Governor Slusar orders officials to support museums
Governor Yury Slusar of Russia«s Rostov region has instructed local officials to actively visit museums during a meeting of the regional government. This measure is designed to support cultural institutions experiencing financial difficulties.
The decision was prompted by the disappointing results of the «Pushkin Card» program for 2025. Cultural institutions in the region received only 256 million rubles ($2.9 million at current rates) out of a potential allocation of over 2 billion rubles ($23 million), which is about 13% of the earmarked limit.
«Considering resource (budget) constraints, museums are having a hard time now. They need help. So [go] yourselves, with your families. Have you been? Go again. Take friends, relatives, classmates, colleagues. But, most importantly, of course, we will definitely need to send schoolchildren, students, and college pupils [to museums] in an organized fashion,» Slusar stated.
The «Pushkin Card» program, launched in 2021, allows citizens aged 14 to 22 to receive funds on their Mir card to attend cultural events. In 2025, the amount was 5,000 rubles (approx. $57).
In the Rostov region, more than 700 cultural institutions are connected to the project, and approximately 292,000 residents possess the cards.
From January 1, 2025, VTB Bank became the program operator, replacing Post Bank. This required cards to be reissued; however, according to information from regional Legislative Assembly Deputy Chairperson Svetlana Manankina, only 43% of the cardholders in the region have completed this procedure.
«Billions for cultural leisure are lying dead weight. Last year, only 13% of the possible amount was spent via the cards. That»s 256 million instead of billions! The state allocates money. Young people don«t use it. Why?» says Manankina.
A collection of opinions via a questionnaire has been organized to analyze the reasons for the low activity.
Separately, it was noted that in June 2025, President Vladimir Putin proposed launching a «Children»s Card« in Russia for purchasing books. It will be available to families with children aged 3 to 6 with a limit of 3,000 rubles (approx. $34).
