On December 12, the Ministry of Economic Development held a meeting with representatives of the art industry

Ministry of Economic Development: since 2021, the gross value added of the art industries in the creative economy has increased by 11%


One of the national goals is to increase the share of creative industries in the country's economy to 6% of GDP by 2030. In 2024, the art industry was consolidated as a separate industry within the framework of a Unified plan to achieve Russia's national development goals until 2030. Despite the fact that the share of gross value added (GVA) of the art industry in the total GVA of the creative economy is relatively small (about 2%), the industry has a high growth potential. This was stated by Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov during a meeting with representatives of the art industry. The participants discussed key areas of development of the art industry as an independent and promising branch of the creative economy.


According to the minister, Russia has accumulated unique cultural assets, the value of which will be preserved in the long term. The task of the state is to create conditions for unlocking the potential of this area.


"Since 2021, the increase in the GVA of the art industries has been about 11%. And their contribution to the overall indicator of the entire creative economy is about 2%. The goal by 2030 is to keep the indicator at 2.3%," Maxim Reshetnikov emphasized.


During the discussion, three main blocks of issues were identified for discussion with experts.

The first block is the formation of clear "rules of the game" for the interaction of the art industry and the economy as a whole, including defining the boundaries of the industry and evaluating the performance of all its participants.

The second block is an assessment of the current state and the search for growth points, where the involvement of both the professional community of collectors and a new mass audience plays a key role. 

The third set of questions is aimed at identifying barriers and factors accelerating development, such as the creation of creative clusters, the implementation of interdisciplinary projects with museums and the digital sphere, as well as the replication of successful regional practices that promote territorial branding.


"It is necessary to define the boundaries of the sector together with experts and work out practical tasks. These include highlighting the main features of the sector, ways to generate high added value, and potential opportunities to attract investment in contemporary art," emphasized Maxim Reshetnikov.


The Minister suggested focusing on the most substantive discussion based on the practical experience of market participants. Cases and an understanding of the patterns of industry development by experts are critically important for the formation of an effective and efficient system of government support, he added.


"This is the first approach to the "digitization" of the art industries as part of the creative economy.  Such industry meetings with representatives have already become traditional and help to determine the reference points of development and adjust the regulatory framework of the sectors. The results of such discussions will form the basis for practical actions and will be reflected in the Strategy for the Development of the Creative Economy until 2036," said Tatyana Ilyushnikova, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia.


During the meeting, the Gallery Association presented the results of a study of the art industry carried out jointly with Pacioli Consulting in 2024-2025. The experts, in particular, formulated definitions of the art industry and the art market, described the subject composition and identified key nodes that ensure the functioning and development of the industry. So, according to their data, about 113 thousand people are employed in the industry, for example.


"This is an important systematic meeting with those who represent the professional cultural community to talk about the art industry not only from a cultural point of view, but from an economic point of view. We have identified a number of barriers and growth points for the art industry, based on research data and a real assessment of the situation in the industry," commented Sofya Trotsenko, founder of the CSI Vinzavod, member of the Board of the Association of Galleries.


The participants also discussed key issues of the art industry development: the need for an integrated approach to industry policy, the use of the creative potential of art in state and regional development, the replenishment of museum collections with contemporary art, legal aspects of intellectual property and the status of contemporary artists, conditions for the production and display of works, as well as the international promotion and export of Russian artists.


The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the OMK-Participation Charitable Foundation, founder of the Vyksa Festival, philanthropist Irina Sedykh, academician, President of the Russian Academy of Arts, Director of the MMOMA, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Vasily Tsereteli, Program Director of the GES-2 Cultural Center and the V-A–C Foundation. Alice Prudnikova and others.