Committee for Culture of Saint Petersburg

Committee for Culture is a structural subdivision of the St. Petersburg City Government. It was established for the purpose of caring out state policy and implementing state governance in the sphere of culture and arts.

The main goals of the Committee are:

• Preserve and rationally use city’s cultural and historical heritage; revive and develop cultural traditions;
• Support cultural and arts organizations in order to guarantee equal access to cultural wealth for all social groups; create favorable conditions for the development of cultural and artistic organizations;
• Assist in the development of the system of musical and artistic educational institutions; provide support for talented children and youth;
• Support folk art and national cultures; develop the recreational and leisure sphere as well as cultural and educational activities; strengthen interaction between professional and amateur artistic organizations;
• Strengthen international cultural cooperation; ensure participation of the city’s cultural and artistic organizations in international projects; promote St. Petersburg as a cultural and artistic center of international significance;
• Organize the city’s cultural events: festivals, competitions, holidays, exhibitions, conferences and congresses;
• Create and implement projects and strategic programs in the sphere of culture; share expertise of international and regional projects in the field.

In order to provide effective support for cultural development programs, the Committee for Culture invites the city’s leading cultural representatives to participate in the formation of cultural policy. This is realized through the Board of the Committee for Culture, as well as expert and public councils.

The Committee assures financial support for cultural activities through the city’s budget. Furthermore, the Committee implements “Program for the support of culture and arts” — annual competition for grants held among both non-governmental and state cultural organizations. This program is designed to create favorable conditions for the strategic development of cultural organizations, attract nonbudgetary finance, create innovative models of cultural activity, and strengthen the social role of culture and arts.