On 19 January 2007, a press conference was held in the State Hermitage to present a new internet project entitled Symbols of Russia. The following took part in the press conference:

Deputy Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation D. A. Milovantsev; Director of the State Hermitage, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Full Member of the Russian Academy of Arts Mikhail Piotrovsky; Deputy Director of the State Hermitage for Research and Chairman of the Heraldry Council under the RF President and State Heraldry Master Georgy Vilinbakhov; Deputy Director of the Federal Agency of Information Technologies A.I. Pankratov; and Director of the Konstantinovsky Palace Museum (Department of the State Hermitage) D.V. Liubin

In the words of Deputy Minister Milovantsev, work on the Symbols of Russia internet portal is being carried out as part of the implementation of the Electronic Russia (2002-2010) federal program and a federal program to popularize symbols of the Russian state, in accordance with a directive from RF President Vladimir Putin. The official developers of the Symbols of Russia portal are the State Hermitage and the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography. The RF Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications is providing technical and organizational support.

As Chairman of the Heraldry Council Georgy Vilinbakhov remarked during the press conference, the objective in creating the portal is to popularize the state symbols of the Russian Federation, to make more sophisticated use of these symbols during the practical work of the state administration at all levels, by organizations and citizens of the Russian Federation, as well as to provide a platform for disseminating information about the activity of the Heraldry Council under the President of the Russian Federation.

During 2006, the first part of the portal was prepared. This is devoted to state symbols of the Russian Federation: the coat of arms, flag and national hymn. The corresponding sections of the portal contain historical information, legislative acts and also rich illustrative material, all of which is based on works of art from the collections of the State Hermitage.

On the whole, all work related to release of the internet portal is proceeding within four stages. By November, 2010, the internet portal should be completely operative. By that year, a plan will be in place for the portal’s further development during the period 2011-2015.

The content of the Symbols of Russia internet portal is being compiled using information, images, audio and video materials devoted to official Russian heraldry. Various sections of the resource will be devoted to the state coat of arms, the national hymn, the state flag, the symbol of the President of the Russian Federation and state awards of Russia. A great deal of attention will be given to symbols of the constituent parts of the Russian Federation and municipalities. A special place on the site is reserved for the history of Russian state symbols, the symbols of earlier ages in the development of the state (the Russian Empire, the USSR). The portal will be provided with useful links to heraldry sites and official portals of the President, the Government, the Federal Assembly, ministries and administrative units of the Russian Federation. It will also inform visitors to the resource about news of Russian heraldry.

The internet portal Symbols of Russia can be visited at the address: www.rossimvolika.ru.
For further information, we suggest you contact the press center of Electronic Russia (2002-2010). The program’s official site is: http://www.e-rus.ru

At the press conference

D. A. Milovantsev, Deputy Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation

Georgy Vilinbakhov, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage for Research and Chairman of the Heraldry Council under the RF President and State Heraldry Master