The briefing by Olga Korsak, the Head of the Culture and Tourism Department of Smolensk region

As part of the policy to raise awareness of the region's residents of the work of the state authorities, which is implemented on the instructions of the Acting Governor of Smolensk region Alexey Ostrovskiy, the Head of the Culture and Tourism Department Olga Korsak held a briefing for the media.

During the briefing, Olga Korsak touched upon the main activities of the Department, which largely determine the development dynamics of the cultural sector in Smolensk region.

The departmental funding: greater in 2015 than in 2014

The regional cultural institutions are financed within the regional state program "Development of culture and tourism in Smolensk region" for 2014-2020 approved by the Head of the region.

Last year, the volume of financing amounted to more than five hundred million Rubles, including about 31 million Rubles of the federal budget funds. Olga Korsak drew attention to the important fact that in the current year financing of the cultural sector is by 6% greater than in 2014.

"I would like to point out that the issue of attracting federal funds is paid special attention to. We received from the Federation and spent almost 24 million Rubles in the form of inter-budgetary transfers. These funds are allocated, inter alia, for the state support of municipal cultural institutions and the best professionals of the specialized agencies in the field, while the municipalities pay special attention to rural settlements", - said Olga Korsak.

The cultural heritage is under special control

The Culture and Tourism Department of Smolensk region is an agency authorized to protect the cultural heritage in our region. As Olga Korsak explained, the amendments to the federal legislation governing the preservation, promotion and use of cultural heritage objects have come into force. The work of the Department has been changed in compliance with them. In particular, the powers of the Ministry of Culture to carry out state supervision over all the objects of cultural heritage in the region have been transferred to the Culture and Tourism Department.

Today, there are 4,220 objects of cultural heritage in our region. Among them there are absolutely unique ones: the historical and architectural complex "Teremok", the historical and archaeological complex "Gnezdovo" and others. "It is these objects that are now treated as a priority from the point of their preservation and further development. This activity is under permanent control of Alexey Vladimirovich Ostrovsky", - said Olga Korsak. For example, a working group, led by the Head of the region personally, has been set up to consider the issues concerning the historical and architectural complex Flenovo.

The anniversary of the Great Victory was well celebrated!

"In addition to a very impressive list of events held in each municipality of the heroic Smolensk region, there were actions organized to unite all the participants with a patriotic idea. There are "Immortal regiment", "Memory Watch" "Georgievskay Ribbon", "Candle of Memory", "Soldier's porridge” among these actions", - said the Head of the Department.

According to the established practice, all the preparatory work of collecting the photographic materials to make the commemorative posters for the "Immortal regiment" was done on the basis of the central district libraries, and on the basis of the A.T. Tvardovskiy regional state universal library in the Hero-City Smolensk.

The official start of the celebrations in the region was on March 3 when there was the first ceremony of awarding the jubilee medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945". The medals were presented to the veterans by the Governor. The ceremonies of rewarding veterans of the Great Patriotic War with the commemorative medals were also held in the districts of the region.

During the briefing, the cultural, military-patriotic projects dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day with the participation of the younger generation were also mentioned.

In January, the City of Military Glory Vyazma hosted a concert of the A.V. Alexandrov Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the Russian Army.

On March 17, the Museum Marathon-2015 "Impossible to forget ..." for the Smolensk secondary school students began.

On April 24-26, there was the First international patriotic song festival "Let the memory speak," in which the artistic groups from the Republic of Belarus, Pskov, Bryansk, Ivanovo, Moscow and the Moscow region participated.

On April, 29 there was a presentation of the book by D.E. Komarov "Smolensk region in fire of the Great Patriotic War: war, people, victory". The book has been published within the framework of the project "No one is forgotten".

There were also patriotic actions "Victory Lilac", "Victory Forest", festivals and contests on military and patriotic themes - "We are the grandchildren of the glorious victory", "Living Spring", "Victory Salute", "Solovyova Crossing". On April 20, with the support of the Defense Ministry there was a presentation of the federal project "Victorious Homecoming!" of the Russian National Ballet "Kostroma" in the A.S. Griboyedov Drama Theater. The residents of Smolensk could enjoy the monumental theatrical performance, which recreates the patriotic atmosphere of the war years.

From March 20 to April 26, the Tenishevs Cultural and Exhibition Center hosted an exhibition named "Remember ... The Soviet soldier saved the world", organized by the Russian military-historical society.

On April 9, Alexey Ostrovskiy took part in the meeting with the delegation headed by the Governor of the Tomsk region, held in the Holm-Zhirkovsky district. The delegation was invited to participate in the ceremony dedicated to the opening of the renovated memorial to the Siberian soldiers of the 166 Infantry Division formed in Tomsk. The renovation of the monument was done by the Tomsk student construction team.

Based on the numerous requests from the residents of Smolensk region and in accordance with the instructions of the Head of the region, there will be "Eternal Flame" monuments in the City of Military Glory Vyazma and in Solovyova Crossing of the Kardymovsky district. The "Eternal Flame" in Vyazma was already lit on May 6 as part of the All-Russian action "Eternal Flame Relay". In Solovyova Crossing, the opening ceremony will be held in July during the VI International tourist festival "Solovyova Crossing".

On May 7, there was a burial ceremony of the remains of the Unknown Soldier in the Readovka park of Smolensk. Also, among the long anticipated events there was an opening ceremony of a new exposition "Smolensk region during the Great Patriotic War" at the Smolensk State Museum-Reserve on May 8, as well as the opening of the monument to the warriors, defenders and liberators of Smolensk in Victory Square. The monument was erected in front of the hotel "Smolensk", that is where on September 25, 1943 a soldier of the 331st Infantry Division Captain Prokopy Klepach hoisted the red flag, proclaiming the liberation of the city.

From May 6 to 10, Smolensk region hosted the traditional International Festival of creative arts of the compatriots "With Russia in Heart". Its organizers are the Culture Ministry, the State Russian House of Folk Arts, the Administration of Smolensk region, the Culture and Tourism Department of the region, state budgetary institution of culture "Smolensk regional center of folk arts".

"This year the festival brought together more than 100 participants. Among the guests of this grand festival there were talented amateur actors from Serbia, Estonia, Belarus. The guests of the festival, who visited our celebrations, left Smolensk with the firm conviction that Russia  is a great and friendly country",- said Olga Korsak.

On May 8, the creative groups participated in the pre-festive concerts in the district culture halls of Yartsevo ("We are wholeheartedly in love with Russia" – the artistic group "Srem" from Serbia), Pochinok ("Let’s be forever united and friendly!" – the artistic groups "Smailiki", "Gagarynskіya muzykі” from the Republic of Belarus), Rudnya ("We have Russia imprinted in the hearts" – artistic groups "Neposedy" and "Lubava" from Estonia, "Kuzhalek" from the Republic of Belarus). On May 9, the participants of the festival were among the spectators at the military parade in Smolensk, took part in the "Immortal regiment" action and in the grand festival "Victory lives in every heart" in Lenin Square. The festival ended with a gala concert.

Another interesting project, which was began on the eve of the anniversary of the Victory, is the creation of inter-regional military-historical touristic project "Following the Katyusha’s rout". It includes the tourist routes and activities, the purpose of which is to preserve the memory of the heroic past of Smolensk region. The route goes via Smolensk, Orsha, Rudnya, Vyazma and Solovyova Crossing. On May 10, in Krasny Bor there was a key event of the project - the first regional military-patriotic festival "On a halt".

Also, Olga Korsak said that the best five military-historical projects of Smolensk region participating in the competition for the best military-historical route were included in the atlas "Military-historical routes of Russia", created by the Federal Agency for Tourism in cooperation with the Russian military-historical society.