Tatiana Golikova: Our main value is people

Published on: 2026-09-05

Source: Government of the Russian Federation –

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At the National Center “Russia,” as part of the all-Russian project “Where the Motherland Begins,” a new meeting took place in the cycle “The Motherland is its People” on the topic “Our Values.” Participants discussed the spiritual and moral guidelines of Russia, the preservation of historical heritage, traditional values, and how the state, society, and individual people help transmit these important values to future generations.

The key speaker of the event was Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova.

“A strong and sovereign state can only exist relying on a solid foundational set of values. These values are formed over centuries, becoming part of the historical experience, culture, and worldview of the nation. The unique identity of our country is the contribution of the 194 peoples living in it, and the year 2026, declared by the head of state as the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, is meant to once again remind us that at the core of our unity, regardless of nationality and faith, lie common spiritual and moral values,” said Tatyana Golikova.

At the state level, these values are enshrined by a decree of the President of the country. Among them are life, a strong family, dignity, human rights and freedoms, patriotism, creative work, mercy — a total of 17.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that a strong family always stands out among the main traditional Russian values. This was confirmed by 68% of Russians in a study conducted by the Analytical Center of VCIOM and the National Center “Russia.” Furthermore, according to the survey results, citizens highlight values such as historical memory and the continuity of generations, life, dignity, human rights and freedoms, as well as the unity of the peoples of Russia.

The protection of traditional values is a strategic national priority. In this activity, a commission on the direction “Culture and traditional spiritual and moral values” operates under the State Council. The implementation of state policy involves federal and regional authorities, civil society institutions, and religious organizations. Work in this area covers practically all fields – education, upbringing, youth work, science, mass media, archival institutions preserving historical and documentary heritage, and culture.

“Today, tens of thousands of cultural and educational projects are being implemented across the country. Special attention is given to preserving historical memory, reviving the homeland, events of the special military operation, domestic cinema, theater and musical art, and other areas. Our task is not only to preserve accurate knowledge of the past but also to pass it on to future generations,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

To gauge the interests of the youth audience aged 14–22, the “Pushkin Card” was launched. More than 12,000 cultural institutions are involved in the card’s operation — from the largest federal theaters to municipal libraries. Over five years, more than 115 million tickets have been purchased using the card, of which 13 million were bought just since the beginning of this year.

“The card is most demanded by schoolchildren under 17 years old. The most popular choice year after year traditionally remains cinema, but we see young people’s interest in world-famous museums and theaters – the Tretyakov Gallery, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, the Mariinsky Theatre, the Moscow Art Theatre named after Chekhov. We note high popularity not only of capital institutions: among the attendance leaders are the Astrakhan State Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Bashkir State Philharmonic, and the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

Tatyana Golikova emphasized that the emergence of a high-quality and meaningful cultural product is impossible without creating conditions for the development of the industry and its infrastructure.

“Over the past decade, the number of museums in the country has increased by 20%. In the last four years, in the territories of historical regions, the number of cinema halls has grown from two to 101. Thanks to the project ‘All-Russian Virtual Concert Hall,’ residents of more than 500 settlements, including those remote from large cities, have gained the opportunity to watch concerts of leading performers in real time and in excellent quality. The national project ‘Culture’ concluded in December 2024; today we continue the work started within the federal project ‘Family Values and Cultural Infrastructure’ of the national project ‘Family.’ By 2030, about 11,000 cultural institutions will be modernized and equipped, including repairing or equipping all the philharmonics across the country,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

She added that an important direction is the revival of the small homeland. This is the aim of the federal project “Culture of the Small Homeland,” developed jointly with the “United Russia” party, which provides for the repair and equipping of cultural institutions in villages and small towns. In addition, attention is paid to the development of communal and transport infrastructure, creation and modernization of educational, healthcare, sports facilities, improvement of parks, embankments, and public spaces. For this purpose, programs for the development of rural areas and key settlements are being implemented. These measures help increase the attractiveness of the countryside, creating points of attraction both for local residents and tourists.

“But none of this would be possible without our people – those who shape today’s cultural landscape, preserve traditions, and pass them on to the younger generation. These are 600 thousand people working in more than 90 thousand cultural institutions across the country,” emphasized Tatyana Golikova.

During the event, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova and Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova presented departmental awards – the Alexander Tvardovsky medals. The award is given to figures of culture, art, and creative industries for a significant contribution to the implementation of creative projects under conditions of military actions and other circumstances involving life risk, as well as for merits in carrying out creative projects that reflect the power of art in uplifting the spirit and strengthening the moral guidelines of society.

“For the Ministry of Culture, for the cultural sector, the homeland is its people, our viewers, our readers, our listeners, and cultural figures. We are all one big family filled with talented people. Today we present the departmental award — the Alexander Trifonovich Tvardovsky Medal. In recent years, his poems have sounded especially heartfelt. We award this medal to those cultural figures who, in the most difficult times, considered it their duty to go to the front, to hospitals, to come with concerts to new historical regions where it is so difficult to meet their audience and share their creativity,” noted Olga Lyubimova.

During the meeting, the Governor of Sevastopol, Chairman of the State Council’s Commission on Culture and Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values, Mikhail Razvozhayev, shared the experience of his region, where history itself defines its role as a spiritual guide. He also spoke about unique museum projects that have become pillars for preserving historical memory and educating young people. According to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the task today is to preserve heritage, fill it with new meanings, and make it a foundation for the country’s future.

Elena Malysheva, Head of the National Center for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation, explained how the system for preserving historical memory is being formed in Russia today, what tools and technologies are used for this, and why protecting historical truth is becoming one of the main tasks of the state and society.

The event was also attended by well-known cultural figures. Larisa Rogovaya, Director of the State Archive of the Russian Federation, emphasized the importance of protecting reliable knowledge about the past, based on archival sources, treating archival documents with care, and conducting systematic educational work. Sergey Bezrukov, actor of theater and cinema, head of the Moscow Provincial Theater, and artistic director of the M. Gorky Moscow Art Theatre, spoke about the traditional school of Russian psychological theater. Sergey Lobanov, a participant in the special military operation and poet, presented his position on the artistic interpretation of historical events.

In addition, the session was joined by the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theatre ballet company Andrian Fadeev, composer and director of the Sretensky Monastery choir Fyodor Stepanov, and the artistic director and chief conductor of the Moscow State Academic Symphony Orchestra Ivan Nikiforchin.

Special attention at the meeting was given to supporting young talents. Using personal experience as an example, the speakers explained how the country addresses the organization of free and accessible additional education for children in art schools, what is needed to form professional and creative competencies in the younger generation, and what staffing opportunities the industry can create for young leaders. The creator of the people’s cultural and exhibition project “Sysertsky Plant-Museum”, Alexander Savichev, and the director of Children’s Art School No. 1 of the city of Tolyatti, Larisa Kabina, shared their practices.

“The main value is people. Our key task is to provide every Russian, regardless of age and place of residence, with the opportunity to connect with our shared cultural and spiritual heritage,” Tatiana Golikova concluded.

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