the Foundation.

Olga Lyubimova: Yes, we appreciate this because we immediately received the opportunity to give guest performances, including in military units, hospitals and recreation centres where our servicemen undergo rehabilitation. Wherever our military allowed us to go, we gave concerts that ranged from two people with a guitar to large performances.

Another point I must mention is that the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) is a leader in patriotic education. Its students from the documentary films department begged to be allowed to visit the frontline at the start of the operation. They went there together with young VGIK teachers as soon as security officials granted permission, which was shortly after the start of the operation. This is part of the institute’s traditions.

Vladimir Putin: It is essential that they comply with security requirements.

Olga Lyubimova: Yes, we have to keep them in check, but we are also creating the necessary conditions [for such trips]. We have opened the Forpost film studios in the Lugansk and Donetsk people’s republics, which have the necessary equipment for making films. You can stay there overnight, edit your films, add sound, and use a wide range of other equipment.

We will open two such studios before May 9, one for those who come to the new regions to make their films, and the other for the young people who are studying in the new regions. There is the federal-level Matusovsky Lugansk State Academy of Culture and Arts, which is absolutely wonderful and has a remarkable faculty, and a college in Shakhtyorsk [in the Donetsk People’s Republic], where we have opened a second Forpost studio. College students will be able to get jobs and work together with us there.

Vladimir Putin: I see you have a separate section here titled Children’s Art Schools.

Olga Lyubimova: Yes, I wanted to update you on our progress. Your support for children’s art schools has been incredibly valuable to us. Thanks to the national project Culture, we have successfully supplied the first 1,800 schools with musical instruments, and now we are moving forward with a significant contribution from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. We have been in touch with Mr Anton Alikhanov and are planning a series of major events where top Russian instrument manufacturers will meet with our most renowned performers.

Vladimir Putin: High-quality instruments.

Olga Lyubimova: This will help us improve further. For instance, brass and percussion instruments are generally well-received, but there are some concerns with strings and keyboards – some instruments are more successful than others. It is crucial for us to establish a commission that will evaluate these instruments, ensuring that under the national project Culture, everyone is satisfied. The goal is to provide instruments of such quality that they enable our teachers to effectively share their knowledge with students.

Vladimir Putin: Ms Lyubimova, I would also like to discuss the issue regarding the school under the conservatory in St Petersburg. The condition of the facilities there, to put it mildly, has deteriorated significantly.

Olga Lyubimova: Mr Alexander Beglov and I are currently exploring the possibility of exchanging this building for one that the city will provide. This will allow us to restore or renovate the school building, depending on its status as a cultural heritage site. We are in regular contact with the rector of our conservatory, who is responsible for this school.

Mr Beglov and I were just discussing three potential options. They are currently calculating the cost of repairs, as the school is operating in an almost dilapidated building at the moment.

Vladimir Putin: Of course.

Kaynak: (BYZHA) Beyaz Haber Ajansı