15 December 2016 the representatives of the Administrative department of management and monitoring service for clients of the Russian State Library (UFKS RSL) organized a video bridge. Five thousand kilometres turned out not to be a barrier for the adherent people who met up at the main library of the country (Moscow) for communicating with those ones from the Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts (Yakutsk). Leading specialists of the nation in the spheres of culture and education were accepted at the Russian State Library, they acquired a possibility to speak and be heard by the participants of the International research and practical conference “Culture and Education in the Development of Human Capital of the Arctic” (Yakutsk).

The conference was organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and of the International Arctic Centre of Culture and Arts. The informational sponsors of the conference were the Russian State Library and the Russian Association of Digital Libraries. 

The conference was opened by the greeting speeches pronounced by Vladimir Tikhonov, Minister of culture and spiritual development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Vladimir Yegorov, Minister of education and science of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Vladimir Vassilyev, Minister of federative relations and outer relations of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and by other officials.

The video bridge enabled the following participants to join the conference: Nina Avdeeva, head of the Administrative department of management and monitoring service for clients of the Russian State Library, deputy CIO of the Russian Association of Digital Libraries, Olga Astafyeva, PhD, professor, honoured employee of higher professional education of the Russian Federation, director of the research and education centre “Civil Society and Social Communications” of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; Svetlana Gorushkina, Candidate of Social Sciences, honoured employee of culture of the Russian Federation, expert of the research and education centre “Civil Society and Social Communications” of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; Sergey Sinetsky, Doctor of Culture Studies, Candidate of Pedagogy, associate professor, pro – rector in scientific and research and innovative work of the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture and Arts, a member of the committee in education and science of the Public Chamber of the Chelyabinsk Region; Ekaterina Nikonorova, PhD, professor, head of the department and chief editor of the periodicals of the Russian State Library; Natalya Mikhailova, head of the Sector of Information on Science and Art of the Moscow Regional National Scientific Library named after N.K.Krupskaya.

From the Russian State Library and personally from herself Nina Avdeeva, head of the UFKS RSL, greeted the participants of the conference. In her speech Ms. Avdeeva emphasized that man’s inner world was indivisible with culture and education which on the personal level would perfect with them. Meanwhile the forefront lines would be occupied with the ideas of preservation of identity and traditions of Russian people. A particular importance there would be assigned to the unique culture of the indigenous peoples of the North. In conclusion Nina Avdeeva congratulated the audience with the coming New Year’s Day and wished everyone health, well – being, peace, merriment and happiness.

Olga Astafyeva took over the word. She greeted the participants of the conference personally from herself and from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and presented her speech “Culture as Basis for Human Capital”. The speaker pointed out the fact that for the moment political discourses and scientific research activities were saturated with culture. She offered the audience to think over and discuss the problems of creating a new modern cultural environment on the basis of traditions, values and practices of different peoples of the world, working out strategies of cultural policy acceptable for multi – national country, and of saving human capital. Besides there were touched upon such matters as cultural differentiation and creative self – realization of the peoples of Russia, and of formation of collective identity.

The conference was continued by S. Gorushkina’s speech “Harmonization of the Strategy of the Development of Culture in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and of the Strategy of National Cultural Policy till 2030 ratified by �326-r Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated by 29 February 2016”. Within the framework of the strategy of national cultural policy there were mentioned main trends for the development of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The document was consolidating the essential strategic educational directions and the directions connected with the integrity of the multi – national people of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The very cultural practices of the diverse nationalities inhabiting the vast space were the basis of the cultural uniqueness which was likely to influence the social and economic development of the Arctic territories in prospects.

In continuation of the programme, S. Sinetsky greeted the audience from university administration and teaching staff of the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture and Arts and expressed his hope for the scientific and creative contacts of the participants of the conference to become closer and more intimate. Then Mr. Sinetsky presented his speech “Formation of Project Thinking as a Structural Element of Personal Qualities of a Specialist of Culture” where he touched upon the characteristic features of the education sphere and of a specialist of culture in perspective, who would be a master of analysis, prognosis-making and design. 

E. Nikonorova presented her speech “Periodicals of RSL in the System of Information Communications of Establishments of Culture – Moscow – Yakutsk” in which she stated the importance of the themes of human capital and of cultural capital. Moreover, Ms. Nikonorova announced those themes to be the main ones for the coming issues of “Observatoria Kulturi” (“Observatory of Culture”) and “Bibliotekovedenie” (“Library Study”). 

From municipal libraries, N. Mikhailova offered cooperation in consolidating unique and rare collections of large regional libraries by means of electronic reading rooms and in organizing shared cultural events.

After that, Olga Astafyeva emphasized that the conference was a success in creating the atmosphere of openness and dialogue, of the dialogue of education and culture. She also pointed out the necessity of working out the strategy of cultural policy for the multi – national Russia which would be based on the increase of its human capital through contribution of every person and their development. 

Edward Kondratyev, first deputy minister of education of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), spoke about long – term programmes and achievements in the spheres of education and culture within the republic.

The video bridge was terminated by summing up its results which was performed by professor Sargylana Ignatyeva, rector of the Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts, Candidate of Pedagogy, chairperson of the International Research and Practical Conference “Culture and Education in the Development of Human Capital of the Arctic” (Yakutsk) and Olga Shlykova, the invited professor of the ASICA, Doctor of Culture Studies, member of the Programme Committee of the conference, deputy director of the research and education centre “Civil Society and Social Communications” of the Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. 

In the very beginning of the conference the students of the Department of Folk Culture of the Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts had carried out the Evenk ritual of blessing, and during the conference they would please the participants with their other performances. 

The conference itself would raise essential problems of evaluation of human capital, of cultural policy of the Russian Arctic, of individuality and authenticity of the unique culture of the indigenous peoples of the North, of education in the sphere of culture and arts of the Arctic. Within the framework of the event there were presented speeches by the scientists from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Chita, Khanty – Mansiysk, Ufa and specialists from abroad, those ones from America and France. The speakers answered readily the numerous questions of the audience.

The environment of the conference could be characterized as warm and friendly. The modern technologies used by the specialists of the Russian State Library and Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts erased borders in communication and consolidated adherent people from different places of Russia.

The details on the conference are available on the official website of the Arctic State Institute of Culture and Arts http://agiki.ru.

Video materials of the conference and presentations of the participants’ speeches are available on the official website of the Russian Association of Digital Libraries http://www.aselibrary.ru/video/conference43/conference437699/.