The educational role of Russian culture was the meeting’s main subject of discussion.
Mr Putin expressed his concern over the decline in young people’s level of culture. The President noted in particular that the Internet, which has a huge impact on young people today, has only a tiny fraction of resources that can be considered culturally educational.
Mr Putin criticised Russian television channels for broadcasting poor-quality television products from abroad.
The President spoke of the need to take serious measures to educate children in the arts and humanities and cultivate their artistic knowledge.
Mr Putin called on the Russian intelligentsia to become actively involved in what he called the two major humanitarian projects of setting up the Presidential Library and the Russian Language Foundation. The Presidential Library should become the central link for the country’s entire library system, the President said.
The Council also discussed candidates for the State Prize in Literature and the Arts for 2006.