Remember the Future: New UNESCO Flagship Project in Russian Federation
04-12-2003 ()
The preservation of the State Collection of Television and Radio Programmes of the Russian Federation (SFTRP) is at the heart of the recently launched project “Remember the Future" that UNESCO Director General Koïchiro Matsuura presented to the Presidential Council on Culture and Arts last week in Moscow.
During his visit to Moscow, Mr Matsuura also gave the CD and DVD “Masterpieces of the World Musical Classics” - first products of the project - to President Putin and the members of the Council. The discs containing over 40 exceptional records of the SFTRP collection (classic music, opera and ballet) are aimed at attracting the attention of policy makers, creating public awareness and raising funds.
"Considering the fact that archives are today not a priority of the cultural and informational policy of Russia, UNESCO sees an urgent need to raise awareness and attract the attention of the Russian Government to the issue of the archives preservation" says Philippe Quéau, Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office, which will implement the project. "The launch of the "Remember the Future" project confirms UNESCO’s firm engagement to help preserving and promoting the digital heritage in all its forms including audiovisual ones", adds Quéau.
The uniqueness of the SFTRP lies in the fact that it keeps a tremendous number of rare records, covering almost all spheres of the country’s life since 1910. The technical conditions in which the archives have been preserved are inappropriate due to the lack of funds and competence. Only few audio and video records are now digitalized and the rest of it faces the risk of devastation, disappearance or misuse in the nearest future. The approximate total number of items stored in the SFTRP is 1,450,000.
Within the framework of the Remember the Future Project, the UNESCO Moscow office plans the following activities for the coming two years:
Establishing a number of pilot projects in archives preservation;
Developing new partnerships between the Russian Government, NGOs, civil society and the private sector;
Encouraging awareness raising and wide participation of different partners in the Project;
Promoting open access to the enormous wealth of memories and moments of excellence of the past;
Organizing an expert panel in the beginning of the year 2004 with all interested parties to further develop the strategy of the project.
"Considering the fact that archives are today not a priority of the cultural and informational policy of Russia, UNESCO sees an urgent need to raise awareness and attract the attention of the Russian Government to the issue of the archives preservation" says Philippe Quéau, Director of the UNESCO Moscow Office, which will implement the project. "The launch of the "Remember the Future" project confirms UNESCO’s firm engagement to help preserving and promoting the digital heritage in all its forms including audiovisual ones", adds Quéau.
The uniqueness of the SFTRP lies in the fact that it keeps a tremendous number of rare records, covering almost all spheres of the country’s life since 1910. The technical conditions in which the archives have been preserved are inappropriate due to the lack of funds and competence. Only few audio and video records are now digitalized and the rest of it faces the risk of devastation, disappearance or misuse in the nearest future. The approximate total number of items stored in the SFTRP is 1,450,000.
Within the framework of the Remember the Future Project, the UNESCO Moscow office plans the following activities for the coming two years:
Related themes/countries
· Memory of the World: News archives 2003
· 2003
· Archives: News Archives 2003
· Russian Federation: News Archives 2003
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- UNESCO Moscow
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