Minister doesn't view as tragic
"There is a long road to reach culture. Unfortunately, not everyone is given that road or to perceive and accept high cultural values. Culture is always a step ahead of society and the introduction of certain values in society should be compulsory", says RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan.
According to her, brilliant proof of this is the policy of the Soviet regime through which Armenia saw the elimination of ignorance, a well-developed educational system, science and culture.
Poghosyan says Armenia must take imperative steps to reach success and not hope that people will realize that or not.
Do you agree with Russian Culture Minister Alexander Avden's recent statement that a country shouldn't expect development, if the government allocates less than 2 percent of the state budget to culture? In response, Poghosyan said:
"Each country has its own format for developing culture. In the U.S., sponsors make up nearly 90% of funding for culture. This is a model of corporative management that will allow the country to develop. In Europe, the government keeps the most important institutions, that is, opera theaters and national libraries, in the field of monopoly and creates favorable conditions for other spheres by providing funding from state and private funds. Countries like Armenia can't make an immediate translation to another model of management and in this case, I agree with Avdev's 2 percent principle. But of course, none of the post-Soviet countries follows that principle. Today Armenia is almost close to the 1 percent borderline and if it weren't for the crisis, we would have reached 1.4 percent."
As for the vacant post of artistic director at the main theater, Poghosyan said it is a regular process. "The sphere of culture can't be constant and nothing is an end in itself. It would be nice to see a director, but the latter must have advantages and values and there is no such director at the moment." The minister doesn't view this as tragic since theaters are sometimes putting on commercial plays due to insufficient government funding.
