Culture and authority: The first meeting of the Organizing Committee for the Year of Culture in Russia took place in Moscow

October 9, 2013 in Moscow took place the first meeting of the Organizing Committee for the Year of Culture in Russia chaired by speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the chairman of the Organizing Committee Valentina Matvienko.

The chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko said that work on the preparation and adoption of laws in the field of culture need to be activated.

According to the speaker of the Federation Council, by the decree of the President of Russia the year 2014 was declared the Year of Culture recently hosted a meeting of the Presidential Council for Culture and the Arts. It speaks of a new stage of understanding the role and importance of culture as one of the top priorities in our society, she said.

“I think the year of culture - is not only a key component in the formation of a new government policy, but it’s time for a thorough legislative recognition”, - said V. Matvienko.

She also added that at the same time it is necessary to clarify the principles of state information policy. “Here we have a lot more problems than we would like”, - said V. Matvienko.

The Minister of Culture of Russia Vladimir Medinsky, speaking at the meeting, offered by all federal cultural agencies to create modern bookstores.

According to him, there is “a catastrophic situation with the sales of books, decreased interest in reading”. In this regard, the minister offers “all federal cultural institutions to create full modern bookstores”.