Vladimir Putin’s opening remarks:

Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends. We met in Penza early this year. I suggest that today we discuss what has been done since then and that you offer your recommendations, so that we will be able to work efficiently at least for the first six months of 2012 despite our packed political agenda.

I’d like to remind you that [in Penza] we spoke about important, if not painful, issues for you and for your sphere of activity. I will speak formally – your sphere of activity, because we will not talk about creative elements but primarily your economic and administrative functions. So, the first issue we discussed at length then concerned the right to dispose of 400,000 roubles, not 100,000 as before, without holding tenders or using other forms of competition. It turned out that it was easier said than done. And yet, you know that a few days ago – I think it was on November 23 – we made amendments (we had been working on the issue all this time) to the relevant law, which allows increasing the sum from 100,000 to 400,000 roubles. I hope that you know about this. If you do, I’d like you to say if this is enough or maybe there are some pitfalls connected with the procedure which I have not noticed. Let’s discuss this issue today. This is the first issue on our agenda.

The second issue concerns the concept for developing theatre in Russia. The Culture Ministry and creative unions have each engaged professional artists in creating this concept in the past three years. We talked about this in Penza, one way or another. This project has been completed. Today I’d like to hear your opinions. Perhaps we need to focus on something, or work more on some elements of the concept? I remember what you said then and your concern over the development of theatres in the regions, not the capital cities. If we should add something to the concept regarding this issue, please say so now. I am ready to talk with regional heads and to instruct them to draft regional concepts, if necessary, based on the draft of the federal concept.

The next issue concerns retired actors. You raised that issue. I’d like to tell you that the government has decided to pay one-time bonuses to the veteran actors who need state assistance. Many of them continue to work despite their advanced age, impressing us with their energy and talent, but many others can no longer work for health reasons and so need our assistance. We will do this; we will pay them one-time bonuses. Furthermore, we have decided to make additional payments to People’s Artists every year. We will subsequently index the sum, but next year we will allocate 160 million roubles for this purpose.

As for the Veteran Actors’ Home, budgetary allocations for it have been approved and the design of the building is ready. The compound should be completed in 2013. But there is a problem… By the by, we have allocated 2.5 billion roubles for this, which is a solid sum. But there is a problem we need to discuss – the buildings must be overhauled because currently they are not suitable for living.

Remark: Are you referring to the Maria Savina Veteran Actors’ Home?

Vladimir Putin: Yes.

Remark: The one in St Petersburg?

Vladimir Putin: Exactly. It needs capital repairs. Its residents are venerable people, yet we will have to move them somewhere for the duration of the repairs. It will be impossible to live there during the active period of renovation. In fact, we will leave only the walls and renovate the buildings in accordance with modern requirements. Yes, we should discuss this issue, and I need your advice on how to do this better for the inhabitants. They have a branch somewhere outside St Petersburg, at Komarovo, I think.

Remark: Yes, Komarovo.

Vladimir Putin: It is being modernised now to accommodate the home inhabitants for a year, but this is an issue we should discuss too. We should also talk with these veteran actors. Please do this. Please look at what has been done at Komarovo, send the people you trust there so they can see for themselves what has been done there. That’s it, I think.

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Vladimir Putin’s closing remarks:

Once again. You should begin working on the basis of the programme. The ministry will be involved in this. I would like for the discussion of the contract system to proceed without my involvement, but rather with the ministers and ministry experts who will get into it. A number of complex issues need to be resolved: it is necessary to protect the interests of working actors and expand the opportunities for creative directors. A theatre director should not play the role of a certain character who is always doing a prison stretch and doing nothing except this: we don’t need a frontman Funt, so we have to be particularly careful here.

As for creative directors, we are well aware of how this part of the musical world functions: a conductor is invited to join a well-organised team, so he or she arrives to work with an orchestra for a while. The conductor does not disband the orchestra. He or she might bring someone along to work with, but the entire team remains intact. The same is true of any creative endeavour. A creative director, a conductor arrives to work with an established team. I also understand your point: some people, perhaps many of them, might bring along a sort of a backbone of a team with them. The new law must take into account all these details, it must be flexible and viable. This concerns the relations between the director and the conductor. The rights and obligations of the artists and the theatre managers must be considered in detail.

I consider it to be very important to encourage the regions to extend the opportunities to receive service housing. This is of critical importance. Regional authorities can certainly do this, in addition to increasing wages. At present, we are increasing teachers’ wages to match the national average, meaning they are able to live a fairly normal life. Still, we should also bring the creative teams to correspond with the average level. And service housing is extremely important. It could boost the mobility and creative potential in the regions, in the country, and in the regional centres. People could be employed there. However, one strict rule, especially for regional centres, should be followed in this regard: this service housing must not be transformed into permanent housing. This rule must be absolutely firm. We won’t do this tomorrow, but we should give the signal to regional leaders, and I’m sure many of them will respond to it. These opportunities exist in the regions and they are constantly growing.

Yesterday, I met with some regional colleagues: the real situation is many regions is improving. Economic growth amounts to 24% in the Kaluga Region in 2011. Just to clarify: the average growth is about 1.5% to 2% in Europe, and 1%, or even less, in the USA. Russia’s growth amounts to 4.2%, while it is 8% in China, which is one of the world’s leaders. And the Kaluga Region has seen a growth rate of 24%, despite the fact that it has no oil, gas, metals, gold, silver, or platinum. Its growth is based on the development of real production. Actual income has considerably increased in the Russian regions in 2011. I hope that this trend will be preserved.

Oleg Tabakov: The Perm Region also has neither oil nor gas, but it has seen a dramatic rise in cultural support. And people in Nizhny Novgorod say that they will go there.

Vladimir Putin: There you have it. We will develop these areas and keep in contact with you. If anything comes up, I’m always available for you.

Remarks: Thank you!