Cultural Development in Urban Disctrict in 2021-2030

1. Khabarovsk and culture

Culture plays an important role in the city’s social and economic development, development of moral and spiritual aspects of personality, achievement of worthy standard and quality of living for city residents.

In this context, efforts of the City Administration provide for the rights of people to create, preserve and learn cultural values, develop cultural, spiritual and moral potential of every individual and the community, and the City Administration aims to efficiently (up-to-date) manage cultural processes in the city based on the needs and concerns of city people, analyse the culture sector of economy and develop trends thereof.

THE CULTURAL POLICY PRIORITIES CONSIST IN PRESERVATION OF THE EXISTING NETWORK OF CULTURAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND THE DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL SERVICES RENDERED AND ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS FOR TALENTED CHILDREN.

In the field of library service, implementation of innovative programs for library informatization and development of the universal e-library project are pursued to increase competitiveness of libraries, increase the number of users, establish information centres that provide e-reference room services to the city residents.

In the field of culture and leisure service, the main objective is to ensure individual’s rights to support and development of recreational, creative and hobby activities, preservation of activity diversity. Regular improvement of physical infrastructure of cultural establishments exchange by making building renovations, and purchase of new musical instruments serve to improve quality and comfort level of services rendered by cultural establishments.

Much attention is paid to the development of creative industries (animation, cinema, design). There are more than 27 children's animation studios in the city. Cartoon screenings were held at international festivals, in particular in Serbia, China.

For the purpose of international exchange of experience, promotion of culture and art in the city, international events are held on an annual basis – International Performer Art Competition ‘New Names of Pacific Rim Countries’, International Military Band Festival ‘Amur River Waves’.

2. Goals and project implementation

2.1. Main aim and specific goals

General aim of the Program is to establish conditions for satisfaction of needs of people for cultural services. To achieve the aim, the following efforts should be made:

• improve quality of services rendered by cultural establishments;
• improve access to cultural values for people;
• preserve the existing network of musical schools, schools of art and the number of students;
• support and promote cultural and creative activities (club and amateur group activities at community and culture and leisure centres);
• improve physical infrastructure of cultural establishments to meet statutory standards;
• preserve cultural and historical heritage; develop professional performing arts.

The Program aims to resolve the following current problems in the field of culture:

1. Obsolescence and shortage of physical infrastructure and equipment of cultural establishments (buildings, special equipment, musical instruments, etc.). In this context, it is ever more difficult for municipal cultural establishments to compete with other organizations for leisure time and expenses of individuals and households, when there is an advent of mass media and popular art and rapid development of electronic publication.
2. Lack of equal opportunities for different population categories (children, youths, people with disabilities, residents of outskirts of the city, representatives of ethnic culture centres) to engage in cultural and creative activities.

2.2. Development of the project

The above Municipal Program is deemed to be implemented in the following main directions:

• Provide municipal support to talented children. Using municipal budget funds, annually award and pay monthly City Mayor’s scholarships in the field of culture and arts;
• Promote educational and exhibition activities of the City History Museum. Annually increase the number of museum tours by the city’s educational institutions, promote educational programs for children on the basis of the museum children’s multimedia center, increase the number of exchange exhibitions with other museums.
• Ensure favorable and comfortable environment for recreation of people through infrastructural improvement of park areas, care of flowerbeds, maintenance of green space (pruning, new tree planting), organization and holding of concerts in summer, arrangement of Christmas amusement parks and holding of winter entertainment events for people.
• Development of creative industries (animation, cinema, design).
• Organize international exchange of experience (cooperation). Annually hold international events in the city – International Performer Art Competition ‘New Names of Pacific Rim Countries’, Trade Fair ‘Khabarovsk – City of Craftsmen’, International Military Band Festival ‘Amur River Waves’ with participants from Japan, China and Korea, annually co-finance the trips of leading soloists and amateur-talent groups to high-prestige domestic and international competitions and festivals.
• Promote cultural creative activities, preserve and expand activity diversity, ensure accessibility of services.

Main actions carried out are the following:

• organize provision of additional pre-professional education;
• organize club (amateur group) activities;
• organize library service of people;
• show theatre pieces;
• organize and hold cultural and leisure events;
• organize museum activities, including new exhibitions, temporary and travelling displays;
• arrange recreation grounds for city residents.

Implementation of the project addresses all age categories of Khabarovsk city residents (average annual number of permanent populations in the city makes 618 700 people).

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF CULTURAL SERVICES RENDERED TO PEOPLE, ADD TO MARKETABILITY OF THOSE SERVICES, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SERVICE USERS, AND, FINALLY, IMPROVE CULTURAL AWARENESS AND SPIRITUAL AND MORAL HEALTH OF CITY RESIDENTS.

Main expected results from Program implementation are the following:

• increase a consumer satisfaction index regarding quality and accessibility of services in the field of culture to reach 85 %;
• increase the number of 5- to 18-year-old participants in creative events from 6% to 8% of the total number of children in the city;
• in 2021-2030, increase the number of attendees at cultural venues by 51,2% as compared to 2020;
• an increase in museum attendance by 12.9 %;
• improve physical infrastructure of municipal cultural establishments.

3. Impacts

3.1. Direct impacts

The project has been developed and is implemented by the local government – Khabarovsk City Administration, particularly its Department of Culture.

Implementation of the project makes it possible to improve quality of cultural services rendered to people, add to marketability of those services, increase the number of service users, and, finally, improve cultural awareness and spiritual and moral health of city residents.

In the context of international promotion, the Program provides for international contests, festivals, exhibitions to be held in the city of Khabarovsk as well co-financing of trips of the city’s amateur-talent groups to international contests.

THE PROJECT MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP AN EFFICIENT SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL PROCESSES IN THE CITY WITH DUE CONSIDERATION FOR NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF THE CITY RESIDENTS, TO MAKE A QUALITY ANALYSIS OF CULTURE SECTOR STATUS AND FIGURE OUT THE TRENDS OF CULTURAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT.

3.2. Evaluation

The program has approved 11 indicators of the quality and effectiveness of the implementation of the program's activities. According to these indicators, monitoring is carried out quarterly and at the end of the year. All indicators are measurable, for example, Attendance at creative events (festivals, exhibitions, contests, screenings), Museum attendance. Based on the results of the analysis, if necessary, adjustments are made to the measures.

3.3. Key factors

The project has been developed and is implemented by the local government – Khabarovsk City Administration, particularly its Department of Culture. The project makes it possible to develop an efficient system of management of cultural processes in the city with due consideration for the needs and concerns of the city residents, to make a quality analysis of culture sector status and figure out the trends of cultural sector development. The program's activities have guaranteed annual funding from the city budget.

3.4. Continuity

Culture plays an important role in the city’s social and economic development, development of moral and spiritual aspects of personality, achievement of worthy standard and quality of living for city residents. The program details are expanded in the Strategic Plan of Sustainable Development of Khabarovsk City until 2030.

The objectives of the program and the strategic plan for the sustainable development of the city also correspond to the Development Plans of the Khabarovsk Territory region, approved by the governor of the region. The program's activities have guaranteed annual funding from the city budget.

4. Further information

Khabarovsk was a candidate to the sixth UCLG – Mexico City – Culture 21 International Award (November 2023 – March 2024). The jury for the award drew up its final report in June 2024, and requested that the Committee on Culture promote this project as one of the good practices to be implemented through Agenda 21 for culture.

This article was written by Grinshpun Lyubov Semyonovna, Department of Culture, Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Kray, Russia.

Contact: cultura (at) khv27.ru
Website: www.khabarovskadm.ru