On November 26, Orsha / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA. The Expert Council under the Ministry of Culture of Belarus will operate on a rotational basis. This was stated today by the Minister of Culture, Pavel Latushko, during a personal reception of citizens in Orsha, BELTA correspondent reports. According to the minister, the draft order of the Ministry of Culture on the approval of the new composition of the expert commission is at the final stage of coordination. After three years, this composition will be updated by one third each year. This will help to eliminate clannishness and group arrangements. The work of the commission will become as transparent as possible, the minister is confident. Pavel Latushko also touched upon the issue of purchasing works of art from artists. In 2009, the ministry allocated Br800 million to pay off arrears from previous years to artists for selected paintings for the collections of republican and national museums. This year, the funding will amount to about Br100 million. In 2011, it is planned to allocate Br200-300 million for these purposes. Local authorities should take care of replenishing the collections of regional museums, the minister noted. In the near future, the Ministry of Culture will issue a written instruction to all regional departments of culture to provide for funds in next year's budget for the acquisition of paintings by Belarusian artists. Pavel Latushko emphasized that state support and the purchase of works of art will be relative in nature, and added that artists should independently resolve issues with the sale of their paintings. At the same time, the state will continue to support the most talented and outstanding masters, as it is important for the country to preserve their works in its collections. -0-

BELTA