The fundamentals of the Estonian cultural policy

Approved by Riigikogu, 1998

The cultural policy of Estonia is based on the task assigned to the state by the fundamental law – to quarantee the preservation of the Estonian nation and culture through ages.

The main aim of the culture policy is to stand for the continuation of the Estonian national traditions, to support the continuation of cultural autonomy of national minorities and the vitality of professional as well as national culture in all spheres of culture.

In taking cultural – political and financial decisions the following approved positions of the 8^th composition of the Riigikogu have been taken as the starting point:

• in financing culture by the state the priority has been given to the essence of action, innovation and national-cultural meaning, not the doerīs belonging to a cultural institution connected with different form of property.
• means for supporting culture are given directly from the state budget as well as from the Estonian Supervisory Board of the Cultural Endowment and Council of Gambling Taxes according to the regulations of their activity.
• the state shall act as a caring and perspective owner towards cultural establishments in its possession. The change of possession of these establishments is necessary and sensible if the new form could give more freedom and security to the development of the activity.
• the state donation shall not hinder the renovation of the cultural process.
• to expand the general appreciation of culture the possibilities of extra-governmental organisations and civilians and persons in public law shall be enlarged.
• all members of the society irrespective of their gender, nationality and place of living shall have equal rights to participate in cultural life.
• the state pays special attention to preservation of unique and especially prone to extinction cultural phenomena in certain districts.
• the state shall favour the cultural activity of national minorities and cultural contacts with their ethnical homeland.
• voluntary cultural societies exercise essential role in all-state and local cultural activities. The state shall support the activities of all-state cultural societies and central societies of national culture.
• the salaries of the workers in the field of culture shall be in correspondence with their contribution and qualification. The salaries of an employee in the field of culture with higher education and doing professional work should not be lower from the medium salaries of the state.
• changing the laws concerning the value added tax the necessity to differentiate in the direction of lowering the tax on socially essential services and goods, to which belong also cultural services and goods.
• the state will continue supporting theatres.
• the production of feature films, everyday-serials and animated films will continue in Estonia. The state financial support of Estonian Film Foundation given to film-making shall be in correspondence with the conditions established by international conventions and treaties that quarantee necessary rights to Estonia as one party of the co-operation project. The state will continue supporting the purchase and proliferation of valuable and children films in Estonia.
• the state shall offer opportunities of employment for professional musicians, creating for them all necessary conditions: taking care of concert places, improving recording conditions, purchasing musical instruments, supporting concert organisations. It is essential to introduce Estonian top music abroad and the participation of our musicians in international projects.
• the state shall provide the functioning and retaining of the environment necessary for development of all fields of fine arts (beginning from educational establishments and state museums to specialised publications). The state shall offer special support to Estonian artistsī participation in great international exhibitions and introducing Estonian art abroad.
• the state shall continuously support cultural publishing, printing national-culturally essential publications, translation of foreign literary masterpieces into Estonian.
• libraries shall act as unique state information system trying to provide the whole population with adequate, precise and easy access to the world information resources. Scientific central libraries shall totally be financed by the state. Public libraries shall be supported from state budget in obtaining informational units proportionally to the expenditures done by local authorities.
• the state lays the main stress on modernizing and updating the material bases and expositions of the existing museums.Remaining the treasuries of national culture the museums have to play an active role in socializing and bringing up the young generation in the spirit of patriotism. It is essential to create and introduce a state programme of scientific study and preservation of the events of Estonian movement of liberty and the events on our territory in the 20^th century.
• the tradition of Estonian Song and Dance Celebration shallcontinue and the state and local authorities have to provide the existence and development of the organisation.
• the state expenditures for conservation and restoration of cultural landmarks with the aim of stopping the perishing of valuable cultural heritage of our predecessors shall grow constantly.
• the state acknowledges and supports the activity of Estonian Evangelic Lutheran Church and all registered religious organisations in creating necessarily ethical atmosphere for normal functioning of the society and takes the church as an essential partner in cultural activities.
• the initial study of culture is introduced according to programmes in general educational establishments as well as in the all-state network of childrenīs art and music schools which act on the basis of state support. A possibility to obtain higher education in the field of art must be retained at least in the same measure as at present. The state shall support the study abroad in the professionsEstonia canīt conduct studies.
• inter-state co-operational treaties and Estonian participation in the programmes of the European Union, the reality of which shall be quaranteedby financing from the budget, shall be the basis of the international cultural communication.