How have the cultural sectors of the Baltic States faced the COVID-19 crisis? Estonians expect full recovery in autumn Culture



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Latvian Culture Minister Nauris Puntulis said the state supported 32 million people during the pandemic. euros

“If you are interested in expressing numbers, 32 million is allocated to culture in Latvia. Aid from the euro However, I do not think that monetary expression is the most significant. The most important thing is the attitude of our politicians towards culture,” he said. during the press conference.

Latvians want to come out of the crisis stronger

32 million According to the Minister, 10 million euros were distributed in various areas: 2 million euros for theaters, museums, opera; 10 million euros for independent artists. 10 million euros for the improvement of cultural infrastructure; the euro went to government orders.

“As an inspiration, we had a pre-existing Roosevelt plan. It was done there that during the biggest crisis, a lot of attention was paid to culture, “N. Puntulis said, adding that in the face of the crisis Latvia tried to support all areas of culture.

Culture must not only survive this crisis, but we must emerge stronger from it.

“In Latvia, in the field of culture, we emphasize that culture must not only survive this crisis, but that we must emerge stronger from it.” The state must ensure that cultural workers do what they pay best in times of crisis: create. This is our motto to overcome this crisis, “added N. Puntulis.

Estonians sought to preserve continuity of work

Estonian Culture Minister Tonis Lukas said the country’s government had supported 22 million people after the pandemic. euros The funds, according to the minister, went to state institutions and municipal theaters or museums.

According to T. Lukas, financial injections for culture in Estonia were distributed over three months, in March, April and May, and were supposed to help institutions maintain and continue their activities.

“To avoid the need to close institutions after the end of this crisis,” said the Estonian minister.

Now, according to him, the most important thing is that all cultural life returns to normal. T. Lukas said that he expected as early as autumn that cultural life in Estonia from September will be the same as before the COVID-19 crisis.

And even now in Estonia, according to the minister, museums or theaters already operate at 95 percent. capacity.

No comparison was made

Lithuania has planned to allocate a total of 68.3 million LTL to the cultural sector surviving the COVID-19 pandemic. with infrastructure investments.

Photo of Žygimantas Gedvila / 15min / Mindaugas Kvietkauskas

Photo of Žygimantas Gedvila / 15min / Mindaugas Kvietkauskas

“Lithuania for cultural activities, organizations and creators 25 million. euros Of these, more than 5 million. The other part is assigned to individual artists, and the other part to the activities of various institutions and organizations in all sectors. Lithuania has also allocated large funds for cultural infrastructure and its renovation, ”said Lithuania’s Minister of Culture, Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, during the press conference.

The future, he said, also supports supporting bodybuilders. The DNA plan for the future economy provides more than 15 million jobs. 2 million euros for cultural education projects. 7 million euros for the implementation of a special program of cultural coupons. euros

When asked which of the Baltic states best coped with the coronavirus crisis, M. Kvietkauskas smiled: “Probably the answers [bus] only after we have completely exited this period. Then we can analyze and compare. “

Probably the answers only after we are completely out of this period.

Before the press conference, the ministers of the three Baltic States signed a memorandum of understanding on better knowledge and translation of Baltic literature.

In the memorandum, the parties agreed to jointly develop a financing scheme for the translation and publication of literary works that received the Baltic Assembly Literary Prize in 2021. The memorandum will last five years and will be implemented by the Writers Union of the three states.



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