Cultural figures published an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin with a request to stop the "flagrant incompetence" of the Ministry of Education and Science, which, according to the authors, is doing everything to destroy educational institutions of a creative orientation.

President of the Russian Federation D.A. Medvedev
Prime Minister of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin
To the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation
To the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation
To the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
IN Public Chamber RF

OPEN LETTER

Creative educational institutions are on the verge of death. The reason for this is the flagrant incompetence of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, which is doing everything to ensure that nothing remains of the best creative education in the world. Here are just some of the facts.

Children's art schools for unknown reasons are assigned to the system additional education and are in an extremely vulnerable position. To close them, the order of the head of the municipality is sufficient. Behind last years hundreds of creative schools have closed in the country, and this is far from the limit.

Music universities annually lose dozens of talented applicants due to the need to accept not by talent, but by the results of the Unified Exam. Rectors fearfully await the final introduction of the Bologna system, when future dancers, singers, musicians will be divided into bachelors and masters. The principles of this division in the creative sphere, apparently, are not clear even to the department itself.

Every spring and autumn, it's time to get excited for the country's numerous musical theaters. Ballet dancers and musicians can be taken into the army at any time, as the deferral for them has been canceled. This monstrous decision was made in 2008. For some reason, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education and Science did not understand that after a year of service to the Motherland, the dancer would no longer be able to return to the stage. Meanwhile, the state spent hundreds of thousands of rubles on his education for 7 years!

Law No. 83-FZ “On budgetary institutions” will finally kill institutions of creative education, which will deprive them of funding. The state has already announced to universities and colleges that soon they will have to pay almost 100% public utilities. There is every reason to believe that officials will not stop there. There are two ways out: either teach for money, or close creative schools, colleges, universities.

We demand:

1. Return all institutions of creative education without exception (from children's art schools to higher educational institutions) in full subordination of the Ministry of Culture.

3. Provide decent funding for creative educational institutions and abolish the pernicious norms of Law No. 83-FZ “On Budgetary Institutions” in relation to them.

4. Put things in order in the remuneration of employees of educational institutions of a creative orientation.

Nikolai PETROV, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, professor at the Moscow Conservatory, National artist THE USSR;

Oleg TABAKOV, artistic director and director of the Moscow Art Theatre. A.P. Chekhov, People's Artist of the USSR;

Vladimir SPIVAKOV, President of the Moscow International House of Music, Artistic Director of the State chamber orchestra Moscow Virtuosi, People's Artist of the USSR;

Vladislav KAZENIN, Chairman of the Union of Composers of Russia, Deputy Minister of Culture of the USSR in 1987-1990, Honored Art Worker of the RSFSR;

Andrey KONCHALOVSKY, film director;

Dmitry BERTMAN, Artistic Director of the Helikon-Opera Theatre, Head of the Department of Musical Theatre, RATI, People's Artist of Russia, Professor.

http://www.argumenti.ru/education/n279/96471/

Incredible Facts

Of course, most of the letters were personal, so it is not surprising that they open us when we look into them.

10. Letter from Fidel Castro to US President Franklin Roosevelt

Fidel Castro "survived" US rule by ten presidents, most of whom wanted to end him. Some even tried. However, Castro's first contact with the US president was very peaceful.


In 1940, a young student at the Dolores School in Santiago, Cuba, wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt. A 12-year-old boy began his letter like this: "My good friend Roosevelt".


He then greeted the President and told him that he was delighted to hear on the radio that Roosevelt had been re-elected. The child also asked for a $10 bill because he had never seen it.


Castro wrote that despite his poor English, he is very intelligent. As Fidel put it, "I'm a boy, but I think a lot." The letter arrived at the State Department on November 27, 1940, but Roosevelt never saw it. Franklin died never knowing who Fidel Castro was.

9. Letter from Queen Elizabeth II to US President Eisenhower


In 1957, President Dwight Eisenhower became the first US President to entertain the Queen of England. The Queen enjoyed her stay and decided to reciprocate by inviting the President and his wife to Balmoral, Scotland, two years later.


During the visit, it seemed that the president could not recover from the unsurpassed taste of royal cakes. Five months after the visit, the queen wrote him a letter in which she told him about her own recipe for making these cakes.

The Queen was inspired to write the letter, sent on January 24, 1960, by a photo of the president at a barbecue she saw in the newspaper. The recipe also included helpful information about how to prepare a meal to feed 16 people.


The queen noted that when there are less than 16 people at the table, the amount of flour and milk should be reduced when making cakes. She ended the letter with a remark about how much she and her family enjoyed spending time in the company of the president and his wife.

8. Letter from Hitler on vacation


On March 1, 1932, Adolf Hitler wrote a letter to the state of Brunswick asking for a leave of absence and also to be allowed to campaign in the forthcoming Reich Presidential elections.

The letter was written 4 days after he officially became a German citizen. Initially, Hitler was an Austrian citizen, and became a German citizen after he was hired by the state.

Hitler lost the election to incumbent President Paul von Hindenburg. However, a year later, Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor.

There are many mistakes in the letter. The main content of the letter is Hitler's request for a "vacation" until the next election of the President of the Reich. The letter was discovered only a few years ago and was expected to be auctioned for more than £5,000.

7. Letter from Albert Einstein to American President Franklin Roosevelt


Albert Einstein's letter to Roosevelt in 1939 is said to be one of the most significant letters recent history. In the letter, Albert warned the President that the Germans can create the strongest weapon.

Einstein himself later said that this letter was one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Some historians believe that the letter was written by Leo Szilard, and Einstein only signed it.


Little is known about the other three letters sent by Albert Roosevelt. While the first two letters were of a consultative nature and made certain suggestions, the last letter was a request for a favor.

The last letter was not delivered to the President until after his death. It may also have been written by Szilard, and it says what exactly Szilard was the first to develop the concept of nuclear weapons.

The letter included a request for a personal meeting between Szilard and his fellow scientists with the president to discuss the matter.

Hitler's letters

6. Letter from Gandhi to Adolf Hitler


In 1939-1940, Mahatma Gandhi wrote two letters to Adolf Hitler. The more popular of the two letters, "Dear Friend", was written in July 1939. Gandhi wrote at the time that Second World War can only be prevented by Adolf Hitler.

He asked the Fuhrer to follow his example of non-violence, and told how much he managed to achieve using this method. The famous Indian philosopher ended the letter by apologizing to Hitler in case it caused him any discomfort.

The second letter, however, began with a reminder that referring to Hitler as "friend" was a mere formality. In this letter, written after December 1940, Gandhi compared Hitler's Nazism to the British imperialism that India was trying to counter.

He also warned Hitler that the world of another force will allow him to improve his methods and defeat the enemy with his own weapons.

In conclusion, Gandhi noted that everything he said also applies to Mussolini.

5. Finding a job by Leonardo da Vinci


Long before Leonardo da Vinci became famous for his paintings, he was an ordinary Italian with a certain skill set. In 1482, at the age of 30, a relatively unknown da Vinci was looking for work.

He wrote directly to the Duke of Milan to find him a job.. Da Vinci listed his skills in a long letter, stating what he could do weapons for ships, armored wagons, catapults.


Leonardo also noted that he could teach the duke several very effective methods attack and defend yourself. Among other things, to show himself not only as a person interested in the war, he added that knows how to build bridges and buildings, make sculptures from clay, bronze and marble.

Da Vinci ended the letter by asking the duke to take him in for a test if he had any doubts about Leonardo's specific skills.

Historical letters

4. Letter from Malcolm X to Martin Luther King Jr.


Despite the fact that Malcolm X and Martin Luther King fought for the same idea, they could hardly be called friends. While Martin used non-violent methods in his struggle, Malcolm decided to go the opposite way.

The boiling point between them happened when Malcolm X allegedly named King "Reverend Doctor Chicken Wing". X sent two letters to King, in 1963 and 1964.


Malcolm X

The first letter was X's request for King's presence and support in an open rally. Malcolm emphasized that if the President John Kennedy, capitalist, and the Russian leader Khrushchev, communist, could find something in common, then maybe they can.

X also suggested to King that if the latter could not come himself, then he had the right to send his representative.


Martin Luther King

In a second letter dated June 30, 1964, it was "hard offer". In this letter, he informed King of the plight of the people of St. Augustine. He threatened that if the government did not intervene soon, he would be forced to send some of his brothers from Kuklusklan to "use their own medicines".

3. Letter from Oscar Wilde "De Profundis"


Tensions between the Marquess of Queensberry and his son Lord Alfred Douglas stem from the latter's connection to Oscar Wilde, who subsequently spent two years in prison after being found guilty of gross seduction.

While in prison, Oscar wrote a letter to Douglas. The letter was published as an essay entitled "De Profundis" ("From the Depths"). It was a reflection of Douglas' betrayal and Wilde's regret.


Wilde wrote that he felt abandoned after Douglas went public with personal letters and poems that Oscar had written for him. The writer also said that Douglas pushed him into doom, using his weakness.

Dear readers and colleagues!

Clouds are gathering over the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts. The label of "inefficiency" stuck as a result of unprofessional monitoring by the Ministry of Education can seriously affect the fate of SPbGATI. Our Academy may simply NOT BECOME as a separate university.

Here, on Mokhovaya Street, the need for a common, all over the country, all graduates of LGITMiKa-SPbGATI, all colleagues who know the Academy, to appeal to the authorities has become obvious. You can leave your signatures on the website of the Petersburg Theater Journal. Please forward this letter as soon as possible. There is not much time, by December 24, the final decisions on the fate of the Academy should be made ...

Letter from artists and culture of Russia to the President of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin

Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich!

We, the figures of culture and art of Russia, address you with anxiety and bewilderment. Irreparable damage has been done to the business and creative reputation of the oldest theatrical university in Russia, dating back to 1779, the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts.

According to the results of some monitoring, the largest educational theater institution in the world, second in scale only to the Shanghai Theater Academy (nowhere else is there such a wide range of theater specializations as in SPbGATI), recognized as a university "with signs of inefficiency." This wording, introduced into the public consciousness, causes irreparable damage to the Academy: applicants will now seriously think before going to study where they teach "inefficiently". We state with surprise and bitterness at the same time that the indicators by which this very inefficiency was determined are not specific to art education in general and theater education in particular.

First of all, GPA The Unified State Examination cannot be an indicator for an art university, since from time immemorial, applicants have passed there creative competition. Ask our graduates - from A. Freindlich and S. Yursky to K. Khabensky and K. Rappoport, ask the theatrical dynasties from the Boyarskys to the Tolubeevs, from the Lavrovs to the Urgants, what made them actors and what would be their creative destiny if it was determined by upon admission to the exam!

Further. The volume of research work in a theater university should include all creative undertakings and artistic searches, and they go on all the time, and who, on what instrument, will measure the depth of the study of the role, artistic metaphor, the novelty of pedagogical methods associated with the education of an artist, director, artist?

Economic indicators associated with the special cost of art education and the amount of funding per student in Russia generally lag behind European ones, theater universities and survive so badly in the conditions of existing state support. Any reduction budget places will lead to the fact that talented young people will not be able to study at SPbGATI and will go to get an education in non-core universities (who just doesn’t teach “actors” now). And this will lead to an unconditional fall professional level our theater in the future. Now we need to talk not about cuts, but about increasing funding per “capita” of one student (now they are really “poor students”), and only when the necessary limit is reached, think about cuts and increasing “efficiency”.

It seemed that understanding this, you, Vladimir Vladimirovich, gave the Academy a Presidential Grant, which significantly supported the university and emphasized its importance. Whence suddenly now - "inefficiency"? On the basis of numerical indicators, which are given without any comments, but already call into question the level of the Academy and threaten it with some kind of “enlargement”, a merger with some other university in order to achieve mythical “efficiency”? How can there be "industrialization" where we are talking about piece goods, about the education of the Artist? The desire to “enlarge” theater universities testifies to the deep unprofessionalism of the “monitors” from the Ministry of Education, who do not understand the differences between education in the field of art and education in the field of culture.

The authors of the “monitoring” of the Academy say that it is lagging behind “in terms of labor costs”. And this is at the very time when the state for many years does not give money to SPbGATI to complete the repair of one educational building (the former Tenishevsky College), does not allocate funds for the repair of the main building, when material base the oldest high school is worn out! And instead of helping the national treasure, which, without a doubt, is SPbGATI, the state strikes at the reputation of the oldest established university?!

We are offended by the unprofessional conclusion about the “signs of inefficiency” of the SPbGATI, this is a spit in the face of hundreds of illustrious graduates of the Academy and its current students, faculty, known throughout the theater world. The traditions of theater education have evolved over the centuries, the history of SPbGATI has 233 years. We ask you to intervene in the situation and protect the illustrious theater university from unprofessional accusations and "transformative" intrusions. The glorious reputation of SPbGATI must be restored.

1 banner - 228 by 289 2 banner - 240 by 400 3 banner - 250 by 250 4 banner - 336 by 280.

President Russian Federation

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Deputies of the Federal Assembly

Russian Federation

Prime Minister

Mikhail Efimovich Fradkov

Dear Sirs!

We, citizens of Russia, who have devoted many years and our strength to the cause of strengthening and developing our Motherland in the field of science and technology, education and culture, appeal to your heart, mind and conscience. At the same time, we have no illusions, we do not experience sentimental delights from a possible complete mutual understanding. We appeal to your responsibility to our people and country.

The strategic interests of the two fraternal peoples in Lately endangered. Before our very eyes, an unprecedented political and economic spectacle is unfolding, leading directly to very dramatic consequences not for abstract spectators in the theater, but for real people. What is actually happening? Why is all this being done? What are not imaginary, but real problems and contradictions exacerbated by this situation? Who ultimately benefits from an economic dispute that develops into a serious international crisis? These are far from festive questions and moods that the New Year 2007 “gave” us and many of our compatriots. The omniscient newspaper The Washington Post, deciphering for American citizens the goals and essence of the oil and gas conflict in the article “Extortion Continues”, defined them as follows: Moscow’s measures are a demonstrative action of retribution for the fact that Belarus did not merge with Russia on unacceptable Kremlin conditions for Belarusians. Perhaps this is a cruel truth, time will tell ...

Let us state our understanding of the problem and the reasons for its solution.

Various government officials and countless commentators through the media are trying to explain the "careless" Russian population that one of the business entities Gazprom raised the price for the gas it supplies to Belarus, that this is a step towards market economy. This, they say, is his Gazprom's full right, there are no grounds for unrest. As for losses, they are Belarusian losses, and Gazprom will receive income and

share with the budget. The retaliatory measure of Belarus - the increase in the price for the pumping of our oil by Russian oil companies to European consumers caused a hysteria in oil and gas circles and among individual representatives of the Russian authorities. At the same time, empty and crafty accusations are heard that Belarus "lives at the expense of Russia", accusations that are essentially insulting for Belarusians, because they themselves create the present and future of their society with their work - this is a fact! What remains behind the scenes is that Belarus is fulfilling its obligations under Customs Union and freely and on absolutely favorable terms ensures the transit through its territory of millions of tons of industrial and food cargo to Russia and back. It is through Belarus that the uninterrupted transit of 40% of the food consumed by our population passes. At its own expense, it ensures the deterrence of NATO countries along the entire western border of the Russian Federation, ensuring our security with its air defense systems, since Russian army unable to carry out this task on its own air defense forces. Durable economic cooperation carried out mutually beneficial by hundreds of our enterprises, etc.

Realizing this, many Russian citizens are asking the question: “What do we care about the income of Gazprom or private oil companies? their billion-dollar profits have been flying past us for more than ten years, past the budget abroad, enriching only a very narrow group of people. And this is also a fact! There are thousands of proofs of this expressed and published in Russia and abroad. Let's not repeat ourselves.

Assessing the situation, people are more and more asking the question, why should relations between two historically, millennia-old fraternal peoples be measured only by the ruble or the dollar? What, there is no other basis of price and values? That there are no natural rights of a single Slavic people - Russians and Belarusians - to their historical homeland, to its resources? After all, it was not from scratch that the desire of the two peoples to create a single Union State arose. Politicians in this case, by signing an agreement on the creation of the Union State, only fulfilled the will of the people. This treaty consolidated the unity of the natural interests of the people, which have a real natural and historical destiny.

The special basis of the Slavic Russian-Belarusian brotherhood is more than a thousand years of cohabitation and economic development of the territory, common defense and defense of this territory from any aggressors, common traditions, religion, language and culture, ideals. In the 20th century, for the freedom, independence and sovereignty of the USSR, protecting the fraternal Russian people, including its territory and resources, every FOURTH Belarusian died in the Great Patriotic War. Belarus, which had become an insurmountable barrier to the barbarians - the Nazis, was mercilessly burned and destroyed, but the survivors joined the militia as partisans and pinned down dozens of German divisions that did not reach Moscow and Stalingrad.

We appeal to historical truth and memory! Remember, in World War II the Belarusian people showed the world unparalleled courage and courage, defending not only Slavic, but also universal values. Shoulder to shoulder with the Russian people, the Belarusian people died in battle in order for other generations to live, and for Russia to preserve its natural resources and your rights to them.

Nothing is wasted. This sacrifice was deep meaning. Through this sacrifice, life conquered death! Belarusian people - greatest hero who protected and shielded the world from the fascist plague. And no one has the right to forget it! Here is the true, not the imaginary price of today's oil and gas issue. Namely, before our eyes, they are replacing it with mercantile idols of profit, profit, and the omnipotence of Gazprom. It is obvious that the true owners of this concern have long, without ceremony, thrown into the dump even the appearance of respect not only for the Belarusian, but also for the Russian people.

We are outraged by the persecution of Belarus, unprecedented in the entire post-Soviet period, unleashed in December 2006 - January 2007 in Russian funds mass media. Having listened to radio "Mayak" or "Echo of Moscow", we can conclude that the goal of this company is to overshadow and quarrel two peoples. A diabolical task is performed with the grin of an executioner. Lies and slander against the people of Belarus and its president are based on unsubstantiated and falsely categorical statements of the most vulgar meaning and content. The authorities of the Russian Federation do not react in any way to this information lawlessness, clearly identifying with it. Belarus reminds again Brest fortress and we are confident that it will survive.

The public draws your attention to the fact that the anti-Belarusian campaign in the media, as if on command from above, simultaneously adopted an anti-people, anti-Russian meaning and content. Under the veil of pseudo-economic problems, real Russophobia aggressively manifested itself. And this is a direct unleashing of national hatred, and the authorities, in this case, have no right to withdraw themselves and pretend that nothing terrible is happening. We inform you that it not only happens, but also offends the feelings of Russian and Orthodox citizens of Russia.

Belarus is Russia's closest and most reliable ally. And the possible loss of our relations, in the eyes of compatriots abroad, will cause irreparable damage to the authority of Russia and faith in the national revival of our state. state of mind millions of intertwined destinies of Russian-Belarusian families are darkened and cynically sacrificed to the selfish interests of a semi-private oligarchic structure called Gazprom. And for the common people full height the question arose: who exists for whom: Gazprom for Russia or Russia as a source of enrichment for Gazprom? Why did the corporate interests of one of the economic entities rise above the vital interests of two fraternal peoples and states?

It is clear that Gazprom is not selling its own resources, but gas and oil, which, by historical right and law, are the property of the people of Russia. Only the people have an inalienable right of ownership to the natural wealth and resources of their state! And the people, with the rights of ownership of their national natural wealth, have the right to themselves, based on their vital vital interests, establish the rules for disposing of their oil and gas. For this, the people created their own state. The Constitution of the Russian Federation unshakably states that the people are the source of power in the state. He only temporarily delegates this right to state authorities and individuals.

But in reality it turns out that this right was usurped by a narrow group of people - the managers of Gazprom. It, like a private shop, imposes its interests on us and establishes its own exclusive rules.

We draw your attention to the fact that the current oil and gas conflict has revealed and exposed the conflict of economic interests in our society. Moreover, it was this conflict that revealed the absolute opposite of the interests of private oligarchic business and the majority of the population of the sovereign Russian state.

If the authorities do not understand this or pretend that they do not understand, then everyone else has long and deeply thought about the essence of everything that is happening. If the government does not defend the interests of the majority of the country's citizens, but stubbornly defends and increases the super-profits of the big oligarchy, then it drives itself into a dead end. And from this impasse, the way out for the people is obvious. There is experience. Do not bring the situation to complete absurdity and boiling. The cup of people's patience is not unlimited.

We call on you to:

Restore trust in the authorities with your personal example! Show wisdom and courage, rise above everything petty and vain for the sake of the well-being of the fraternal peoples. Pacify the situation with prudent decisions. It is for this that you have been given a mandate to power. Remember that you received this mandate from the hands of the people who elected you to power. Don't let anyone use this mandate for evil.

You have no right to this.

On behalf of the Council of the Interregional public organization"Russian-Belarusian Brotherhood", Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Honored Worker high school RF - Vorontsov A.V.

On behalf of the Presidium of the Petrovsky Academy of Sciences and Arts, President of the Academy, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Laureate of the State Prize of the USSR - Mayboroda L.A.

Uglov F.G. - Academician Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Cardiac Surgeon, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Commander of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

Korbutov I.I. - Chairman of the Council of Veterans of War, Labor, Armed Forces and law enforcement Petersburg and Leningrad region, colonel general

Klimov A.D. - Chairman of the public organization of holders of the Order of Alexander Nevsky

Parshina V.R. - Hero of Socialist Labor, honorary citizen of the Leningrad Region

Subetto A.I. - doctor economic sciences, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Professor

Emelyanov V.A. - Hero of Socialist Labor, Honored Shipbuilder of the USSR, Laureate of the USSR State Prize

Kotova V.I. - Hero of Socialist Labor, Chairman of the section of Heroes of Socialist Labor of the Council of Veterans of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region

Zakharova T.M. - Hero of Socialist Labor, member of the Writers' Union of Russia

Kornilov N.A. - Hero of Socialist Labor, honorary polar explorer, excellent student of the Hydrometeorological Service of Russia

Sychev A.V. - Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Academician of PANI

Froyanov I.Ya. - Doctor historical sciences, Professor, Academician of PANI

Velyaminova V.N. - Honored Artist of Russia

Lebedev L.V. - Twice winner of the State Prize of the USSR, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor

Lovelius N.V - Doctor biological sciences, professor, researcher of the north of Russia

Korostelev P.G. - Honored Artist of Russia

Kozlov E.V. - People's Artist of the USSR and the Komi Republic

Chuprov O.A. - Member of the Writers' Union of Russia, poet

Orlov B.A. - Chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Writers' Union of Russia

Chistov L.M. - Doctor of Economics, Professor, Honored Scientist of Russia, participant of the Great Patriotic War.

Drozhzhin V.A. - Honored Lawyer of Russia, Professor

Volkov S.D. - Doctor of Economics, Professor, Academician of PANI

Kovalchuk Yu.K. - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, Academician of PANI

Gorbatenko L.E. - Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor

Kupriyashchenko G.N. - participant of the Great Patriotic War, chairman of the Council of Belarusian partisans living in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, associate professor

Elmeev V.Ya. - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Honored Worker of Science of Russia

Khodanovich I.D. - professor, scientific secretary of the St. Petersburg Academy of Military Historical Sciences, participant in the Great Patriotic War

Published on 06/27/12 09:11

Among the signatories are Chulpan Khamatova, Mikhail Zhvanetsky, Yuri Shevchuk and many other prominent personalities.

More than a hundred of the most famous writers, musicians, actors and other cultural figures signed a special appeal in support of the girls from the Pussy Riot group under arrest. Letter sent to Supreme Court Russia and the Moscow City Court. The full text of this message is published on the Ekho Moskvy website.

The appeal notes that the signatories "evaluate the moral and ethical side of the actions of the participants in the February action in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior differently." However, the signatories agree that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Ekaterina Samutsevich intcbatch should be released from custody and criminal prosecution stopped.

“We believe that Pussy Riot's actions are not a criminal offence. The girls did not kill anyone, did not rob, did not commit violence, did not destroy or steal other people's property. Russia is a secular state, and no anti-clerical actions, if they do not fall under the articles of the Criminal Code, can be a reason for criminal prosecution,” the letter says.

“The criminal case against Pussy Riot compromises the Russian judicial system and undermines confidence in the institutions of power in general... While the protesters are in custody, an atmosphere of intolerance is growing in society, which leads to its split and radicalization. We do not see any legal grounds and practical sense for further isolation from society of these young women who do not pose any real danger. Moreover, two of them are young mothers,” conclude the authors of the appeal.

List of signatories:

1. Oleg Basilashvili, actor

2. Chulpan Khamatova, actress

3. Eldar Ryazanov, director

4. Evgeny Mironov, actor

5. Liya Akhedzhakova, actress

6. Mikhail Zhvanetsky, writer

7. Sergei Yursky, actor

8. Natalya Tenyakova, actress

9. Igor Kvasha, actor

10. Alexei German, director

11. Svetlana Karmalita, screenwriter

12. Alexei German Jr., director

13. Roman Viktyuk, director

14. Mark Zakharov, director

15. Andrei Konchalovsky, director, producer

16. Andrey Makarevich, musician

17. Pavel Chukhrai, director

18. Alexander Proshkin, director

19. Andrey Proshkin, director

20. Yuri Arabov, writer

21. Andrey Smirnov, director

22. Avdotya Smirnova, director

23. Kirill Serebrennikov, director

24. Valery Meladze, musician

25. Fedor Bondarchuk, director, producer

26. Svetlana Bondarchuk, publisher

27. Emmanuil Vitorgan, actor

28. Maxim Vitorgan, actor

29. Iosif Reichelgauz, director

30. Kama Ginkas, director

31. Henrietta Yanovskaya, director

32. Harry Bardin, director

33. Pavel Bardin, director

34. Dmitry Bertman, director

35. Grigory Chkhartishvili, writer

36. Lyudmila Ulitskaya, writer

37. Veronica Dolina, poet, musician

38. Andrey Zvyagintsev, director

39. Vladimir Mirzoev, director

40. Dmitry Krymov, director

41. Yefim Shifrin, actor

42. Nikolai Tsiskaridze, ballet dancer

43. Maxim Sukhanov, actor

44. Evgenia Dobrovolskaya, actress

45. Kirill Kozakov, actor

46. ​​Elena Koreneva, actress

47. Julia Menshova, actress

48. Igor Gordin, actor

49. Daria Moroz, actress

50. Natalya Negoda, actress

51. Julia Snigir, actress

52. Pavel Derevyanko, actor

53. Alexander Yatsenko, actor

54. Alexey Devotchenko, actor

55. Irina Rakhmanova, actress

56. Evgeny Pisarev, director

57. Dmitry Chernyakov, director

58. Boris Khlebnikov, director

59. Alexey Popogrebsky, director

60. Konstantin Bogomolov, director

61. Alexey Fedorchenko, director

62. Daria Yekamasova, actress

63. Vladimir Kott, director

64. Alexander Kott, director

65. Anna Melikyan, director

66. Olga Dykhovichnaya, actress, director

67. Angelina Nikonova, director

68. Polina Osetinskaya, musician

69. Elena Gremina, playwright

70. Sergey Shargunov, writer

71. Dmitry Bykov, writer

72. Viktor Shenderovich, writer

73. Elena Rayskaya, playwright

74. Lev Rubinstein, poet

75. Vitaly Mansky, director

76. Marina Razbezhkina, director

77. Kirill Razlogov, film historian,

78. Alexander Zeldovich, director, screenwriter

79. Nikolai Lebedev, director

80. Boris Grebenshchikov, musician

81. Diana Arbenina, musician

82. Gleb Samoilov, musician

83. Alexey Romanov, musician

84. Leva Bi-2, musician

85. Roma Zver, musician

86. Leonid Barats, actor

87. Sergey Petreykov, actor

88. Rostislav Khait, actor

89. Evdokia Germanova, actress

90. Maxim Kurochkin, playwright

91. Alexander Rodionov, screenwriter

92. Alexander Atanesyan, director, producer

93. Alexey Steblev, musician

94. Natalia Ryurikova, gallery owner

95. Mikhail Ugarov, director, playwright

96. Vyacheslav Durnenkov, playwright

97. Mikhail Durnenkov, playwright

98. Oleg Dorman, director

99. Andrey Khrzhanovsky, director, screenwriter

100. Alexander Rastorguev, director

101. Pavel Kostomarov, director, cameraman

102. Leonid Desyatnikov, composer

103. Yuri Shevchuk, musician