Oleg Kireev is appointed the consultant of the President RB for culture

The popular musician, jazzman Oleg Kireev is appointed the consultant of the President of Bashkiria Rustem Khamitov for culture. The public affairs service of the President RB comments this appointment so: “The consultant of the President RB is the public post and it means Oleg Kireev won’t receive a salary. His post can be called the consultative one – in case of necessity the President may invite him for discussion of the problems, related to culture and it is planned there will be five such consultants”.

This rather sudden decision of the President RB caused wide response in the cultural community of the Republic and at that the majority of the activists of culture grasped this appointment as a good sign.

The national artist RB Alexander Kuzmenko says: “I consider the appointment of Oleg Kireev the consultant for culture of the President RB as a positive moment. I know Oleg Kireev both as an excellent musician and very competent manager. Besides, this is the man, who has great authority in the world musical culture and the last jazz festival, organized by him in Ufa, proves it”.

The head of the pop music chair at the Ufa State Academy of Arts, composer Azamat Khasanshin:

“I know Oleg Kireev for a long time. That time I was a pupil and he studied at the Ufa Art College. There were the times when very strong galaxy of musicians had grown up in our Republic. At the beginning 90s the majority of them have left for Moscow and abroad and up to now we fail to reach that level. That time Ufa was the largest mass culture and jazz center together with Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Novosibirsk. As for his appointment I think this is the excellent move. First, Oleg Kireev is the only “Grammy” nominee from our Republic, second, he is one of few Ufa citizens, who though leaving for Moscow doesn’t forget his motherland, taking an active part in the cultural life of the city, bringing other musicians here and inviting the musicians from Ufa to Moscow, third, he helps the students and to my mind, both the studio recording and the organized show in Moscow represent a serious backing for the beginning musicians and, fourth, Oleg Kireev is the only representative of such direction as the “world music” in Russia and taking the present state of the Bashkir professional music into account, the appointment of Oleg Kireev is the best solution”.