CULTURE

Nationalities inhabiting the territory of the Republic of Mordovia have their cultural roots, their own cultural past and the present as well as individual development ways. Joint residence in the same territory in peace and good neighbourly relations naturally influences mutual enrichment of cultural traditions, which creates the unique cultural background of the republic.
A broad network of culture and arts institutions uniting more than 1200 entities makes the cultural possession of the people of Mordovia. 4 state and 1 municipal theatres, a state philharmonic and 5 professional concert groups, 2 republican and 11 municipal museums, 540 mass libraries are among them, Republican House of folk art. Branch educational system is represented by 2 institutions of vocational education, over 60 children’s music and arts schools.
There are 549 institutions of culture and leisure type – clubs, culture and leisure centres. They involve over 3 thousand club entities with the total number of more than 35 thousand participants.
Network of cinema institutions is represented by autonomous institution of culture "Cinema Fund of the Republic of Mordovia", 96 cinema-projectors.
860 monuments of history, culture, architecture including 48 of federal significance are under state protection in the republic.
Creative unions uniting 259 artists, composers, theatre workers play important role in forming republican cultural potential.
Considerable experience in organizing festivals, concerts, exhibitions of professional and folk arts has been accumulated. Such annual international festivals as festival of Russian drama theatres "Compatriots", festivals of classical music "Bravo, Classics!", "December Divertissements", festival of jazz music "Veise Jazz" have become traditional.
Annual Festival of folk arts “Shumbrat, Mordovia” proves dynamic and creative development of folk arts in the republic.
In 2007 Mordovia hosted participants of the First International Festival of Finno-Ugric Cultures “Shumbrat, Finno-Ugria!”, which had invaluable significance for cultural relations and co-operation strengthening, integration of Mordovian culture into international culture.
Bureau of the Coordination Council for Culture headed by the Minister of culture of the Russian Federation A.Avdeyev took place in the republic in 2010. This fact clearly shows growing prestige of Mordovia on the national level.
Culture days of the Mordovian people are organized in different regions of Russia with high percentage of Mordva population as part of the Plan of the main celebration events of 1000-year unity of the Mordovian people with peoples of the Russian State. Best performers and creative teams from Mordovia take part in the events.
XII Russian-Finnish culture forum “Ethnic culture under conditions of globalization” was held in the year 2011. Delegations from Finland and 17 regions of Russia became its participants. The main goals of the forum – increasing the value of culture in two-way communication, developing the regions in both countries, carrying out joint partner projects.

Festival of arts “Time, go ahead!” with participation of Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra guided by V.I.Fedoseyev became an outstanding event in cultural life of the republic.

EDUCATION

Present-day educational system of Mordovia comprises of:
— 232 pre-school education institutions,
— 425 compulsory education institutions (554 municipal and 1 state institutions are among them),
— 7 elementary vocational education institutions,
— 31 intermediate vocational education institutions,
— 13 boarding schools,
— 61 extended education institutions.

More than 8 thousand teachers are employed in the branch. 297 employees of educational system of Mordovia have state awards including 18 of federal and 278 of republican levels: 15 of them have the degree of “Honoured teacher of the Russian Federation”, 3 – “Honoured educator of the Russian Federation”, 124 – "Honoured educator of the Republic of Mordovia", 155 – "Honoured teacher of the Republic of Mordovia".

Total number of children studying and being brought up in educational institutions of the Republic of Mordovia is 107 thousand. The republic actively participates in the priority national project "Education". Within 6 years more than 350 schools won the contest among educational institutions, implementing innovative educational programmes of all levels.

1208 best teachers received grants from President of the Russian Federation, Head of the Republic of Mordovia, Heads of municipal entities. 175 representatives of talented youth of republic received encouragement from President of the Russian Federation, 125 – became owners of encouragement from Head of the Republic of Mordovia.
Teachers carrying out functions of form masters started to receive additional material reward from the federal budget.
Implementation of priority national educational projects made it possible to provide:
— running and capital repair of school buildings for the total amount of 298 896.6 thousand RUR;
— purchase of 247 sets of training and presentation equipment;
— finishing up fitting 493 rooms for the total amount of 26.767 million RUR;
— purchase of 205 buses driving more than 4000 pupils to base schools;
— provision of a 100% Internet connection in educational institutions.
Participation in the project allowed reaching the following results.
Participation of public structures in stimulating bonuses allocation has been provided.

The share of educational expenses in the normative has been put up to 10%.
School fullness in the urban area reached the level of 23.6, in the rural area – 8.9.
All compulsory and base schools reached the level of pre-profile preparation, 209 schools carry out profile preparation.
Administration boards operate in 100% of schools.
100% of educational institutions provided launching of constantly renewing sites.
Procedures of licensing and accreditation of educational institutions are carried put with the participation of public experts.
The system of education actively and successfully participates in the calls for proposals of the federal level. Due to this fact in 2011 more than 105 million rubles have been additionally attracted for the further development of modern infrastructure of educational institutions.

The project "School Meals" has been successfully implemented within three years. It was funded from the budgets of all levels in amount of 263 million rubles (50% from the federal budget and 50% from the consolidated budget of the Republic of Mordovia). Coverage of students with hot meals is 90.5% and in some areas - 100%.

In the 2011-2012 academic year the project is implemented in 55 basic educational institutions in 17 municipal districts of the republic. From the federal budget the republic has received 30 million rubles for re-equipment of nutrition units with modern technological facilities. 36.115 million rubles were allocated for repair and reconstruction of school canteens from the republic budget

Starting  with 2009 the Republic of Mordovia participates in the project of implementation of programmes for creating conditions for education children  with limited opportunities at home.

Since 2011 project to modernize the general education is started in the republic. For its implementation the republic has received from the federal budget more than 136 million rubles. The funds are directed to the municipal districts and urban district Saransk. Arising out of the Project the teachers’ average salary is increased by 31.3 % and makes on 10/1/2011 of 11629 rubles. Within 2 years the teachers’ average salary will approach the average salary of the republic economy (12380 rubles). 

The task of creating new places in pre-school educational institutions is being efficiently solved with active assistance of Russian party “United Russia” within the project “Kindergartens to children”.
1490 places are planned to put into operation until the end of 2011 due to construction of new, reconstruction of old and restoration of kindergarten buildings, which were used for different purposes. It is also planned to create additional places in active kindergartens to the total amount of over 153 million rubles. The republic received almost 8 million rubles from the federal budget to equip and provide with inventory additional places for pre-school aged children.
73% of children aged from 2 to 7 years old and 66% of children aged from 1 to 7 years old receive pre-school education.
“Sport Saturday” project is being implemented since 2010. As a result of the system-based health-saving actions there is a tendency of increasing number of school age children with first and second health groups for the first time within the last 5 years.
Gifted children are supported in the republic on the regular basis. A network of distance profession-oriented schools for gifted students with both full-time and part-time attendance is being developed in the republic. A system of state support measures is being realized:
 25 annual awards of Head of Republic of Mordovia in the amount of 10 thousand rubles each are rendered as state support of talented youth in educational institutions;  
special academic scholarships of Head of Republic of Mordovia in the amount of 1200 rubles each were created for students of higher vocational institutions, which major in priority scientific and technical fields of study.
         A system of support for teaching staff, which work with gifted students, is developed. Teachers receive monthly bonus payments in the amount of 5 to 50 thousand rubles if their students become prize-winners at academic competitions of different levels.
There is a positive experience of organizing academic competitions for teachers which work with gifted students in physics, information technologies both in real-time mode and remotely.
A specialized facility “Republican lyceum – Center for gifted children” is created to train the personnel for science-intensive productions of the leading companies in the republic and “Technopark-Mordovia”.