The new Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeev was born in 1946. A career diplomat, he knows four foreign languages, was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador to Bulgaria and France. From Paris it to my own surprise, and was appointed to the new post.
Universal interest in the figure of the new minister can be compared, in inverse proportion to the role assigned to culture in the real scenario, Russia's power. Culture - not the economy, not defense, and even sports. On the problems that have faced and still face the new Minister, we talked in his office.
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First impressions
Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Alexander, you are in new positions - nearly two months. What first impression?
Alexander Avdeev: First, awareness of responsibility for their work. Secondly, a sense of great expectations on the part of culture, art and people who care about the national culture, expectations that the culture will be a national priority. I myself understand that "all love can not be." Modern culture - are creative people and groups who have different concepts and directions. Naturally, I can not and do not intend to bring them to some common denominator.
WP: "People from the TV, which knows the whole country, now often come to you?
Avdeev: Communicate with figures of culture - it is great fun, but now more and daily necessity. Come to me all kinds of people - famous and respected actors, artists, writers, musicians. Everyone needs to help. No money, no opportunity is not enough. Inconsistency in the enormous needs faced by our culture, and the existing capacity is too large. Such a situation - a fact, not only in Russia - in all countries. We need to help those we can help.
WP: distribute the money is not easy, especially when for some reason they do not?
Avdeev: Function of the Ministry of Culture is not just giving away money. The most important thing - to form a systematic approach to solving its problems. Strengthening the cultural sector - the case of civil society. Everyone understands that culture - the case of national importance, which must be solved together, sending it to the maximum of the intellectual forces, institutional and financial capacity.
WP: In addition to common problems you probably already faced with a mass of concrete: museums, cinemas, festivals, salaries, culture in the regions?
Avdeev: You know, there are problems in the culture, but there is a problem of culture itself, which consists in the fact that not everyone understands why we need culture in the country, building a civil society and rule of law. We must convince the public that without a culture, we can rapidly form a primitive, rational-consumer-consciousness.
RG: Well, yes, when more money than you can drink away or throw to the wind ...
Avdeev: And this type of consciousness will give rise to people in which disappear generosity, honesty, conscientiousness, striving to enrich the inner identity through culture.
Culture - is not just an opportunity to go to the cinema or theater, or consume massive elitist art. This entire set of public life - and science, and education, and education, and various creative activities. No great culture can not be a great nation. And there can be full of happiness, among other things. There is now an economically prosperous country, but not developed in a culturally appropriate. And they can not be called great. Today, different criteria for greatness. This is not only the quantity of weapons, but the level of scientific and technological progress, and the level of development of new technologies. And above all, the degree of culture of the society.
Man is created in the world of culture, which coined us. Talking about any time we judge him by name the great cultural figures of that period, whether Russian writers of the XIX century, Italian painters XIV-XV centuries, or the Dutch and Flemish artists of the era of bourgeois revolutions and the great geographical discoveries.
RG: And yet in the global sphere of culture which "the direction of the main attack, you would have singled out for yourself?
Avdeev: Criteria for a prosperous society is a thriving culture. Without it, society is sick. Today there are many objective calls and threats to national culture. First of all, culture becomes a hostage of the consumer society, which breeds a surrogate consumer culture - a culture of entertainment, show business. I respect them, but this is not a standard of high culture.
Another danger is the lack of equal access to the field of culture in the urban and rural areas. 38 million people today do not go to any concerts, either in theaters or in the cinema simply because they live in Britain on the sidelines, in the countryside. This is an alarming symptom for the whole society.
Next on the priority activities of the Ministry - to save the existing system of art education. She was with us one of the best in the world in the availability and quality. This system allows us not lose future Lomonosovs. Now, in connection with the transition to a market system, we have lost many talents, have not noticed, and they did not take place. By participating in the Bologna Process harmonization of diplomas, we will have to do it flexibly, not rashly, to preserve proven system of art education.
RG: We are not only the future of talent is not found, but nearly killed dares real ...
Avdeev: Now the situation is better. I note that in the 90 years a lot of good done by our public funds. This fund, Vladimir Spivakov, and the Fund "New Names", for which a low bow Ivette Nikolaevna Voronova, opened many world stars in the music. This is what makes the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center in his singing. The list of large, can be a long list.
WG: Before you inevitably raise the question of how to improve the current meager salaries to workers in the sphere of culture adopted in the next few years is not very large budget for culture.
Avdeev: To increase in sectoral wage system, to which we must move from December 1, 2008. Be a base salary plus allowances for intellectual contributions, incentive bonuses. In the regions cultural workers depend on the regional budgets. Last week I discussed the issue with the president of Kalmykia, Mordovia leaders, Bashkortostan, Arkhangelsk and Tver regions. Everyone understands that it is necessary to increase wages through the regional budgets, and promise to do so.
RG: Personal relationships in the government you already are improving?
Avdeev: Yes, the government is comprised of talented professionals, many of whom I knew from previous work.
RG: A ministry formed?
Avdeev: Yes, the management team has already been appointed, are experienced people who love art. There are employees who came from Rosculture or remaining from the previous composition of the ministry.
RG: Who is your successor as Russia's ambassador to Paris?
Avdeev: France should seek a good professional. There is a constitutional process of approval of the candidate, it takes three to four months. And then - the presidential decree published in the Official Gazette, from which we come to know the name.
Internet Plus
WP: You are set to reform the basis of general considerations, or by following tried and tested suggestions from the bottom?
Avdeev: Shaping the way out only "from above", you can make many mistakes. The advantage of the current situation - in the big rights, which were the regions. The same nation-wide system of artistic training should be strengthened, drawing on the experience of regions. In the regions we have a strong minister of culture, many of which began more directors of rural clubs, and decades later became leaders of culture. I meet with them on the ground, made in Moscow.
WG: What other challenges did you feel during this time?
Avdeev: New technologies in the sphere of culture. With their help we can improve the situation in librarianship, Cinemas. Features digitization are widely used in some regions. Today I was the head of Mordovia Nikolay Merkushkin. He said that all regional libraries of the republic, first, to have access to the Internet, and secondly, have the opportunity with digital information to create electronic reading rooms. You do not need to order a book and a long time to wait for her, but enough to contact the network from the central regional library and read a book from the screen.
RG: The Internet provides instant communication with millions of books of all digital libraries, not just the central regional. It is important that the head of Mordovia culture - is alive and close it?
Avdeev: Not just for him. Take Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Belgorod region, other regions. This year we are going to be visiting in the Belgorod region in the Ministry of Culture, to specifically study its experience in the village. Of course, there are problems in the digitization. After all, copyright law prohibits upon receipt of the text books in electronic form to replicate. Therefore should be the second way of improving the work of libraries. This to their full sets of books. Electronics is no substitute for a live feeling of the book.
Tenders and patrons
RG: And how to ensure the library books? With the tenders that have been transferred from the economy to culture, when the cheaper books, the better?
Avdeev: Tenders are often hampered. Libraries are forced to take the cheapest, but this is comics with flashy covers and crumbling pages. Now on the initiative of the Ministry, spent a lot of money, distributed sets of books on the approved lists. It remains to expand these lists to find books of literature and better and cheaper. Unfortunately, there are always firms to win tenders to distribute literature, are honest. Money received and will not send those kits or half of what should, or even disappeared. But the promotion of libraries at all levels especially in rural areas - it is our duty as the duty of the Federation.
RG: At the time, the Soros Foundation through the Pushkin library sent to rural schools sets of classical literature. Do we have rich people who have now taken up this initiative?
Avdeev: The fact that Soros did in the 90's, remember. And what then did the same state, and investing in it more than the fund - forget. As for the "rich people" ... There is a good word "patrons". Attracting patrons to the library, the museum's work is highly desirable. Today the state is unable to quickly solve the museum's problems. A lot of them. Crumbling buildings that need major repairs, the lack of good storage facilities and modern security systems, low salaries of museum workers.
RG: When the astronomical market value of museum collections themselves ...
Avdeev: Sure. Therefore, it is desirable that patrons entered, where possible, the Board of Trustees of museums, helped them. Of course, these people need to seek, to find their moral encouragement. After all, tax benefits for them have not yet provided. Patronage has been and remains an important element of culture. Already 10%of the total financing Russia's culture is at their expense. Russia glorious tradition of philanthropy.
RG: Your words about "oligarchs headed museums has already caused a storm. Many were terrified, someone suggested that you misunderstood.
Avdeev: This is not about the management of museums. But the museums - especially regional - need financial support. I was in the provincial museums of Tver and Arkhangelsk. Excellent museum things, a great painting, a depository close, a security system is bad. Large field of activity for patrons to show themselves patriots. Patriotism today - is not only active participation in the economy and politics, but also through the culture. I think this is really, if you look like patronage has raised the level of our sport. Raising these funds found in Russia, many outstanding athletes.
Of course, this requires the proper organization. Today we are underestimating the potential desire of our patrons to charity. I know the patrons, who, without self, without advertising, but simply out of patriotic motives, restore the estate and on that basis make a major cultural centers, exhibition and concert halls, and for nearby residents, villages and cities.
RG: It is not clear, however, the exact form of this assistance. I remember how rich people, hearing about the problems of Pushkin House, astonished: it is to sell a manuscript of the classic at the auction and all problems will be resolved for a long time!
Avdeev: Naprodavali already in the 30 years, enough. We know what the masterpieces left the country, how many thousands of works of art are legally in the museums of other countries.
It's a shame there for Russian abroad?
RG: Actually your optimistic outlook for the current rich people a little contrast with the generally accepted? For example, newspapers are full of scandalous reports about the behavior of our new rich abroad.
Avdeev: We need more say that patronage - it is the same form of patriotism today. And the business we have today, other than a few years ago. You asked me ashamed for Russian abroad? Much has changed. If in the early 90's where the streets were drunk rich, sorili the money in restaurants and behaved correctly, but now we are dealing with other businesses. Now abroad come to Russia's second-generation businessmen, as a rule, speak several foreign languages, know the law, business, market and play up the negotiations to their foreign partners. This is quite different Russian. Through them and assessment of Russia abroad today is quite different. We are perceived as a power with a high rate of development, as a nation of talented business people, as a country with great culture. In this regard, I can not remember the remarkable organizer of the exhibition in Paris, "When Russia spoke French." This is one of our prominent businessmen, have spent huge money on an outstanding exhibition.
RG: It is strange, incidentally, that even their names are not called in the newspaper. Like, unpaid advertising.
Avdeev: I think our biggest banks and corporations that fund artists touring abroad, exhibitions. But there is a medium-sized and even small companies, funding regional culture. Movement of philanthropy is gaining momentum. We do not thank him through tax incentives, but it is yet to come.
WP: On tax benefits for the charity said more than ten years, and WHO and is now there.
Avdeev: I think that understanding the need for financial incentives for patrons to mature. I can not promise that it will be tomorrow, but we did this did not hold your hand. All countries have gone through this process.
The most important of the arts
RG: You were talking about investing money in business for museums and libraries. And they invested in the film, for example?
Avdeev: Financing of the film will increase. It is encouraging that an increasing share of domestic films in theaters. Today, every third film, which is a spectator - Russia. In Europe this figure is higher only in France. The next year we will introduce a new form of relations between the film industry and the state - a state order to create a film critical public social, patriotic, children's themes.
This should not be feared. Take the Americans, who through the film actually solved the problem of inter-ethnic relations in the United States. We have seen hundreds of movies where the main characters - black and white, both showing heroism, help each other. Or something like shown in the movie life in modern businessman, working honestly, striving to be effective, is the hero of the day. We also have dozens of people and hundreds of thousands. And the way they stuck completely different - through television and movies depicting their criminal monsters. In the society today, there is a need in the movies with a new approach to social problems. Lotov will be a little - start with 2-3, 2011 will come to 10, including, I repeat, a children's cinema. In addition, the author's cinema also needs support. Funding concerns production and film distribution. As for rentals, for instance, in 2002 the cinema was visited 41 million viewers, and in 2007 - 115 million! Almost three times as much. We began to produce a hundred films a year. And the cinemas themselves have changed. In short, the people went to the movies.
RG: And what to do with the tender, through which must pass our most famous directors and movie theaters?
Avdeev: 94 th federal law on the competitions shall be corrected for the sphere of culture. In September, after the holiday will resume active legislative, political life, and we start work on updating.
Big and Mariinka
RG: Another pressing question: is referred to postpone the opening of the Bolshoi Theater in the autumn of next year at a later date.
Avdeev: I now thoroughly acquainted with all the documents related to the reconstruction and restoration of the Bolshoi Theater. In late May, was there and saw how the process of how difficult and time consuming, this work. Status of the Bolshoi Theater, with its underground facilities was worse than originally anticipated. I think by September we are after all the consultations back to the question of the date of opening of the Bolshoi Theater. I think the main thing - to provide high-quality and highly professional restoration of the main theater of the country.
RG: And what about the draft of the new Mariinsky architect Perrault? Also made changes to the original project?
Avdeev: The changes will be made taking into account the technical capabilities of the project. Not always a nice idea can be fully translated. In addition, it is necessary to reflect the architectural appearance of St. Petersburg, the position of the theater, the wishes of the public city. The climate of St. Petersburg with its snow, rain, humidity, clouds, wind and humidity is not like the climate of France. Some of the project Perrault will change.
RG: Right on course, as time was running out?
Avdeev: The word "underway" means quick and ill-considered decisions. We must be responsible for new options. Above this a team of architects, an outstanding leader Mariinsky Theater Valery Gergiev Gergiev, the leadership of the city, the public, the Ministry of Culture.
Personal
RG: Another painful issue facing you is the appointment of managers of creative groups. You as the ambassador to France, everyone loved, and now both will be?
Avdeev: Of course, all the nice I will not, all is not heating. The gradual replacement of managers, including in the sphere of culture, is a natural process. We deal with these situations with respect to the people - and those who leave, and collectives, which they led. This is a normal process in which there should be no forcing, no "show trials".
RG: Speaking of your cultural hobbies, remember your collection of prints ...
Avdeev: During my work in Bulgaria, I gathered a small collection of prints on the release of Russian army in the Balkans - Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 years. Passion for the soul. To be a real collector, we must have deep knowledge, to devote this much time. I can not. But I love collectors, trying to help them, although I do not.
RG: Contemporary art you're interested in?
Avdeev: We have an outstanding contemporary artists. You can call those who, while remaining Russians working abroad - Oscar Rabin, Edward Steinberg, Erik Bulatov, Ilya Kabakov. There are wonderful artists working in Russia. There is an exciting contemporary art center, established on the basis of "Winery. I've recently visited. Was struck by the very principle of transformation of factory buildings in the creative workshops, which corresponds to the meaning of modern art - to bring creative meaning in the most unexpected area. Interesting thing is, and in the social-artovskom direction. Recently visited the Chinese Sots-art, there are many good works.
RG: And - conclusion?
Avdeev: If we lose our national culture, cease to be a great power. It's like investing money in defense. Everyone understands that strengthening the country's defense capability is necessary. Just need to invest in culture. That - spiritual defense of the nation. This is one of the criteria of a great country, nation, place it in the future.
Igor Shevelev
Visual Arts is a hen lays the golden eggs, and mines cult believes that art is a means to political declarations. As a result, there are artists who like and dislike MK. Spend huge money to support the dummy, instead of simply a system of purchase and receive from this tax.
As a result, there are artists who like and dislike MK.
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Сообщение от Eugene
A. Avdeenko: .. "We have an outstanding contemporary artists. You can call those who, while remaining Russians working abroad - Oscar Rabin, Edward Steinberg, Erik Bulatov, Ilya Kabakov. There great artists working in Russia. There is a fascinating contemporary art center, established on the basis of "Vinzavod"
Meister, let me-they please, I was surprised that the fan Stalinist academics Eugene of these non-conformist artists, dissidents, emigrants calls "the pride of Russia."
Yes, you now Guru, congratulations!
Этот пользователь сказал Спасибо Кирилл Сызранский за это полезное сообщение:
03.08.2008, 14:01
Alexander Avdeev: We must invest in culture
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