Director General of Presidential Library took part in opening of centers for popularization of Russian language and culture in Donetsk People's Republic

On December 10, 2024 in the Krupskaya Donetsk Regional Scientific Library a regional center for the popularization of the Russian language and culture Russkoye Slovo ('Russian Language') was opened with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Donetsk People's Republic. Similar centers have also been established via teleconference on the basis of model libraries in four other cities in the republic: Khartsyzk, Novoazovk, Mangush, and Donetsk.

Yuri Nosov, Director General of the Presidential Library of the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation, took part in the opening ceremony via video conference.

The initiative to create such centers based on libraries of reunified territories was announced by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Council for the Implementation of State Policy in the field of support for the Russian language and the Languages of the Peoples of Russia. Acting Minister of Culture of the Donetsk People's Republic Mikhail Zheltyakov, speaking at the opening of the centers, stressed the importance of this initiative: Russian cultural centers are aimed primarily at young people, so that the great Russian word and diverse Russian culture will not be forgotten.

On behalf of the leadership of the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation and the staff of the Presidential Library, Yuri Nosov, congratulated the cultural community of the Donetsk People's Republic on an important event in a video message. He also noted that soon, electronic reading rooms of the Presidential Library would open based on model libraries, thanks to which readers would have access to the entire collection of archival documents and materials related to the history of Russian statehood and the Russian language.

Yuri Nosov emphasized that the Presidential Library is actively cooperating with the Donetsk Republican Universal Scientific Library. A cooperation agreement was signed last year, and on November 6, this year, an electronic reading room of the Presidential Library opened  based on the library. He also emphasized that the portal of the Presidential Library contains collections of documents related to the reunified regions, including the Donetsk People's Republic: Pages of History collection.

The preservation and popularization of the Russian language and the development of speech culture have become one of the top priorities for libraries in the republic in recent years. This was stated by Igor Gorbatov, General Director of the Donetsk Republican Universal Scientific Library.

He also emphasized that centers with information resources will be accessible to everyone, and the younger generation will be raised to be proud of their native language, history, and culture. On behalf of the literary community, Fyodor Berezin, Chairman of the Writers' Union of the Donetsk People's Republic and regional branch of the Writers' Union of Russia, welcomed participants in the event.

The official part of the opening was followed by a lively interactive program - a thematic quiz called Native Language is the Soul of the People, a master class on Old Russian Initials, and other activities.

By the end of this year, 24 new centers will be launched based on public libraries in the Donetsk People's Republic, with coordination, methodological assistance, and monitoring provided by the Regional Center Russkoye Slovo ('Russian Language') of the Krupskaya Donetsk Republic Universal Scientific Library.