Experts from Around the World Discussed the Cultural Perspectives of the Republic of Khakassia

Viktor Tolokonskiy, the Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District, was among the session participants. "Every year the forum on the historical and cultural heritage of Khakassia attracts more attention of scientists, public authorities and experts in the field of culture. It is a place for interesting meetings, signing the cooperation agreements, planning new projects and programs. I believe that this forum distinguishes the Republic of Khakassia from many other regions of Russia”, - said Victor Tolokonskiy.

The “Memory – energy of modernity” plenary session of the Forum was moderated by Arthur Ghukasyan, professor at London Metropolitan University (Armenia, Yerevan), and Alexander Arhangelsky, member of the Council under the President of Russia on Culture and the Arts, writer and anchorman (Moscow).

Russian and international experts discussed the problems of cultural policy of the Republic of Khakassia and Russia on the whole, and exchanged successful experience in organizing cultural projects abroad, and spoke about the precedents of historical objects preservation in the regions of the country.

Alexander Zakharov, Vice-president of “Evrofinansi” investment company (Moscow), pointed out that cultural issues can not be considered without an economic context. “There is a positive connection between culture and economy. And today we see that the economic reforms have stalled. There is reason to believe that one of the reasons for this is the impoverishment of the Russian intellectual soil.”

One of the ways to stop this process is to develop the museum clusters. Michael Henker, the head of service of non-state museums of Bavaria, told about this work in Germany. According to statistics, in 1907 the amount of museums in Bavaria was 133, and now, the number grew up to 1,400 institutions. “As far as I know, Khakassian culture has a huge potential to participate in the historical kinds of museum activities. It is necessary to combine history and culture in special exhibitions and types of museums, which would display different kinds of life, houses, farms, which would show the life of people in the cities and villages, the evolution of their life,” - said Michael Henker. The first step on this path Khakassia has already done - today Abakan is building a new museum of regional studies.

In addition, the participants of the plenary session discussed the most successful methods of preservation of cultural heritage, and raised the issue of the availability of existing cultural facilities for people with disabilities. Alexander Arhangelsky summed up the meeting : “We has talked today about different things, but at the same time we have come to the same conclusion: if you want to keep something, you have to develop it.”

About

The III International Forum “Historico-Cultural Heritage as a Source of Socio-Cultural Development” takes place in the Republic of Khakassia, Russian Federation, on June 26-30. The Forum is declared as a federal discussion platform and is held under the aegis of UNESCO. The conveners of the forum are Government of Russian Federation and Government of Republic of Khakassia. Official website of the Forum — www.форум-хакасия.рф/http://www.forum-khakasia.ru

For more information please refer: phone +7-983-507-42-25, Julia Kirsanova, +7-902-943-23-29, Rinat Khabibulin, Press Center of the Forum.