Zakharova criticized the West's approach to culture as a political tool

Culture should not be considered as an ordinary political tool, as Western countries do. This was stated on October 8 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, during a press conference at the II International Symposium "Creating the Future" at the Rossiya National Center.

"We cannot and in no case should not repeat the mistakes of the West, which have reduced cinema, literature, and art in general to some kind of ideologues that are being developed somewhere by someone. This is a dead end," the diplomat said.

According to her, the West has already realized the disappointing results of such a model. Generations raised on Western ideas of "soft power" no longer understand what culture is in many ways.

"Any simplification leads to the Western concept of perceiving culture and art as a soft power. That's such a banal tool, you know. <...> Culture cannot be considered as a tool. Culture is like oxygen, like air, which we cannot see, but without which we cannot," the diplomat concluded.

"The formation of a multipolar world is a rather long process"

Maria Zakharova — on the conflict in Ukraine, the new world order and the Russian presidency of the UN Security Council

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 16 that more and more people in various countries of the world see Russia as a guardian and defender of traditional values. He added that respect for the identity of the peoples of the world and their right to development is the key to the formation of a just world, as well as the development of more favorable conditions for Russia.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.