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World Jewish News
Centers in Jerusalem to Follow the Edicts of Russian President
25.01.2009
Director of the "Russian world" Fund programs in Russia Maxim Meyer had planned to visit Israel in January, but carried the visit over to March because of the war and the elections. He is readying to open a Russian Center in Israel, as well as to give grants for the support of the Russian language and culture.
Maxim Meyer used to head the Fund for Effective Policies (FEP) in the late 1990s, and in the early 2000's was a senior officer of the presidential administration. Now he is engaged in the process of establishing a network of Russian centers around the world within the framework of the Fund, created in accordance with Vladimir Putin's decree in summer 2007. "Russian world" is financed from the RF budget, and outside the country its centers rely on the support of Russian embassies.
According to the IzRus portal, Meyer's visit to Israel, planned last year, was carried over: "Our Israeli partners, the organizators of the visit, advised to wait for a while, so I will arrive in March." Meyer added that "Russian world" has "several partners in Israel - they have been contacted by the Head of the Fund, Vyacheslav Nikonov, during their visit to you in December 2007".
According to Israeli sources, the abovementioned organizators tried to arrange the meetings of Meyer with a number of influential Russian-speaking Israelis, including Knesset deputies. But, according to Meyer's own words, he is more interested in opening Russian centers in Israel, similar to the 15 that appeared in the year 2008 in the Central Asian and the Southern Caucasus Republics, as well as in the United States, Belgium and Japan. The first centre was opened in Armenia last February.
"Russian Centers are a key international project of the Fund, exercised in partnership with world leading educational institutions. These centers are being created to promote the Russian language and culture," Meyer said in his interview to the IzRus portal. According to him, such centers are usually opened in universities or libraries, and Meyer plans to discuss the possibility of opening centers in Israel during his upcoming visit.
He added that "Russian world" awards grants on the "development of Russian language, culture, and history, strengthening ties between the Russian-speaking communities" in all countries where it conducts its activities. Speaking at the July 2008 opening ceremony of the Russian center in Kazakhstan, Director of the Foundation Vyacheslav Nikonov said that «"o far Israel is the leader in the number of applications for 'Russian world' grants."
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