Nikita Mikhalkov and creative youth discussed the future of the country at the National Centre RUSSIA
Around 700 students and graduates from various higher education institutions gathered at the National Centre RUSSIA on 22 November to take part in a meeting with the Knight of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called, Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation, People’s Artist of the RSFSR, film director, author and host of the programme "BesogonTV", Nikita Mikhalkov. The event was held as part of the educational programme "Culture of Sovereign Russia", organised by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation together with Rosmolodezh and the Academy of Creative Industries "Meganom" (the "Tavrida.ART" project).
Before the official opening of the event, creative youth gave Nikita Mikhalkov a warm welcome. In the packed Congress Hall of the National Centre RUSSIA, the song "The Furry Bumblebee" – a romance by Andrei Petrov with lyrics by Rudyard Kipling in the translation by Grigory Kruzhkov – was sung in chorus. The composition first appeared in Eldar Ryazanov’s film "A Cruel Romance", where it is performed with a guitar by merchant Sergei Paratov, portrayed by Nikita Mikhalkov himself.
Before the discussion, the director invited the audience to watch fragments of his programme "BesogonTV" dedicated to social and cultural issues. The selection included materials on current topics of modern life: preserving sovereignty, the development of artificial intelligence, the quality of education and other challenges facing the country.
"Today we live in an extremely serious and truly alarming time. And it is you, the younger generation, who bear enormous responsibility – essentially the task of preserving the country. We remain the only ones in the European space who openly and firmly opposed what they are trying to impose on us," noted Nikita Mikhalkov.
The format of the event was organised as a Q&A session. The youth actively asked questions to the People’s Artist of the RSFSR. One of the questions concerned the prospects for the development of neural networks, with the focus placed exclusively on their positive potential.
"They say: artificial intelligence is evil. That’s enough. This development cannot be stopped. It must not be banned, but controlled. And for this we must first understand: do we exist for artificial intelligence, or does artificial intelligence exist for us? If artificial intelligence is based on our traditional historical and cultural values, this does not mean that we should stop watching foreign films, listening to foreign music or isolating ourselves from the world. No. But we need immunity – inner moral protection. So that a person can say: 'This is worth watching – and that isn’t,'" replied Nikita Mikhalkov to one of the questions about AI.
Another issue that concerns young people is the upbringing of future generations. In particular, Nikita Mikhalkov was asked how to inspire modern children and teenagers with a love for culture.
"My mother used to say: children must be raised while they still lie across the bed; later it is too late. The parents of those called Generation Alpha were born in the 1990s. Therefore, what matters here is introducing these principles gently, wisely, and with real skill – the very principles that have shaped the country’s moral foundations. <...> Now, when they are 13–14 years old, it is very difficult to force them to perceive what we want them to perceive. That is why the principle must be that upbringing is a delicate instrument that must be introduced into consciousness very carefully, literally from infancy," the film director believes.
The conversation between creative youth and Nikita Mikhalkov lasted about three hours. During this time, participants discussed a wide range of topics: a love of Soviet cinema, the development of professional and personal skills, modern challenges, and they also asked about the People’s Artist of the RSFSR’s creative plans and ideas for the future.
The meeting with Nikita Mikhalkov took place within the framework of a series of educational events held in creative universities across the country to strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values and ensure understanding of key state priorities of cultural policy among students and their mentors. Creative meetings between students and experts of the creative industries have already taken place in universities subordinate to the Ministry of Culture of Russia in Moscow, St Petersburg, Saratov, Lugansk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and other cities. Such meetings create opportunities for constructive dialogue between young and established creators in various cultural fields about the role of Russian culture and ways to preserve and strengthen it.
