New Russian style: Yelena Yampolskaya discusses the work of the Council at the National Centre RUSSIA

Architecture, design and the visual environment shape a person's cultural code and perception of the country. That is why, on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, a Council has been established at the National Centre RUSSIA to develop and promote a new Russian style in public spaces. Yelena Yampolskaya, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, spoke about its work.

"The President of our country has spoken about how important harmony embodied in stone is, and how what a person sees around them shapes the way they think and forms a certain cultural code. In this regard, colleagues, let me remind you that, again at the President's instruction, the Council for the Formation of a Nationally Oriented Environment and the Creation of a New Russian Style has been established at the National Centre RUSSIA. The Council has a great many tasks ahead of it. These include creating a national colour palette and a national typeface family, developing approaches to the design of public spaces, and working with spaces of civic identity," Yelena Yampolskaya noted.

She added that the Council's work involves designers, architects, artists, scientists, heads of creative unions, representatives of leading creative and industrial universities, as well as specialists from different regions of the country. Projects currently under development include a catalogue of art objects based on the Cyrillic alphabet, new approaches to landscape design and small-scale architectural forms.

Yelena Yampolskaya also spoke about a new concept for children's playgrounds inspired by traditional Russian folk crafts. The first such playground, dedicated to the Dymkovo toy, will open in Yekaterinburg in September.