The Code of the Republic of Belarus on Culture

The Code of the Republic of Belarus on Culture was adopted by Decree No. 413-Z of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated July 20, 2016, and it came into force on February 3, 2017. It was developed in accordance with the global core principles of cultural policy. The Code aims to establish the legal, institutional, economic, and social basis for cultural activities, in order to preserve and use the cultural heritage, to develop cultural institutions, and to ensure the accessibility of the cultural goods. The Code on Culture accumulated all the pre-existing legislative and regulatory acts in the field of culture, including the framework Law on Culture in the Republic of Belarus, as well as a number of sectoral laws regulating the relations in librarianship and museum affairs, historical and cultural heritage protection, traditional culture and craft activities, visual arts and cinematography, artists creative activities, and etc. Today it is the main regulatory act in the field of culture, in which the basic principles and priorities of state cultural policy have been determined. Thus, under the Code on Culture, the core principles of the cultural policy of the Republic of Belarus are as follows: recognizing the culture as one of the main factors of the identity of the Belarusian people and other ethnic communities residing in Belarus, as well as the basis for the formation and development of individuality; ensuring the accessibility of the cultural goods and the protection of the rights and opportunities of everyone, including people with disabilities, to participate in the cultural life; asserting the freedom of creativity; preventing unlawful advantages or privileges and the monopolization of cultural activities; promoting and protecting the copyright and civil rights of cultural workers and artists; ensuring the interaction of the Belarusian national culture with other cultures and its integration into the global cultural space. Among the priorities of the cultural policy of Belarus, there are the preservation, development, and popularization of the Belarusian culture and language, the creation of conditions for the aesthetic education of citizens, the promotion of informational support in the field of culture, the support of talented young people and the creation of conditions for their fruitful activities, the social protection of cultural and creative workers, the formation and development of a competitive cultural environment, cultural diversity, support for the development of culture in rural areas, etc. Among the positive changes in legal regulation in the field of culture approved by the Code of Culture, we can't but mention the provisions encouraging the development of craft activities, artists support, simplification of taxation for certain groups of creative workers, for example, for designers and artists, preferences to art patrons and sponsors, the development of production activities in the field of cinematography and performing arts.