Culture

The Rostov region is not only one of the most advanced multi-industrial and agricultural areas in the south of Russia, but also an important center of development for the sciences, education, culture and the arts. The Don region is rich in deep and varied cultural traditions. The Administration of the Rostov Region maintains ongoing support of these fields in order to preserve and develop the cultural potential of the Don area.

In 2001 the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region adopted the Regional Target  Program “Don Culture in 2003-2005”. The Program is aimed at supporting culture in the following areas:

• Supporting the professional arts in the Rostov Region.
• Preserving and developing the cultural heritage of the Don land.
• Developing the library science.
• Discovering and supporting young talents in their professional education.
• Preserving and developing the national cultures of the peoples of the Don, as well as promoting cultural cooperation between different nations.
• Ensuring up-to-date technical and technological equipment of the cultural facilities.
• Creating integrated target projects and putting them into practice.
• Providing scientific and information support.
• Encouraging the development of the film-making industry.
• Strengthening the financial and technical bases of the culture and arts institutions.

In 2003 the investments in the regional target program “Don Culture in 2003-2005” amounted to 32 060 thousand rubles.

In 2004 the Regional Administration plans to invest 35 520 thousand rubles as part of this program.

In 2002, on the governor, V.F.Chub’s, initiative, monthly allowances were paid from the regional budget to the employees of culture and arts institutions in the Region. The allowances were paid in compliance with the Rostov Regional Administration’s resolution #420 from 09.09.2002.

According to this resolution, allowances in the amount of 50% of the monthly salary were to be paid every month to the employees of the regional libraries, scientists working in the museums of the region, artists of the regional House of Folk Arts, and to production personnel of the regional theaters and the philharmonic society.

The artistic and production personnel of the Gorkiy Drama Theater, the Rostov Regional Academic Youth Theater, the Symphonic Orchestra and the Don Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble of the Rostov Region State Philharmonic Society, bearing the “academic” rank, were granted an increase in the salary degree as compared to the degrees scale officially adopted by the Labor Ministry of Russian Federation. The corresponding salary increase was completely covered from the regional budget.

Apart from this, an additional allowance in the amount of 17% of the salary was adopted for the employees of the Gorkiy Drama Theater, the Rostov Regional Academic Youth Theater, the Symphonic Orchestra and the Don Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble of the Rostov Region State Philharmonic Society.

Over the last ten years the Region Governor’s scholarship has been given every year in order to support talented young people working in the fine arts, as well as gifted students of arts schools in the Region.

Scholarships are given to members of those unions that represent various fine arts, employees of culture and arts establishments, gifted children studying in musical schools and lyceums, arts schools, painting schools, and secondary schools specializing in culture and fine arts. Over the recent years, scholarships were given to many well-known representatives of the Don culture, including, for example, Alexander Semikopenko, an actor; Evgeniya Kishkinova, an arts critic; Yuriy Shyshkin, a philharmonic society soloist; Oxana Begma, a painter; and many others.