OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 January 2009 was announced, that the forthcoming celebrating of the 360 anniversary of Olonets became the main subject at the exit session of the Council of Representatives of Karelians, Vepsians and Finns held in Olonets on January 21 under the presidency of the Head of Karelia Sergey Katanandov. Heads of bodies of the government and local self-government, representatives of national public associations, establishments of education, culture, and mass media participated in session of the Council.

Opening the session, Sergey Katanandov has brought festive mood to its participants, having told that the key issues on the agenda were what Olonets wants to have for a gift and who is to prepare it for Olonets dwellers.

The Head of Olonets region administration Victor Yefremov, head of the urban settlement Gennady Stepanov, representatives of the town public have made a number of offers on preparation for the anniversary, and, besides, Victor Yefremov has amplified the history and present of Olonets, one of the most ancient towns of Russia, which first recording dates from 1137.

Head of Karelia has offered the following scheme for preparation for anniversaries of towns of our republic.

While being on a business trip in Belarus, Sergey Katanandov watched its citizens celebrating the so-called 'final squeeze', namely completion of any task. Almost all the townspeople participate in the celebration: everyone does his best for his native settlement. It can be making a flower bed at the apartment house, construction of a social object or repair of a road undertaken by businessmen. During this festival representatives of the government see what the citizens have managed to make, and appropriate funds from the national budget equal to the amount disbursed by the townspeople.

Sergey Katanandov has offered to have similar anniversary celebrations in Karelia: local authorities and inhabitants do what they can, and the republican authority renders assistance for implementation of large projects which regions can not afford.

The wish of the Head of Karelia arose a keen interest. Summing up all reports, Sergey Katanandov has offered to complete a number of large projects in Olonets region with the help of the republic by the 360th anniversary of Olonets. First of all, this is opening of the reconstructed hospital and the second stage of cattle-breeding complex in Ilyinsky, as well as a new building of the Employment Center, the merchant Kuttuev's house museum and a part of the Cathedral of the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God which restoration proceeds. Besides it has been decided to repair monuments to participants of the Great Patriotic War, to build a new bridge to the Miriam island located in the center of the town celebrating its anniversary. It is planned, that to celebrate the 360th anniversary of Olonets budget of the republic will appropriate 25 million rubles, and the corresponding assignment will be given to the Ministry of Finance.

This June it also planned to gather the Congress of Karelians timed to the anniversary of Olonets in the largest national region of the republic. At the holiday to be held on September 29, there will pass a number of exhibitions, festivals, and a great celebratory gala concert.

The second item of the agenda was information of the Ministry on National Politics and Relations with Religious Associations. The report On results of Implementation of the Government Support to Karelian, Veppsian and Finnish languages in the Republic of Karelia from 2006 through to 2010 and Harmonization of National and Confessional Relations, Formation of Civil Consent in the Republic of Karelia from 2007 through to 2011 Regional Target Programs in 2008 was made by the Deputy Minister on National Politics Elena Bogdanova.

She has told that it is very important to draw attention of the youth to issues of preservation of Karelian and Veppsian languages, to promote creation of positive attitude to the language and traditional culture, to understand importance and necessity of preservation of intergenerational continuity.

According to Elena Bogdanova, within the scope of implementation of Agreements on Cooperation and the Plan of Actions coordinated between the ministry and institutions of local government in 2008 there have been implemented many projects and events aimed at increasing the level of Karelian, Veppsian and Finnish representatives' command of their native languages, support of scientific researches, strengthening of the role of family and public institutes responsible for preservation of national identity of the Baltic and Finnish peoples of Karelia.

The most significant events in 2008 were Veppsians, indigenous small people of the Russian Federation: prospects of preservation and development inter-regional workshop conference, International Norms and Legislation of The Russian Federation in the Field of Preservation of Language and Culture, Traditional Way of Life, Nature Management of Indigenous Peoples: Norm. Theory. Practice international seminar.

Delegation of the Republic of Karelia participated in the Vth World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples in Khanty-Mansiysk. Writers from Karelia whose works are related to the world of Finno-Ugric peoples have taken part in the Xth International Congress of Finno-Ugric Writers Future of Finno-Ugric Literatures which was held in Ioshkar-Ola.

Contentious debate has arisen at the session after Olga Tervo, Deputy head of Olonets region administration and head of the department of social issues, has made her speech. Olga Tervo worked out figures to explain that fewer representatives of indigenous peoples have good command of their native language. In her opinion, one of the reasons of Karelian language 'dying' in the region is insufficient number of academic hours meant for teaching Karelian language in educational establishments. To the question of the Head of Karelia on the reason of opposing its increasing, Olga Tervo has referred to federal educational standards and federal curriculum, regulating rigidly the whole educational process and not allowing to pay extra to teachers of Karelian language for additional lessons. As a result of discussion of this matter Sergey Katanandov has ordered a specially created commission to analyze work of the Ministry of Education for failure to implement the Program of Karelian language studying in 2008. He has also suggested to consider the opportunity of additional paying to Karelian language teachers of educational establishments from budget of the republic, "to let people have a wish to work, and the rising generation have an opportunity to study Karelian language properly".