Russian Parliament Proposes Giving Large Families Free Access to Theaters and Museums
The State Duma recommended giving "Pushkin cards" to families with three or more children, granting the opportunity to go to theaters and museums free of charge
Since 2021, the “Pushkin Card” has been issued to young people aged 14 to 22 years. The state puts five thousand rubles on it. This money can be spent on visiting cultural events, including cinemas, concerts, and performances. The State Duma recommended that the Cabinet of Ministers issue the “Pushkin Card” not only to young people, but also to large families. This was recorded in the chamber’s draft resolution based on the results of the annual state report on the state of culture, which deputies heard on November 29.
Not only for children, but also for parents
Since September 2021, any Russian from 14 to 22 years old, having just received a passport, can become the owner of the “Pushkin Card”. To do this, you need to register for public services, confirm your account, download the “State Services Culture” application and confirm the issue of the card.
Many children from large families are between 14 and 22 years old, and they can already get a card. However, the State Duma decided to expand the opportunities for such children, as well as their parents.
“When talking about extending the Pushkin Card to families with three or more children, we are talking about parents and children from large families, regardless of age,” explained Svetlana Bessarab, a member of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Affairs, to the Parliamentary Newspaper. “This will give large families the opportunity to attend cultural events and centers with the whole family.”
Such support could affect more than two million families—that’s the number of large families in the country now, according to the Ministry of Labor.
Earlier, the Ministry of Culture reported on its official website that as of March 2023, more than eight million young Russians had received the Pushkin Card.
Deputies proposed extending the Pushkin Card to families with many children after the Minister of Culture, Olga Lyubimova, issued a report on the state of affairs in the industry.
Analogue for teachers
There are other proposals regarding the “Pushkin Map”. Thus, in February of this year, State Duma Deputy Speaker Boris Chernyshov proposed considering the possibility of an analogue of the “Pushkin Card” for teachers, so that they could accompany children to museums and theaters. He wrote such a request addressed to Olga Lyubimova.
Later, the first deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Education, Yana Lantratova, came up with a similar initiative. In July, she announced on social networks that she proposed to the Government to introduce a “Teacher Card” for Russian teachers, which would allow them to visit cultural institutions for free, similar to the “Pushkin Card” for young people.
The idea of introducing an analogue of the “Pushkin Card” for teachers should be worked out within the framework of a new national project. Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov announced in the State Duma that he supported the parliamentarians.
New family traditions
The idea of issuing the “Pushkin Card” to families with many children is also supported by the Federation Council. According to Lyudmila Skakovskaya, the deputy chairman of the Committee on Science, Education, and Culture, this is an important initiative: “I am sure that it will allow many families to acquire good family traditions of visiting museums, theaters, and other cultural institutions together.”
She also noted that the “Pushkin Card” has already proven its effectiveness over several years: “It contributes to the development of spirituality and ethical values, and the formation of a harmonious, comprehensively developed personality.”
Source: pnp.ru (Russian)
This is great news for the people of Russia. Wish I wasn’t in the twilight of life. Russia would become my home!
That's a great idea. Also providing something similar for teachers.