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On July 17 in Petrozavodsk, the capital of Karelia, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev held exit an session of the Presidium of the State Council on information society development.
Dmitry Medvedev comes to Karelia
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It is no coincidence that Karelia has been chosen for this session. On the integral index of readiness for the information society Karelia is on the 7th place among subjects of the Federation, on the 4th place on using information and communication technologies in government and municipal management being ahead of Moscow, St.-Petersburg and the Chuvash Republic, on the 3rd place on using ICT in culture (ahead of Moscow and Khanty-Mansijsk Autonomous District), on the 7th place on using ICT for development of the region. According to the estimation made on the United Nations' methodology, on representation of authorities on the Internet Karelia has achieved the 2nd place in Russia, having noticeably outstripped Moscow (6 place) and St.-Petersburg (11 place).
Dmitry Medvedev in the Museum of Fine Arts of Karelia
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Before the beginning of the session of Presidium of the State Council Dmitry Medvedev accompanied by heads of Karelia has visited some institutions of Petrozavodsk where he has familiarized with practice of using information technologies.
In the Museum of Fine Arts of Karelia Dmitry Medvedev was shown work of the KAMIS computer automated museum information system which ihas made it possible to increase quality of expositions and start releasing electronic catalogues on CDs.
Dmitry Medvedev observes new information technologies in the Museum of Fine Arts of Karelia
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President of Russia has also examined the Information Educational Center of the museum created within the scope of the Russia federal program at the support of the State Russian Museum and Government of Karelia. In the Center there work interactive movie theatre and a computer class, lectures and practice classes on history of art are held, the children's Flash-animation studio works, and educational multimedia programs are presented. There Dmitry Medvedev met with children attending the Flash-animation studio and watched a few cartoons created by young artists.
Dmitry Medvedev in the children's Flash-animation studio
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Besides for the head of the state there has been prepared a remote presentation of the National Library of Karelia to which the Museum library is connected through the Folio-Karelia republican corporate library system created by experts from Petrozavodsk State University. This system includes 30 Karelian libraries; it allows supporting general electronic catalogue and enables free-of-charge borrowing of bibliographic records. Now the joint catalogue totals 1 million 272 thousand records. Simultaneously, electronic base of books is being created.
Dmitry Medvedev has noted, that the museum and the library have done serious work on informatization, and wished success and further development to employees of both institutions. President of Russia was especially impressed with a virtual tour on the Russian Museum and the project on digitization of the first Karelian newspaper The Olonets Province Gazette due to which the complete file of the edition stored earlier in different archives and scientific organizations is now available for everyone.
In the opinion of the head of the state, it pleases when modern technologies both promote new undertakings, and help preserving our history.
Dmitry Medvedev has also asked some questions which revealed his experience in using computer, and asked whether any problems occured when employees of the museum and the National library were mastering information technologies. In turn, director of the museum Natalia Vavilov has informed that this barrier is overcome and now the employees have completely appreciated advantages and new opportunities which computers provide.
In the city court the head of the state has got acquainted with work of the Pravosudie (Justice) State automated system. It is used to register all cases, search for necessary information and prepare statistical reports. There is an e-card corresponding to each case containing information about composition of the court, participants of the judicial session and course of consideration of the case. With some restrictions this information is awailable on the Internet. The e-bank of judgements is being formed as well.
Courtrooms are equipped with fascilities for audio- and videorecording, document-cameras for demonstration of material evidences and equipment which allows interrogating the witness, having hidden his appearance and changed his voice.
In the court building there is also an information booth where visitors may learn the schedule of judicial sessions and get acquainted with forms of the basic documents. The same information can be received on the site of the court on the Internet.
The President asked, whether the court is equipped with facilities for video conferencing, and was told that for two years by now this system has been connecting the courtroom with three investigation isolation wards of Karelia that allows holding judicial sessions on supervising and cassation complaints at participation of convicts without their presence in court. Dmitry Medvedev has noted that it saves means and solves the problem of security. To the offer of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Karelia Boris Taratunin to change the legislation to hold courts of the first instance in a similar way, the head of the state has informed, that in the near future the country authorities intend to consider this offer. The President has also told, that in the future it is necessary to convert the judicial document circulation into electronic form: then citizens will be able to solve many questions without leaving theis houses.
Having stepped out of the court bilding Dmitry Medvedev had a conversation with inhabitants of Petrozavodsk in the street, having characterized his impressions of visit to Karelia as follows: «Your republic is nice. As your governor says, if there is no oil in the region, then there should be other opportunities.»
The third point in Dmitry Medvedev's visit schedule was the center of informatization of region – Petrozavodsk State university where the President of Russia was acquainted with the basic spheres of development of information technologies in Karelia.
Thus, Dmitry Medvedev was shown work of the Internet-portal of bodies of the government of the republic and achievements in creation of subsystems of electronic government, examples of successful automation of government services and electronic geoinformation systems which are already used for making administrative decisions.
Besides the head of the state has visited the university technopark in the sphere of information technologies (IT-park) where more than 300 employees work. Cost of works executed by IT-park in 2007 has made 120 million rbl.
Aming other in the IT-park there work students of the university who has become bronze prize-winners of the International Collegiate Programming Contest in Canada this year. In the conversation with the President they have told that now work on creation of automation systems adoptable for any production line.
Dmitry Medvedev has also met with participants of the second Petrozavodsk team of programmers who have won bronze in the World Championship in Tokyo last year and now prepare for the next Championship.
The President especially wanted to know with what organizations the university cooperates in development and promotion of information technologies. As heads of the university have explained, now by the university has concluded agreements on performance of scientific research, development of mathematical models and software, organization of conferences, seminars and exchange of experts with famous international companies: Metso Automation Inc., Metso Minerals Inc., VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and Nokia Research Centre. In particular, to the head of the state was shown the Nokia's Internet-board software for which is developed in Petrozavodsk.
Besides, the university is creatiing automated control systems for technological processes according to agreements with the largest enterprises of pulp and paper industry and timber industry complex of Russia.
From among innovative developments of the university Dmitry Medvedev was shown a plasmophone: by means of low-temperature plasma this device cures small scratches effectively.
The university administration has made a request to the President to continue meetings of the head of the state with the best young programmers of the country which started last year, and Dmitry Medvedev has supported this idea.
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