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Culture Minister: Crimea’s cultural heritage is underestimated

Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said that a great number of prominent cultural figures had left their trace in Crimea where they lived and created their great works

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

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One year on from Crimea’s reunification with Russia

SIMFEROPOL, June 25 /TASS/. Crimea’s historical and cultural heritage is greatly underestimated although it is not worse than in Paris, Rome and Venice, Russian Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky told journalists during a working trip to the Artek international children’s center on Monday.

"Crimea’s heritage (historical and cultural - TASS), its competitive cultural advantages has been greatly underestimated," the Russian culture minister said. "However, Crimea’s surprising and historically formed competitive advantage can be compared to similar competitive advantages of Paris, Rome, Venice and Northern Italy to some extent," Medinsky said.

He added that a great number of prominent cultural figures had left their trace in Crimea where they lived and created their great works. "It’s such a huge concentration of art and history. We should develop it. We should not be ashamed of it and we should show it to the best advantage," the culture minister stressed.

"But we do not know how to do that. Honestly, even the gems, which we have, were neglected for a long time," he added.

Medinsky said the main task of the heads of cultural institutions was to change things for the better and make these objects more culturally and tourist attractive.

Medinsky and the leadership of the Artek summer camp discussed its future development as a federal floor for cultural projects for children and youth.

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