THE TOP-18 NEWS OF THE END OF OCTOBER
Armenia
Armenia received Europa Nostra Awards 2015. On 24 October Europa Nostra Award 2015 was granted to programme “Preserving Cultural Heritage in Armenia”. The awarding ceremony took place in Yerevan with participation of Hovik Abrahamyan, Armenia’s Prime Minister. The projects awarded by Europe Nostra, a pan-European association of heritage foundations, was jointly organized by Armenia’s ministry of culture and Italy’s foreign ministry. It was aimed at enhancing Armenia’s ability to preserve its cultural heritage through sharing respective experience of Italy. Arminfo, News.am
More information, http://bit.ly/1M254g7
Azerbaijan
Ministry of culture and tourism launched project “From Capital to Regions”aimed at attracting people from the regions to modern cultural processes. The project plans to organize exhibitions of Baku-based museums and galleries as well as to conduct performances of outstanding artists in the country’s regions. 1news.az
Minister Garayev participated in UNAOC conference in London. Abulfas Garayev, Azerbaijan’s minister of culture and tourism, participated in the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) conference entitled “Challenges of a Shared World” based in the University of Oxford. Speaking at the conference, the mister informed about “Baku process” initiated by President Ilham Aliyev to promote global intercultural dialogue. Besides, the minister invited all participants of the conference to take part in the 7thUNAOC Forum to be hosted by Baku on 25-27 April 2016. 1news.az
Azarbaijan presented cultural heritage in Paris within its nomination to the World Heritage Committee. Before the upcoming 20th General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage scheduled for 18-20 November in Paris, Azerbaijan presented its cultural heritage as a nominee to the World Heritage Committee. The event was jointly organized by the country’s ministry of culture and tourism and Azrebaijan’s Permanent Representation to UNESCO. Vesti.az
Baku hosted Azerbaijan-Belarus Tourism Forum. On 29 October, Baku hosted Azerbaijan-Belarus Tourism Forum organized by Tsentrkurort, Belarus largest tourism company, with the support of Azerbaijan’s ministry of culture and tourism. The event was attended by more than 20 largest Azerbaijan’s tourism companies. Vesti.az
Belarus
International festival of modern choreography will be held in Belarus on 19-22 November. The festival’s programme includes performances of leading teams from Mexico, Switzerland, Belarus, Russia, Sweden, Poland, Italy, USA and Spain to be presented in Minsk and Vitebsk. The founders of the festival are Belarus’ ministry of culture, Vitebsk regional authorities, Belarus’ National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater and the culture center “Vitebsk”. Belta
Smolensk hosts 7th Russia-Belarus festival “Together we can achieve more”. The event unites disabled persons from Russia and Belarus. It was launched on 27 October and lasts for 3 days. The festivals programme, among others, includs folk and pop signing, choreography, author’s poetry, work of bards, gesture signing, circus performances and even slapstick. The event was jointly organized by Belarus’ and Russia’s ministries of culture with the support of Permanent Committee of the Union State. Soyuz.by
Belarus cultural institutions will increase share of out-of-state-budget financing in 2016, minister said. Speaking on the occasion of the Day of Cultural Workers, Boris Svetlov, Belarus’ minister of culture, noted that the culture-related institutions will increase the share of out-of-state-budget financing in 2016. The cultural institutions will not remain without state support, the minister underlined, noting that only in the current year they earned themselves almost 1 trillion of Belarus rubles. They seek to increase this amount next year, he added. Belta.by
Georgia
Georgia celebrated the Day of Abkhazian language. On the occasion of the Day of Abkhazian language, Giorgi Margvelashvili, Georgia’s President, addressed the nation expressing his belief that Georgians and Abkhazians will soon speak on one language of peace, love and cooperation. He underlined that Georgia is a common house for all nations living in the country. Their cultures constitutes our common treasure, Margvelashvili emphasized. Gruzia.online
Minister of culture summed up the work of his ministry for three years. Mikheil Giorgadze, Georgia’s minister of culture and monument protection, held a press conference on the outcomes of his ministry activities for the last three years. He noted that the realized projects were aimed at institutional strengthening of the culture field, increasing role of culture in society and widening of Georgian presence in international organisations. For the last year the ministry conducted 4500 different projects in which more than 2 million people took part, the minister stressed. Gruzia.online
Georgia hosts EU Week of Culture. The programme includes performances of more than 30 artists from different European countries. Visiting artists from Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Portugal and Poland will be among the guest performers in this year’s festival program, comprising of 20 free-entry events in seven cities of Georgia including capital Tbilisi. Concerts of varying musical genres, and talks about modern theatre, will be part of the EU Week of Culture, which aimed at "creating a space for intercultural communication,” organisers said. The EU Week of Culture will conclude on November 8 in Sighnaghi. Agenda.ge
Moldova
Moldova’s MP proposes celebrating Day of Unification with Romania as a national holiday. Maria Chobanu, an MP representing Liberal-Democratic Party of Moldova (LDPM) faction, proposes to celebrate 27 March the Day of Moldova’s Unification with Romania as a national holiday. This will mark our respect to Romanian culture, language and history as well as underline significance of Bessarabia-Romania unification in 1918, the MP explained her initiative. Alfanews
Moldova’s film director presented his film “Milika” jointly produced with France and Poland. On 19 October, Valeriu Jereghi, a Moldovan film director, presented his film “Milika” jointly produced by Moldova’s, France’s and Poland’s film industries. The premiere was attended by Moldova’s high-level officials including deputy head of the Parliament, minister of culture, minister of justice, defense minister, and representatives of diplomatic corps. Newsmarker.md
Ukraine
Media explains roots of creative economy. Ukrainska Pravda Zhyttia printed an article on squats and hubs – self-taken abandoned premises – as the roots of creative economy. This phenomenon originated from Europe where people “revitalized” abandoned fabrics, churches, storehouses etc. into creative art centers. Currently the EU and European national government support initiatives aimed at turning industrial premises within cities into creative spaces, the article wrote providing examples in Poland. In Ukraine the movement only appears with Kyiv-based creative art space “Platforma” being one of positive example. The state and municipal officials, however, are predominantly reluctant to allow initiative people to “revitalize” industrial abandoned premises. The article underlined that creative industries in European countries generated higher GDP than such traditional industry as machine machinery construction. In 2009 the former provided 2,6% of Germany’s GDP while the later – 2,3%. The article urged that creative economy integrated into the urban space is linked to democratization and human rights protection. Ukrainska Pravda Zhyttia
Ministry of culture demands to stop repressions against Ukrainians in Russia.Ukraine’s ministry of culture qualifies recent searches and arrests in Moscow-based Ukrainian library as repressions against Ukrainian minority in Russia, wrote the statement published by the ministry’s official web site. The ministry demands immediate release of Natalya Sharina, head of Ukrainian library in Moscow, as well as suspension of repressions against Ukrainians living in Russia. Minister Vyacheslav Kyrylenko promised to initiate an appeal to the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities “concerning all possible measures impacting Russian current leadership, including through international institutions”. Ukrainska Pravda
Ministry: Moscow’s decision to include 220 Crimean heritage sites into Russian list of cultural objects is illegal. Following the inclusion of 220 Crimean heritage sites into the list of Russian cultural objects, Ukraine’s ministry of culture issued a statement, stressing that the move is illegal and breaches international law. The ministry also underlined that Russia bears entire responsibility for damaging and/or destroying these cultural objects some of which are nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Novoe Vremia
International film festival “Molodist” is being conducted in Kyiv. On 24 October the 45th International Film Festival “Molodist” supported by the Ukraine’s ministry of culture, was opened in Kyiv. Being among the biggest film festivals in Eastern Europe, “Molodists” presents modern mainstream and experimental cinemas. The 45th Festival “Molodist” will be held till November, 1st in the cinemas of Kyiv. At the same time, Andriy Khalpakhchi, general director of “Molodist”, warned that next year the festival may be moved from Kyiv to another city or even disappear if it doesn’t receive sufficient support from the state and Kyiv municipal authorities. UNN, Radio Liberty
More information; http://bit.ly/1Sd6upc
Ukrainian cultural organization may study Polish experience. EU-Eastern Partnership Programme Culture and Creativity opened call to study tour and partnership programme with Poland. Creative industry organizations from six EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) are invited to apply to the programme. Six selected organisations will train and work with six pre-selected Polish counterparts in spring 2016, with the intention of developing a long-term cultural partnership. Cultprostir.ua
