Mr Putin called for the establishment of a new integral system of educating the young generation. This goal demands cultural values consonant with the present time, and the use of all available resources from customary, such as television and other mass media, to new mediums such as the Internet, he said.
The transition period has left children facing a problem-laden world on their own. Children can be lonely and neglected even in their own family. The status of cultural values and behavioural standards has declined. Children do not receive sufficient attention. These factors are a breeding ground for juvenile delinquency, drug addiction and homelessness, Mr Putin stressed.
The content of radio and television programmes leaves much to be desired. There are problems with children’s book publishing, theatre and cinema.
The goals of the state policy include creating beneficial conditions to produce new cultural values, with the fabulously rich Russian cultural heritage preserved, Mr Putin said.
Culture-market integration is necessary for cultural development, he went on, stressing that he meant not only the primitive market but also the current cultural industry. He also highlighted the importance of searching for forms in which the cultural potential could be used for Russia’s public image, and to strengthen its new role and place in world civilisation.
The President ordered the Culture Ministry to see how to promote the emergence of Russian “cultural product manufacturers” in the international market thus not merely receiving profits for cultural development but to enhance Russia’s status on the international scene.