OREANDA-NEWS. January 26, 2010. The transcript of the meeting's beginning: Vladimir Putin: Mr Avdeyev, my first question concerns the festival organised to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of writer Anton Chekhov. The Culture Ministry organised this project. How did it start?

Alexander Avdeyev: We have established a national committee, which has been working for six months. I have visited Taganrog, where commission members and I inspected the Chekhov museum and his house. The majority of Russian theatres, I think 90% of them, have prepared special performances for the occasion this year, staging one to three or even four of his plays. Theatres in Moscow have over 30 Chekhov plays on their repertoires. A large Chekhov theatre conference will begin soon. Prominent theatre and stage directors from many countries are coming to Moscow to celebrate Chekhov's birthday and to talk about his works.

Vladimir Putin: Chekhov is appreciated in all countries.

Alexander Avdeyev: A major literary conference will be conducted in Moscow's Pashkov House to discuss Chekhov's plays as literature and not as theatrical performances. The celebrations have become a world holiday of culture with Moscow as the focal point. Since Chekhov is a part of world literature and theatre, we will inadvertently be showing our visitors the condition of Russia's theatres. We should do everything possible for these theatres in time for the Chekhov festival within their budgets, specifically we need to repair and reconstruct some of them.

Vladimir Putin: I presume you are referring to drama theatres.

Alexander Avdeyev: Yes, primarily. We held a meeting in St Petersburg's Tovstonogov Drama Theatre (BDT). We have started preparing a feasibility study for that theatre's reconstruction. As much as 100 million roubles (USD 3.3 million) will be spent on the study this year, as we have reported to you and you have told the theatre. Another 100 million roubles will be allocated for the theatre's repairs this year.

Vladimir Putin: We should look at the reconstruction plans and consider it in terms of timeframes, deadlines and financing. Speaking of finances, last year we completed several major projects, including one in St Petersburg. In particular, we completed reconstruction of the main building of the Aleksandrinsky Theatre and the Arkhangelsk Drama Theatre, and have almost completed repairs at a museum in Elista (capital of Kalmykia, a republic in the southeast of European Russia).

But one of the largest new projects concerns the musical theatre in Astrakhan. As far as I know, it is 99% completed.

Alexander Avdeyev: Yes, we still need to complete the roof. We maintain regular contacts with Governor Alexander Zhilkin. I think we will complete the project by May 1.

Vladimir Putin: We must do it, we must complete everything and as soon as possible, because the project started long ago. I know that this is a big and complicated project, one of the largest we have now. It is as big as the Bolshoi Theatre by size, but we still need to complete it. If you believe that it can be done by May, do it by all means.

And then, we will have two projects in 2010, at the circuses in Kursk and Yaroslavl.

Alexander Avdeyev: We have not repaired large circuses for a long time, and we owe it to the people and especially children. We will allocate major funds for these two projects. We must complete repairs at the Yaroslavl circus in 2010, especially since Yaroslavl will mark its 1000th anniversary this year.

Vladimir Putin: It is because we haven't invested funds in this area for long time that many governors have requested transferring circus ownership to the regions'. We should consider this problem. We should either agree to transfer them to the regions', or invest in their reconstruction.

Alexander Avdeyev: Mr Putin, this is indeed a problem. The Culture Ministry believes that some circuses should indeed be transferred into regional ownership. We are preparing plans for reorganising the circus system, which has become heavily monopolized contrary to legislation, and for appointing new managers. We have put an end to the feudal slavery in the circuses, where everything was excessively organised and where life was difficult for the circus staff.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Let us talk about the financial aspects now. The Theatre Centre in Nalchik (capital of the Kabardin-Balkar Republic in the North Caucasus) was to be finished in 2010. Will you complete the project this year?

Alexander Avdeyev: No, not entirely, but we plan to do it in 2011.

Vladimir Putin: And what about the culture centre in Yaroslavl?

Alexander Avdeyev: The cultural centre in Yaroslavl will be very large and beautiful, in a modern architectural style. We intend to complete it in 2010. Construction is in full swing now, and we will finish it by the end of the year.

Vladimir Putin: And the weapons museum in Tula?

Alexander Avdeyev: It will be a beautiful museum built in the form of an old Russian helmet. It is beautiful, and we will complete it in 2010. The Culture Ministry has pledged to do this.

Vladimir Putin: And the musical theatre in Saransk?

Alexander Avdeyev: The musical theatre in Saransk will also be completed.

Vladimir Putin: When?

Alexander Avdeyev: We have promised the republic's authorities to complete by the end of the year.

Vladimir Putin: Good. Do you have sufficient resources to do this?

Alexander Avdeyev: We have calculated our spending within the budget, and it seems we will have enough funds.

Vladimir Putin: As for St Petersburg's BDT, we have agreed to take the necessary decisions with regard to financing the project after the first quarter.

Alexander Avdeyev: Yes, we have found a building where BDT can be moved [for the duration of repairs], the Vyborgsky Culture Centre near the Finlyandsky Railway Terminal.

Vladimir Putin: Have you agreed on this issue with the trade unions?

Alexander Avdeyev: Yes, we have

Vladimir Putin: Mr Avdeyev, I would like to thank you and congratulate you on your victory in the lawsuit as a result of which Russia has regained ownership of a large property in southern France, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicholas in Nice, one of the largest Orthodox churches outside Russia. Please convey my wholehearted gratitude to the employees of the Foreign Ministry who contributed to this effort.

Alexander Avdeyev: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: In this connection, I would like to remind you of the idea of creating a national portrait gallery as proposed by Russian йmigrйs from the first wave. I think this is a very good idea. It implies collecting portraits of outstanding Russians in the fields of culture, education, state and military service. Please consider a proper building for it.

Alexander Avdeyev: Mr Putin, that idea is in tune with current feelings, when society has become interested in the Russian history, and portraits are a perfect way to learn how historical figures looked, and are now a very popular form of art. Thank you for this decision. We are considering a branch of the History Museum, the former Lenin Museum, which has a large area, as much as 1,000 square metres. This would suffice for starting this gallery. We plan to do this.

Vladimir Putin: Good. As for the theatres, I hope you will do as we have agreed. You probably need to discuss the issue with your colleagues. We plan to hold a meeting of the heads of Russia's largest theatres soon.

Alexander Avdeyev: Thank you, Mr Putin.