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Putin names Moscow shooting incident tragedy

Russia's President urged to pay closer attention to upbringing of younger generation

PSKOV, February 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin named as a tragedy an armed incident staged at a Moscow secondary school, where a senior student opened fire on Monday, and urged to pay closer attention to upbringing of the younger generation.

Opening a meeting of the presidium of the Presidential Council for Culture and Arts the president recalled that the armed incident was staged at the Moscow school.

He noted that Russia did not pay proper attention to cultivating a good artistic taste in young generation and does not open new theatres for young spectators.

“A new generation of spectators with a good artistic taste that can understand and value theatrical, drama and musical art should be raised. If we had done this properly, probably, today’s Moscow tragedy would not have occurred,” Putin said.

Putin noted that “current children’s theatres frequently provide their stages for entertainment shows and performances, the content and level of which leaves much to be desired.”

“This situation should be changed. Serious qualitative performances for children and teenagers that will familiarize them with Russian and world culture, will learn them to think, sympathize with and believe in the power of goodness are needed. Certainly, pieces of modern domestic authors should be staged at theatres,” the president stated.

He said with confidence that “the situation can be improved, if effective mechanisms of support are offered.”

Putin gave as an example the cinema foundation created several years ago. “In the previous year three Russian films to which the cinema foundation gave financial assistance entered the top ten of Russian film screening, surpassing many foreign films. These films are Legend Number 17, Yelki-3 and Stalingrad,” the president recalled.

The Russian film Legend Number 17 is a biopic about great Soviet ice hockey player Valery Kharlamov, Yelki-3 is a sequel of the New Year comedy Yelki and Stalingrad is a military epic about the crucial Battle of Stalingrad that turned the tide of the Second World War.