On August 3, 2017, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with representatives of the country’s creative intelligentsia. At the meeting, a detailed exchange of views took place on actual issues of development of the national culture, literature and art, ways of addressing them, important tasks facing creative unions and state organizations in this direction.

On August 3, 2017, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with representatives of the country’s creative intelligentsia. At the meeting, a detailed exchange of views took place on actual issues of development of the national culture, literature and art, ways of addressing them, important tasks facing creative unions and state organizations in this direction.

The meeting, which was held in the spirit of sincere and open dialogue, was attended by the heads of chambers of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Prime Minister, state advisers to the President, heads of complexes of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries and departments, large companies and economic associations, banks, creative unions, leading mass media, cultural institutions, theaters and museums, prominent people in literature, art and culture, journalists. The meeting was also attended by the Chairman of the Jokargy Kenes of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, khokims of the regions and the city of Tashkent, heads of the territorial branches of the Ministry of culture, creative unions, cultural institutions at places, television and radio channels, newspapers and creative intelligentsia through a videoconference.
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech at the meeting.

In our country, along with all spheres and industries, great attention is paid to the development of culture, art and literature, and the mass media. In recent years, much work has been especially implemented on development of this sphere at a new stage. 

A number of major projects are being implemented in order to revive and study the rich cultural heritage of our people. In particular, the Center of Islamic culture in Uzbekistan in our capital, and the International scientific-research center named after Imam Bukhari in Samarkand are being created. The activity of the Center for the study of cultural wealth of Uzbekistan abroad, the Center of the new history of Uzbekistan is being organized. A lot of work is being done on improving the culture of reading, improving the spheres of culture and art, organizing creative schools and centers in the regions, which will be named after our great people in literature and art.

As a logical continuation of this work, a number of measures are also being implemented on promoting identification of talent and abilities of young talents. For example, since 2010, the “Ijod” (“Creativity”) foundation under the Union of writers has spent 1 billion 300 million sums on publication of “My first book” series, a total of 1 million 220 thousand copies of books of young poets and writers of 73 titles that are delivered free of charge to all educational institutions of our country, were published.

In the report of the head of our state, an objective and critical assessment of some negative phenomena, their impact on the life of society were also given along with the process of development of our culture and art, positive trends in this area, urgent problems that are still waiting to be solved and ways of solving them, were emphasized. Activities of creative unions, the Ministry of culture, unions and organizations that are part of its structure were deeply analyzed. Important and relevant views were expressed on the role and tasks of the creative intelligentsia, its impact on the life of society, and the process of reforms.

The President of our country paid special attention to the importance of merits of creative intelligentsia on increasing the spirituality of our people, noted that at the present stage of our development even greater activity, promotion and implementation of new creative ideas and initiatives are required from artists along with representatives of all spheres.

It was criticized that in this direction, first of all, the role and influence of creative unions and state departments that should coordinate creative process, fully support artists are not felt sufficiently. Creative organizations are not keeping pace with the requirements of the time. Campaigning, showing-off, inertia and indifference are being observed in their activities. 

Particularly each person, who is thinking of the future of our national culture, is concerned about the commercialization of the sphere of culture, the coming to the fore of personal interests and vigorous sale of works that are superficial from the ideological and artistic point of view, the lack of a principled assessment of such circumstances by creative unions, comprehensively grounded practical proposals on their elimination.

In this regard, transformation of literature and art, culture, mass media, spirituality and enlightenment into a business will not be allowed in Uzbekistan, noted Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It was regretfully emphasized that there is no critical spirit in our cultural life, artistic councils are not acting properly, principled and qualified evaluation of new works, films and plays, exhibitions and concert programs, publication of objective and fair reviews in print are becoming increasingly rare phenomenon.

Another problem is that interaction between creative unions is not enough. Creative interrelationship between the Academy of arts, the unions of composers, writers, journalists, filmmakers and other organizations is practically ceased. The presence of a multitude of issues in activities of these structures, which are subject to joint decision, first of all, such actual problems as improvement of the existing normative-legal framework on activities in the field of literature and art, culture, mass media, strengthening the material and technical base, worthy material and moral incentives for hard work of creative workers, radical revision and reformation of the system of training personnel remain outside the scope of creative unions.

At present, there are 1 513 mass media and 122 publishing houses in our country. The head of our state, speaking about the fact that these quantitative changes have not yet switched to qualitative ones, paid special attention to the fact that not quantity but quality and efficiency are important for us in this direction.

At the meeting, tasks on creating images of our contemporaries – the real heroes of our time – and on this basis – the artistic chronicle of our Motherland were also discussed.

Educating the younger generation, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of our activities in this direction were discussed in detail.

At present, large funds are allocated from the State budget every year for the development of cinematography. Only this year the National agency “Uzbekkino” was allocated 12 billion 400 million sums. More than 81 billion sums will be allocated from the State budget for supporting activities of 37 theaters of our country. Undoubtedly, our people have the right to expect a decent result in response to such attention and care.

However, unfortunately, activities are conducted without deep awareness of this truth in many creative collectives. The artistic level of most films and plays is low. They do not reflect the social problems that worry and disturb people.

It is impossible to consider activities of the Ministry of culture as satisfactory, which is called to conduct a unified state policy in the field of culture.

At the present time, the work on providing institutions of culture and art with personnel with higher education, creation of a state catalog of national funds in museums is also not at the required level.

Another important issue: development of the most popular type of musical art – pop music – remains without due attention of the ministry. Exactness and responsibility, a sense of belonging to social process is not noticeable in the activity of the majority of creative workers in this sphere.

The President of our country proposed to organize the club of “People’s artists of Uzbekistan” under the state institution “Uzbekconcert” in order to conduct effective work with young artists, develop traditions of “Master-student”.

At the meeting, the need for a compact and meaningful conduction of weddings and family celebrations, avoidance of excessive waste, conduction of a broad public awareness campaign by representatives of cultural public among the population in this direction, importance of that they should serve as an example for others was noted.

A number of draft resolutions of the President are being prepared for further development of literature, art and culture. In particular, the draft resolution on organization of “Ilkhom” public fund is being prepared, which will serve to enhance the role of creative unions of composers, artists, theatrical artists and journalists in our life, strengthen the material and technical base of the sphere, create decent working and living conditions for creative people. The state will allocate 20 billion sums for the purposes of financial support of this fund, and until 2022 relevant structures will be exempted from all taxes and mandatory payments.

It was noted that a new building for the Union of writers is being built, where “Ijod” public foundation, “Shark yulduzi”, “Zvezda vostoka” (“Star of the East”), “Yoshlik” (“Youth”) magazines will also be located. Here it is also planned to build two multi-storey houses for members of the Union of writers on the basis of a preferential mortgage loan, modern creative houses-cottages in Zaamin and Parkent districts.

At the meeting, proposals were also made on reestablishment of activities of the Higher literary courses at the National university of Uzbekistan.

It was decided to restore another good tradition – organization of seminars of young talented creative workers of Uzbekistan for talented youth, starting activities in the spheres of literature, theater and cinema, music and visual arts, journalism.

Draft resolutions of the President of our country are being developed on further improvement of activities of the Creative union of journalists of Uzbekistan, the Academy of arts, the Union of composers, as well as on development of national cinematography and activities of the State conservatory of Uzbekistan.

At the meeting, it was proposed to provide the Ministry of culture with a new building, radically revise activities of higher educational institutions, lyceums and colleges in direction of culture and art, schools of music and art, appoint them as the artistic director or director of famous people in art and culture.

Proposals and initiatives of large companies, production and economic associations, banks on sponsorship of creative organizations were supported.
Opinions and practical suggestions were made on extending the term of additional privileges and preferences established for the creative sectors for another five years, in particular the mass media, on increasing the fee paid to creators and mass media employees, bringing to the required level of the work on protection of copyrights, solution of the housing issue for creative intelligentsia, propagandists of spirituality, workers of the mass media, revision of the current order of payment of a fee to creative workers at the retirement age, establishment of a modern paper industry in our country.

The President of our country Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking about the significance, effectiveness of conducted open and sincere dialogue, firmly emphasized that we have a great history worthy of admiration, admirable great ancestors, admirable countless wealth. And I am convinced – we will have a great future, great literature and art worthy of admiration.

Chairman of the Creative union of journalists of Uzbekistan S. Khakimov, academicians O. Salimov, R. Ubaydullayeva, chairman of the Academy of arts A. Nuriddinov, people’s poet of Uzbekistan H.Khudoyberdiyeva, honored artist of the Republic of Uzbekistan A. Slonim, professor of the State conservatory of Uzbekistan S. Gafurova, people’s artist of Uzbekistan O. Nazarbekov, honored worker of culture of Uzbekistan, film director H. Nasimov, chairman of the Union of composers R. Abdullayev, honored artist of Uzbekistan J. Piyazov and others expressed their gratitude to the head of our state for the high attention to culture, literature and art, sincere dialogue, noted that the goals and tasks, created conditions and opportunities inspire artists to create new highly artistic works, call upon all creative organizations to reconsider their activities.