Putin holds a meeting of the Council for Culture and Art

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting of the Council for Culture and the Arts on March 25. Within the framework of it, discussions were held on the accessibility of culture and the development of Russian cinema.

"I propose to include indicators of the provision of cultural institutions in the regional standards for urban planning design, as well as to explore the possibility of introducing preferential lending mechanisms for investors willing to build and reconstruct cultural and leisure facilities," Putin said.

He stressed that the cultural infrastructure should not only be sufficient in quantity, but also meaningful in meaning, as well as accessible to all citizens of the Russian Federation.

Nikolai Ivanov, Executive Secretary of the Board of the Writers' Union of Russia, in turn, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Writers of Russia "for ordering the return of property and, to a certain extent, organizational and financial capabilities to the Writers' Union of Russia."

"In fact, for the first time in 30 years, nothing was taken away from the writers, but they were given, and even with two hands. Now, once again launching the unifying literary process, we confirm that Russia has three allies — the army, the Navy and the Union of Writers of Russia, together with the Council for Culture and the Arts," Ivanov said.

In response to his words, the Russian President added that Russia has other allies — cinema, music and other fields of art.

"It's enough to watch films about the war, and it will be obvious that this is the case. And many other types of art. Isn't there music? It is enough to recall Shostakovich and his symphony in besieged Leningrad," Putin said.

In addition, Karen Shakhnazarov, a film director, general director of the Mosfilm film concern, and deputy chairman of the Presidential Council for Culture and the Arts, said that children don't watch many good, real Russian films now. He noted that "in many countries, cinema is already included in school education," but children do not know the classics of Russian cinema.

Putin drew attention to the fact that cinema in Russia is also being intensively produced. In 2024, 300 national films were completed, and 150 films have already been launched this year.

"The perception of the quality of Russian cinema by the audience is growing. And, of course, the great merit in this lies precisely in the support of the state. The National Media Group primarily sees this support in the field of cinematography. And one of the latest examples is the film Red Silk, which was released with the support of the Cinema Foundation," said Svetlana Balanova, head of the National Media Group.

The Russian President stressed that it is necessary to "create good conditions for people so that there is no desire to leave anywhere."

"So that everything is decent everywhere, at the best, highest level, and that the tigers are given meat, so that everything is here within the framework of the standards and rules we have declared," Putin concluded.

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