Website of the President of Russia: Commissions and Councils

Meeting of the Council for Culture

2026-03-26T18:58:43+04:00

The President chaired a meeting of the Presidential Council for Culture via videoconference. The agenda covered a broad range of matters dealing with the film industry, literature, and ballet.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends,

I am delighted to welcome the members of the Council for Culture meeting, as well as its guests.

We are once again holding this meeting on Culture Worker’s Day, your professional holiday. I would like to begin by congratulating you and all Russian musicians, artists, writers, actors, museum and library workers, as well as people working in theatres and cultural clubs, and all the specialised educational institutions.

The agenda for this meeting of the Council reflects the cultural landscape in its diversity. Among other things, we will be discussing matters dealing with cinema production and distribution.

Much has been done in recent years to generate steady development momentum for our national film industry and enhance its competitiveness. At the same time, we must ensure that people, primarily the younger generation, discover the best films of the past, considering that our country’s film industry has built a long-standing record of success and achievement.

Overall, we must educate children, teenagers and young people on a more system-wide basis about the way Russian art and our great masters influenced world culture at various stages of history. This is a very important element of the educational process.

Moreover, I believe that the younger generation must not only learn about art but also be empowered to practise it by learning to paint, dance, and master music from a very young age. We have built an effective and impressive multi-tiered system in arts education in our country, which requires our constant support.

At the previous meeting, we discussed infrastructure development in the cultural sector. In this connection, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the regions of the Russian Federation must step up their efforts in this domain.

I call for a more proactive approach to upgrading existing cultural institutions and building new ones, equipping them, and helping creatives and their associations by offering them preferential terms for leasing property and land. Those who work with young people must be the first to benefit from this kind of assistance.

It is essential that we support those who write books, plays, screenplays, and poetry for children and young people, while remembering, of course, as a famous children’s classic aptly noted, that today’s children will form the nation of tomorrow.

Overall, since 2026 has been designated the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, we must pay more attention to literature and the book industry, especially in the regions, as well as authors and translators working in minority languages while remaining part of the single Russian literary landscape.

I suggest that we get down to work and begin discussing our agenda. I give the floor to Vladimir Medinsky.

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Winners of the 2025 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for works and projects for children and young people announced

2026-03-25T09:52:11+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders awarding the 2025 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2025 Presidential Prize in Culture for works and projects for children and young people.

The names of the winners of the 2025 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and the 2025 Presidential prizes in Writing and Art for works and projects for children and young people were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide, Secretary of the Presidential Council for Culture Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council for Culture Karen Shakhnazarov.

The 2025 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals have been awarded to:

Murat Abulkatinov, chief director of the Krasnoyarsk Young Spectator’s Theatre, for his contribution to the development of national theatrical art;

Vladislav Miller, drama actor at the Oleg Tabakov Theatre, for his contribution to preserving and developing the traditions of Russian theatre and cinema;

Igor Morozov, a soloist at the Moscow Musical Theatre Helikon-Opera under the direction of Dmitry Bertman; Alina Chertash, a soloist at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia; and Polina Shabunina, a soloist at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, for their performance of leading roles in Sergei Prokofiev’s opera Semyon Kotko, staged at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre.

The 2025 Presidential prizes in Culture for works and projects for children and young people have been awarded to:

Anatoly Kislyakov, artistic director of the Popov’s Grand Children’s Choir – Choral Association of Followers of Viktor Popov’s Creative Work under the direction of Anatoly Kislyakov, for his contribution to the development of national choral traditions;

Radio channel Children’s Radio (GPM Radio) for creating a cultural and educational ecosystem for children;

Museum of the History of Military Uniforms for its contribution to shaping historical memory and promotion of patriotism among children and youth.

Executive Order on the Establishment of the Council for Culture and the Institution of the Presidential Prize in Culture for Works and Projects for Children and Youth

2025-10-07T15:35:55+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Certain Issues of State Culture Policy.

To improve and ensure the effective implementation of state culture policy, the President has resolved to establish the Presidential Council for Culture and to institute the Presidential Prize in Culture for works and projects for children and youth.

According to the Executive Order, three Presidential Prizes in Culture will be awarded annually for works and projects for children and youth, each valued at 5 million rubles.

The previously existing Presidential Council for Culture and Art is hereby abolished.

The Government of the Russian Federation has been issued the relevant instructions to this end.

Meeting of the Council for Culture and Art

2025-04-03T21:31:55+04:00

Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, we are holding an expanded meeting to discuss quite a few important issues. It looks like we are going, at least I hope so, to have a fulfilling and, I am convinced, productive discussion considering that the Council has many new members and represents almost all areas of the country’s cultural life. I am pleased to welcome aboard our new colleagues. I count on your active and meaningful involvement in addressing the tasks facing the Council.

Today marks Cultural Worker’s Day. My best wishes to you and everyone working in this field and thank you for your dedication. Cultural workers are a group of people that goes beyond famous A-list stars to include tens of thousands of employees of libraries and art centres, museums, theatres and rural clubs, children’s art schools and specialised universities, and everyone who preserve, develop, and pass on invaluable knowledge about our country’s history and traditions.

Whether it is much or little, but I will venture to say that something has indeed been done in the sphere of culture in recent years. In any event, the humanitarian component of the education process has been significantly expanded, our unparalleled domestic artist and musician training system has seen more opportunities open up, and massive grant support has been provided to support projects carried out by creative people, including young people who are new to this field. Over 3,200 institutions have been built or upgraded as part of the Culture national project. This work will continue under the more recently launched Family national project.

At the same time, I would like the Government to pay attention to what our other long-term development programmes, primarily the Infrastructure for Life national project, have to offer. Please focus on the importance of creating an extensive cultural institution network when drafting urban and rural development master plans and integrated territorial development projects.

I suggest adding the cultural institutions availability index for territories to the regional urban planning design regulations, and to work out the possibility of introducing subsidised lending mechanisms for investors that are willing to build or renovate cultural and recreational venues.

Cultural infrastructure must have enough cultural outlets and be meaningful in terms of content and be accessible to everyone regardless of geographical location or income level. People should have the opportunity to be part of the cultural scene – not just in the media, online, or in specialised cultural outlets – from young age. The area where a person lives, the way the area looks and the way its infrastructure is developed, including the condition of its cultural heritage sites, plays a crucial role in this regard.

Almost every Russian region, city or town, and our rural areas have buildings and neighbourhoods of historical, architectural, or artistic value. All of them are more than memories of our roots and traditions, or a source of national pride and inspiration. They are also a resource to promote spiritual and economic development of the regions and the country as a whole. Suffice it to mention that the successful development of tourism, which means the development of small and medium-sized businesses and the creation of new jobs, rely on our efforts to revive our heritage.

To reiterate, culture directly affects the way many social and economic issues, above all, education of the younger generations that will determine the future of Russia, are addressed.

We must do our best to help young people carry through life and pass on to their children the love and respect for the Fatherland, its heroes, history, and cultural heritage. I believe this to be the most important mission of our Council and, more broadly, the state-society partnership.

Let us move on to our agenda.

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Ceremony for presenting Presidential prizes to young culture professionals and for writing and art for children

2025-03-25T20:18:52+04:00

On Cultural Worker’s Day, a ceremony for presenting the 2024 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2024 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People was held in the Kremlin’s St Catherine Hall.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

I would like to offer you and your colleagues my heartfelt congratulations on Cultural Worker’s Day: writers and musicians, painters and artists, architects, and people working in theatres, museums and libraries. This holiday has been instituted as a sign of deep respect to all those working in this sector, whose achievements affirm the continued significance of traditions and values that are at the heart of our national culture, representing its very essence and meaning.

Our national culture promotes humanistic and moral ideals which serve as an unbreakable cross-generational bond for educators and creators. This is why we have a single ceremony for honouring both prominent and young masters of art, those who have been working for many years, creating works for children and youth, as well as those who have won recognition from the first steps they made in art.

Among them is Renata Shakirova, a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Theatre. Her skill is the embodiments in a dance of a bright artistic talent and the traditions of the renowned St Petersburg ballet school. Renata has been brilliantly performing the most challenging roles in classic and contemporary choreographic pieces and has been recognised by her colleagues and numerous ballet lovers.

Ivan Nikiforchin has been excelling in his art and demonstrating his sense of style since he was a student. An outstanding conductor, he created a chamber orchestra and a choir, which are now among the best performance groups in Russia. He also became the youngest faculty member at the Opera and Symphonic Conducting Department of the Moscow State Conservatory and had been deservedly put at the helm of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra.

Alexei Kapustin, Director at the Centre for Classical and Traditional Architecture, won the prize for young culture professionals. He focuses on preserving and rebuilding historical neighbourhoods in Russian cities and monasteries. His family has been a major inspiration for his success and his dedication. Alexei Kapustin was born into a family of architects and represents its fourth generation.

This year’s winners of the prize for writing and art for children and young people have made an invaluable contribution to the upbringing and development of the young citizens of Russia.

Director of the Prospect Publishing House Leonid Rozhnikov has created a series titled Book In a Book, where works by classical Russian writers are complemented with detailed illustrated comments that are easy to read and interesting to young people, to our rising generation. Leonid Rozhnikov also used an unusual method of presentation in his two-volume book titled The History of Russia for Children and Adults.

Book illustrations are the life’s work for Olga Ionaitis. She has illustrated over 150 books, and all of them are both beautiful and highly professional. Olga’s works seamlessly fit the authors’ ideas and are in tune with children’s delicate feelings and taste.

I am delighted to see the creative leaders of the Loktev Song and Dance Ensemble among the prize winners, including choreographer Marina Yegorova, choral conductor Anna Averyanenko, and artistic director Leonid Fradkin.

Leading a legendary ensemble like this is a huge responsibility. Friends, you are doing your job brilliantly. The Loktev Ensemble has always been a big and tight-knit family and an outstanding school of self-fulfilment for young talents who are proud of and treasure the status of being its members.

The ability to preserve traditions, making them resonate and giving them a new meaning is a gift that sets apart any truly creative and talented person. And each of you who are present in this hall fully belongs among such people. You are the ones who ensure continuity and bridge the generational divides, fill the cultural space with the light of your inspiration and creativity, serve as role models by setting the highest standards in terms of your professionalism and integrity by fulfilling your calling and civic duty, and of course you deserve this kind of high recognition from the state and society alike.

I sincerely congratulate you on winning these prizes and wish you every success in your future endeavours.

All the best.

(The ceremony for presenting the prize winner badges.)

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Vladimir Putin: Friends,

Once again my congratulations on these awards and on the well-deserved prizes.

I have noted that a winner here said that his teachers have worked profoundly on his creative personality – in cases like this, people usually speak about their mentors and those who made them what they are now and helped them achieve their goals. But afterwards, as has also been mentioned, you work just as profoundly, friends, as engineers of human souls, for us all to grow, become creative, authentic and interesting people and patriots. This has also been said.

I would also like to thank you for this and wish you all the best and new successes. Thank you for everything you have done. I hope that even more is to come.

Thank you very much. Congratulations.

Winners of the 2024 Presidential Prize for young culture professionals and for wiring and art for children and young people announced

2025-03-24T16:07:25+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders awarding the 2024 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2024 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

The names of the winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide, Secretary of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art Karen Shakhnazarov.

Meeting to prepare a session of the Council for Culture and Art

2025-01-10T16:11:04+04:00

Presidential Aide, Secretary of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art Vladimir Medinsky held a meeting to prepare a Council’s session.

Members of the Council discussed issues that might be included in the agenda of the Council’s upcoming session, which will be attended by the President.

Deputy Chairman of the Council Karen Shakhnazarov noted that the Council’s top priority is to provide the President with a comprehensive review of the situation in the sector, along with objective information about the problems.

Among topical issues the meeting participants noted the preservation of best traditions and the development of a three-stage cultural education system, expanding cultural cooperation with BRICS countries, perpetuating the memory of heroes of the special military operation in literature, cinema and dramatic art, addressing issues related to children’s literature, protecting children from destructive content, and popularising folklore and folk art among the younger generation. They also discussed the need to compile a list of cultural heritage sites and landmarks that have been affected by Ukrainian military operations in the regions of the Russian Federation.

Order on awarding Presidential grants to support creative projects in culture and the arts

2024-09-03T11:00:39+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed Order On Awarding Grants of the President of the Russian Federation to Support Nationwide Creative Projects in Culture and the Arts.

Grants of the President of the Russian Federation to support nationwide creative projects in culture and the arts are aimed at supporting projects to preserve, create, distribute and explore cultural values in literature, visual arts and design, architecture, music, choreography, performing arts and circus art, cinema, museology and library science, handicraft, folk art, education and research.

Grants of the President of the Russian Federation to support nationwide creative projects in culture and the arts have been awarded to heads of projects by the President’s Order following the contest held in 2023.

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders on National Awards of the Russian Federation

2024-06-12T11:34:53+04:00

The President signed executive orders on awarding the 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in science and technology, literature and the arts, and outstanding achievements in human rights and charity work.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in Literature and the Arts have been awarded to Ildar Abdrazakov, Andrei Korobtsov and Konstantin Fomin, as well as Olga Taratynova and Boris Igdalov.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Awards in science and technology have been awarded to Mikhail Kovalchuk, Yevgeny Adamov and Vladimir Asmolov; Sergei Gauthier, Marina Minina and Mogeli Khubutiya; as well as Pyotr Chumakov.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Award for outstanding achievements in human rights have been awarded to Yulia Belekhova.

The 2023 Russian Federation National Award for outstanding achievements in charity work has been awarded on Nikolai Slabzhanin.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Presenting presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children

2024-03-26T22:15:54+04:00

A ceremony to present the 2023 Presidential prizes for young culture professional and for wiring and art for children and young people took place in the Kremlin’s St Catherine Hall.

The ceremony was timed to Cultural Worker’s Day marked on March 25.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends, winners,

Yesterday, we marked Cultural Worker’s Day. One of the traditions is the awards ceremony for writing for children and prizes for young culture professionals.

I would like to emphasise that culture and its spiritual, ethical, and moral values become increasing important in today’s difficult, tragic times.

It is crucial for us to rely on these values of creativity, humanism, and mercy now as we go through hard times reliving the events of last Friday. They are bringing us together in our support for all the victims and in our resolve to be strong and united.

The clear-cut, unequivocal position of those who serve culture is playing an enormous role in this respect.

Today your message and opinion, your creative work itself directly affects how people feel and strengthens their patriotic sentiment. You preserve and enrich the knowledge and traditions of Russian culture, its continuity, and make an exceptional contribution to educating and molding the rising generations. In fact, you shape Russia’s future.

It is particularly valuable when great, highly praised masters become mentors for children and young people. One of them is the brilliant and world-famous vocalist Nikolai Didenko. The Bely Parokhod (White Steamship) foundation he established almost 20 years ago opens up new horizons for gifted children with disabilities and reveals the talents of children in difficult circumstances. Mr Didenko, thank you for this important project. I wish your foundation and its mentees great success.

Marina Leonova also devoted herself to the new generations of creators. A guardian of traditions of the great Russian ballet school, not only does she train future dancing stars but she also raises compassionate, caring, and responsible people. The Moscow Academy of Choreography that you head is famous for its educational and socially important initiatives – charity concerts and volunteer actions.

Director of the Ryazan State Regional Puppet Theatre Konstantin Kirillov is also distinguished for his diverse and broad interests. Under his guidance, the theatre has become one of the world leaders in this kind of visual art. This has become a venue where traditions are cherished while innovations and creative experiments are always welcome. It hosts the oldest and largest international festival of puppet theatres and has a successful laboratory for young artists.

It is important that our celebrated masters have worthy successors. Clear proof of this is the achievements of today’s prizewinners for young culture professionals. The outstanding traditions of Russian realism continue through painter Alexei Kryukov. He is an icon, portrait, and landscape painter, who created an entire gallery of canvases and frescoes that draw the viewer back to our spiritual origins, to the greatness and valour of military duty and defence of the Fatherland.

Celloist Alexander Ramm has become one of the most famous and popular musicians in today’s Russia. He is a true virtuoso with a wide repertoire, and his talent invariably captivates the audiences of the best concert venues. But he considers the most important thing to be his tours in Russia, the opportunity to make philharmonic art accessible to people in the most remote corners of the country.

Preserving the heritage of the peoples of Russia is another mission which is essential for our multi-ethnic country and our entire society. Mengi Ondar, who is both a teacher and a scientist, has excelled in this field. She collects, studies, and actively promotes the original folklore of her native land, Tuva, making a great contribution to conserving and developing the ethnic and cultural diversity of our Fatherland.

Friends,

Your art, your educational activities fill the cultural space of Russia with the energy of true creativity, inspiration, and humanism. You add a new, expressive touch to our most important traditional values: spiritual and moral ideals, historical memory, love for the Fatherland and responsibility for its fate. Thank you for your dedicated service to your cause and the great culture of Russia. And, of course, congratulations on winning these prizes. I wish you further creative success, new heights and achievements. Congratulations.

Ceremony for presenting the winners’ badges.

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Vladimir Putin: Friends, winners,

Once again, congratulations on your awards today.

This is a very good nomination as we thank for the work, congratulate and decorate people working for the youth and children, and at the same time we decorate those who have just become outstanding figures of our art and have already achieved results, while at the same time, as one of the winners has said, they are ready, as young culture professionals, to move on and share their knowledge with children, with the next generations.

This is an endless river of creativity, a river of talent that fills the hearts of the peoples of the Russian Federation, the soul of the peoples of Russia, making them invincible, standing strong and looking to the future. All this is thanks to you, because art reflects the state of the soul and supports it from the inside.

Thank you very much. Congratulations.

Winners of the 2023 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children and young people announced

2024-03-22T17:18:06+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders awarding the 2023 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2023 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy announced the winners at a special briefing.

Winners of 2022 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2023-06-09T21:36:59+04:00

Winners of the 2022 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights, charity work, and humanitarian activity have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko, Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Presenting Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children

2023-06-13T11:59:41+04:00

Ahead of Cultural Workers' Day, marked in Russia on March 25, Vladimir Putin presented in the Kremlin the 2022 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

I am delighted to welcome you ahead of Cultural Workers' Day.

As is traditional, we are holding this ceremony to award prizes to people of art who have dedicated their talent, knowledge and experience to the younger generations, as well as prizes to young professionals whose art has already evoked some response.

One of them is stage director Aidar Zabbarov. A successor to the traditions of Russian psychological theatre, he almost immediately won recognition of the audience as well as his eminent colleagues. His graduation production earned six Golden Mask nominations and marked the beginning of a truly triumphant tour of his productions at the most prestigious theatrical venues.

Young sculptor Yekaterina Pilnikova, too, is continuing the best traditions of Russian art. Her rare talent was manifested in her student works and later fully revealed in a series of sculptures portraying outstanding figures of Russian culture; she was awarded the prize for those projects.

Another young professional, ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, is already a recognised star who has written a page in the world history of choreography. Only I don't see him here.

I have to note that he, too, actively supports young dancers, finds talented dancers and helps them grow. He does this both as the head of the Sevastopol Academy of Choreography, and through his own charitable foundation.

Two more winners of the prize for art for children and young people are dancers – Viktor Gotsulenko and Larisa Feoktistova, the creators and long-time heads of two dance companies that have the same name, Radost [Joy], which is such a good name. For several decades, they have been preserving and popularising folk dance traditions among children. Their teams – one in Crimea, in the south, the other in the north, in Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula – are popular schools of aesthetic and spiritual development, that have trained more than 6,000 children.

Alexander Galibin’s films provide moral guidance to the younger generations. He won the love of millions of viewers as a brilliant and profound actor, but his talent also extends to filmmaking, and as director, he chose to make films about family, childhood, and raising children.

I would like to say special words to Inessa Kovalevskaya, a truly popular culture and art professional who actually created the musical cartoon genre. A music expert, director and writer, she is an example of dedication to her profession and amazing zest for life. She never stopped exploring art for more than half a century and that search bore truly unique fruits.

Inessa Kovalevskaya is someone we should thank for the singing characters in the Town Musicians of Bremen, for the Lion Cub and the Turtle, Small Motorboat and The Port, and other beautiful cartoons everyone loves; for her idea to create screen adaptations of masterpieces of folk and classical music, to use the simple and magical language of animation to introduce children to the world of real high art.

Friends,

I could talk about each of today's winners for a long, long time. But no words can express more about you than your work, your contribution to Russian culture, to the development of Russian society, to shaping the younger generations. They have made a selfless contribution of exceptional artistic and educational value, imbued with true talent, hard work and boundless love for their native country and its people – something that unites all generations of professionals in theatre and cinema, fine and musical art in Russia.

I congratulate everyone on their well-deserved awards and wish them great creative successes, new achievements and all the best.

Thank you.

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Vladimir Putin: Friends,

Once again, I congratulate you on today's event, on winning the prizes.

In closing, I would like to say a few words.

First, I noted the words of gratitude addressed to teachers, as one of our young winners said. Everyone is grateful to their teachers, this is clear. In this regard, here is what I would like to emphasise: this underscores the continuity of generations. This underscores that in all areas, including art, the continuity of generations creates the effect of an endless river of talents and creativity, and this never stops, it is a continuous stream.

Despite the turbulence in the world, in the country, creativity always lives on, is always with us, always supports us. This is the great strength of our people; this is one of the fundamentals of our existence.

Our colleague from Crimea said that we are far from each other: one company is in Murmansk, the other is in Crimea, but we are guided by the same principles in our work. We educate people, our young citizens, in the spirit of patriotism and love for the Fatherland. Yes, this is true, the principles are the same, but the creative approach is probably always different. This diversity is the great strength of our art.

Congratulations and you all the best!

Thank you very much.

Winners of the 2022 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children and young people announced

2023-03-22T00:02:30+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders awarding the 2022 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2022 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy announced the winners at a special briefing.

Winners of 2021 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2022-06-09T21:43:29+04:00

Winners of the 2021 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights and charity work have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev and Rector of Lomonosov Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnichy.

As per tradition, the President will present the National Awards on Russia Day, June 12.

Meeting with winners of 2021 Presidential Prize for young cultural professionals and for writing and art for children and young people

2022-03-25T19:28:34+04:00

On Cultural Workers’ Day, Vladimir Putin had a meeting, via videoconference, with winners of the 2021 Presidential Prize for Young Cultural Professionals and the 2021 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you and all your colleagues on Cultural Workers’ Day. This holiday was established to honour an enormous cohort of people, true enthusiasts who dedicated their lives to Russian culture. Magnificent and inexhaustible, our culture reflects the entire diversity of the spiritual and historical legacy and traditions of our multiethnic country. It is one of the most essential foundations of the Russian state and society that strengthens our unity and develops a sense and understanding of the Motherland in our young citizens.

Russia’s cultural space was created by the hard work and talent of many generations of artists, authors and composers, actors and musicians. It is represented by a unique network of museums, libraries, cultural centres, concert venues and folk centres. In addition to the iconic Hermitage, the Bolshoi Theatre and the Mariinsky Theatre, there are thousands of local cultural facilities across Russia. Children’s theatres and libraries are another entirely Russian achievement of cultural education, available all over the country.

Russian culture has made an invaluable contribution to the development of world civilisation. For centuries, Russian masters of literature, music and fine arts have given humankind new aesthetic traditions and, more importantly, ideals and meanings that have become moral and spiritual guidelines for millions of people and entire generations.

Russian culture is human-centric. The best classical works are focused on the inner life, personal quests and emotional experiences of human beings. They ask relevant questions, help people to think, understand and draw conclusions.

It is not surprising that the Russian mentality is known for taking things to heart. We feel very strongly about other people’s pain and injustice. We are capable of feeling sincere joy about others’ success and helping those who truly need our help.

Russian culture always protected Russia’s national identity. While readily taking in all the best and constructive, it patently rejected anything false or momentary, anything that would disrupt the continuity of our spiritual values, moral principles, and historical memory.

This unique quality reliably protects the Russian people even today, when seemingly eternal concepts and norms are being eroded and undermined in different countries, history is being distorted, and the laws of nature itself are being violated.

In a number of countries – mainly the so-called Western countries – these processes have not just permeated politics, society, sports and education, but they often run the show in these areas, they are being aggressively imposed.

Suffice it to mention the notion of cancel culture, which generally refers to public ostracism, boycotting, and sometimes withholding, even oblivion of certain obvious facts, books, names of historical and modern public figures, writers or anyone who does not fit into modern patterns, no matter how absurd they actually are.

This did not begin yesterday. For example, as we are well aware, Hollywood has regularly released films that declared the United States the sole defeater of Nazism. Those films effectively “cancelled” the courage and heroism, and the victory achieved by the Red Army, which made a decisive contribution – suffice it to consider the numbers of military units that fought on the Eastern Front, near Germany – that decisive contribution has been cancelled as well.

When Japan annually commemorates the victims of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, they either bashfully keep silent about who dropped the bombs on their cities, or they write flagrant nonsense, that some abstract allies did it. This is what their textbooks say. They simply prefer not to talk about the fact that it was the United States that committed such as a terrible and unjustified massacre at the end of World War II. They have cynically decided to “cancel” this truth as well.

Children's writer J. K. Rowling, the author of books that have sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world, has recently been cancelled in much the same way for displeasing supporters of so-called gender freedoms.

Today, they are trying to cancel an entire millennium-old country, our people. I am referring to the mounting discrimination against everything related to Russia, about the trend that is gaining momentum in a number of Western states – with the complete connivance and sometimes with encouragement from the ruling elite.

This notorious cancel culture has turned into the cancellation of culture. The names Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff are blacked out on concert posters. Russian writers and their books are banned. The last time a campaign like this happened, it was the Nazis who began destroying objectionable literature in Germany. We know well and remember from documentaries the burning of books right on public squares.

It is impossible to imagine this in our country. We are insured against this largely owing to domestic culture. For us, this is inseparable from our Motherland, from Russia where there is no room for ethnic intolerance and where representatives of dozens of nationalities and ethnic groups have lived, worked and brought up children for centuries. Our society is proud of its cultural diversity – the strength and advantage of our state.

I think many people know, have seen how a street artist painted Fyodor Dostoyevsky on a wall of a building. The West has now “cancelled” or “is cancelling” this Russian writer. This still gives us the hope that mutual sympathy and culture, which link and unite all of us, will pave the way for truth, that art and education will only promote wisdom, kindness and other time-tested values, as they should.

I am confident that it will not be otherwise in Russia. One of the confirmations of this is the creativity of the participants in our meeting – the winners of prizes for young cultural figures and for works for children.

Friends, you belong to different generations and serve in different areas of Russian culture and education. Yet, you are equally loyal to them. You are striving to multiply their rich traditions and bring up new generations of thinking and spiritually rich people who are able to perceive and pass on traditional values, who know and respect the past and present of their homeland, who are the true citizens of Russia.

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Winners of the 2021 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children and young people announced

2022-03-25T16:27:14+04:00

Vladimir Putin signed executive orders awarding the 2021 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2021 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy announced the winners at a special briefing.

Winners of 2020 Russian Federation National Awards announced

2021-06-09T16:43:40+04:00

Winners of the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards for outstanding achievements in science and technology, literature and the arts, human rights and humanitarian activity have been announced.

The winners were announced at a special briefing by Presidential Aide Andrei Fursenko, Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy, and Presidential Adviser and Chair of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Valery Fadeyev.

The President has signed the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards in Science and Technology, the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards in Literature and the Arts, and the Executive Order On Awarding the 2020 Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Human Rights and Russian Federation National Awards for Outstanding Achievements in Charity Work.

The award ceremony will take place on June 12.

Meeting with winners of Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children

2021-03-25T19:44:22+04:00

On Cultural Worker’s Day, Vladimir Putin held a videoconference with the winners of the 2019–2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2019–2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

First of all, I want to congratulate you and all your colleagues in Moscow and in other Russian regions, on the occasion of Cultural Worker’s Day.

This professional holiday is probably relatable to every person in its own way. Culture and art permeate literally all spheres of public, state, and personal life. Russia has always highly respected, I would even say revered the representatives of this sphere – writers, artists, theatre and cinema workers, museum curators, employees of cultural and educational institutions.

This attitude is largely induced by the very special qualities that you all, people of art, have in common, and that also sets you apart. You have been endowed with a creative talent, you simply cannot live without creating – or at least this is how we see you – and you are giving all your energy, talent and love to your chosen art and your audience.

This attitude very clearly manifested itself during the period of lockdowns during the pandemic. Understanding all the difficulties faced by our museums, libraries, concert and stage venues, the government made every effort to support the entities working in the cultural sphere. And the fact that cultural life continued in Russia, against all odds, moreover, expanded to new formats – you deserve full credit for this.

Such fidelity to your vocation, to your high creative mission can be rightfully described as truly selfless devotion. In those difficult times, your work and its results have given emotional support to millions of people. This was extremely important during that hard period of time. And I would like to once again thank you and all your colleagues for this.

I would also like to congratulate the winners of the prize for writing and art for children and young people and the prize for young culture professionals, who are attending this ceremony online. Unfortunately, the circumstances have prevented us from holding a full-format, traditional ceremony to honour the winners for the second straight year, something we will hold as soon as possible, circumstances permitting.

Today, I would like to discuss topics that are of particular interest to us. I always appreciate the opportunity to exchange opinions with people who can appreciate the value of the written and spoken word and understand the importance of our native language and our outstanding national culture for Russia’s present and future. Without a doubt, you are certainly among these people.

Each one of you, excellent teachers, actors, artists and writers, has made a valuable personal contribution to promoting culture and education, and establishing values and traditions that unite generations and help educate the young citizens of Russia using the best examples of creativity, teaching them to be proud of their country, and realise the size and importance of our people’s contribution to global culture and the global cultural development.

Goethe once said: “Even though the world is progressing, young people have to start over every time.” This is true in many respects, but I will also quote Russian classic writer Leo Tolstoy, who told young people: “Take what is available and move forward. This is what makes humankind strong.” This is also true. Anyway, culture and art are exceptionally important. Often, they make it possible for the younger generations to see, understand and appreciate their predecessors’ achievements and realise that innovation is not about rejecting the past, but about building on it.

I propose discussing the forms and means that domestic literature, art, music and theatre can use to convey the true values that Russian culture has embodied at all times, namely, humanism, morality and justice, to children and young adults. We will talk about what we need to do for the more established and authoritative cultural figures to be more involved in influencing the younger generations, new generations, including promoting the natural gifts and talents of the rising stars in education and art and forming high aesthetic taste and deep meaningfulness.

Again, I congratulate you on your professional day and your laureate titles. I wish you good health, prosperity and great successes in your creative endeavours.

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Winners of 2020 Presidential prizes for young culture professionals and for writing and art for children and young people announced

2021-03-24T19:31:34+04:00

Presidential Adviser Vladimir Tolstoy announced the winners of the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People at a special briefing.

Executive Order on Awarding the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals

Having considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art, the President resolved:

To award the 2020 Presidential Prize for Young Culture Professionals and the honorary title of prize-winner to:

Dimitris Botinis, conductor, for his contribution to developing the traditions of Russian music and educational activities;

Elmir Nizamov, composer, for his contribution to continuing the traditions of the Russian composition school;

Anna Chipovskaya, actress, for her performances of classical and contemporary roles in theatre and in films.

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Executive Order on Awarding the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People

Having considered the recommendations of the Presidential Council for Culture and Art, the President resolved:

To award the 2020 Presidential Prize for Writing and Art for Children and Young People and the honorary title of prize-winner to:

Vladimir Zuikov, artist (posthumously), for his contribution to the development of Russian animation and cinematographic education;

Alexander Punko, teacher at Children’s Art School No. 1, Karasuksky District, Novosibirsk Region, for his contribution to the development of Russian musical education and the popularisation of music for wind instruments;

Igor Ugolnikov, Alexander Shkolnik and Dmitry Poshtarenko, who have put together the Feat of the People exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, for their contribution to the patriotic education of the younger generation.