Forum on Historical and Cultural Heritage — the Hallmark of the Republic of Khakassia

The Forum brought together over three hundred participants from around the world — leading experts in the field of culture, history, archeology and mass media, as well as representatives of government and business. Among them was Viktor Tolokonskiy, the Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Siberian Federal District.

“Forum on the historical and cultural heritage of Khakassia became the hallmark of the region, our national traditions and cultural identity. I am glad that every year the amount of participants, including the international ones, increases. This year forum has grown significantly in terms of content: for the first time young people participated in its work. I am convinced that such a forum is a unique opportunity not only for Khakassia, but also for a number of other regions of Russia and countries around the world to compile and study the innovative experience of the cultural heritage", — said Viktor Zimin, acting Head of the Republic of Khakassia — Head of the Government of the Republic of Khakassia.

Unique exhibitions “Chefs-d'oeuvre of Bakhrushin Museum” from the A.A. Bakhrushin State Museum of Theatre and “Ethnical Motives in Art of Tuva and Khakassia” were opened during the forum in the Republic of Khakassia. This exhibition included the collections of L.R. Kyzlasov Khakassia National Museum of Local History and the Aldan-Maadyr National Museum of the Republic of Tuva. There were also signed the agreements on cultural cooperation of Khakassia with cultural institutions and the authorities of the Ryazan region, Dagestan, Moscow, Germany, etc.

In addition, during the three days leading museum experts from Russia and Germany discussed the design and creation of new museums at the open sitting of Scientific council of historical museums and museums of regional studies.

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 overall, and exchanged successful experience in organizing cultural projects abroad, and spoke about the precedents of historical objects preservation in the regions of Russia.

Business program of the forum included the work of three main sections — “Children and Youth Tourism. Historical and Cultural Aspects”, “Book Culture: Past and Present”, “Non-urbanized Areas: a Program of Survival or a Development Program?” and the youth platform in the format of the business ideas competition “Territory of opportunities. Socio-cultural projects”. The young authors of the best projects received cash prizes of 100, 75 and 50 thousand rubles for the development and support of their initiatives.

At the All-Russian conference of native minorities there were considered various forms of preservation and promotion of the cultural heritage of the native peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East. The archaeologists from around the world discussed the key issues of the industry at the round table discussion on the preservation of cultural heritage “Archaeology and civil society”.

“I have been studying the ancient technology of iron, and there are many archaeological sites in Khakassia — places of smelting, so I had a dream to carrying out the excavation here. And it came true — our work has been going on for four years. Smelting technology in Japan and Khakassia differs dramatically, and I want to find out the reasons that led to this distinction. Despite the fact that the Japanese and Khakases are different, I always feel pacified during my visit to the Republic of Khakassia. I think that every Japanese feels something like that, because Khakassian land is the mother of the world,” — said Yasuyuki Murakami, archaeologist, scientist from the University of Ehime Prefecture (Japan).

It is worth noting that during the forum, visitors and residents of the Republic of Khakassia were entertained by the artists of Mariinsky Theatre — Larisa Yudina, soprano, Khachatur Badalyan, tenor, and Jan Moritz Onken, conductor (Austria), as well as Vanessa Mae, famous violinist and composer.