Moscow: +7 495 234 4959 Saint Petersburg: +7 812 740 5823 London: +44 (0) 7384 418877

Attorneys at law Pen & Paper participated in the 6th Legal Forum "The White Nights" which took place in the Arkhangelsk region

The 6th Legal Forum "The White Nights" took place in the National Park "Kenozersky" 18 - 21 June 2015. The theme of the Forum was "Law In The Space Of Culture". Not only lawyers but representatives of the "space of culture" were also invited".

This year the Forum has been extraordinary and experimental aiming at organization of high-quality and very frank discussion of the legal issues. No wonder that the dialogue between the state officials, politicians, scientists, professionals in the area of culture and law on the burning issues of ongoing conflicts on the verge of the use of law, freedom and culture aroused special interest.

The agenda of the Forum included several meetings . The main topic was "Law in the space of culture". The participants discussed issues of legal regulation in different cultural areas.

Anna Grischenkova, a partner of one of the advocate bureaus came out with the topic "Why, how and where the law interferes into creation, preservation and enabling of access to pieces of art". Representatives of the Bar Valery Zinchenko and Aleksey Dobrynin delivered a report "Between carnival and infringement upon the sacred: legal aspects". The report dealt with the legal practice of the use of the norm of the Criminal Code RF concerning responsibility for insulting feelings of believers.

Several partners of the Bar also delivered reports. Thus, Alexander Yermolenko featured the topic "Professional culture of the Soviet and post-Soviet practicing lawyers and its role in the formation of the legal society". Denis Saushkin presented his report "What are the real motives of the law enforcement structures when they make a decision for criminal prosecution for the alleged "anti-sacred" actions?". Dmitry Megonya put a question to the participants: "Are there and should there be legal religious grounds making it possible to help people and society form and realize their philosophical beliefs?"

On the second meeting the participants of the Forum together with the Honoured Worker of Culture of Russia Boris Mezdrich discussed resent events in the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre concerning Richard Wagner's opera "Tanheiser". Sergey Mironenko, Director of the State Archive of the Russion Federation, told the audience about the process of destalinization in the Soviet Union and modern Russia.

 "The most important thing is that we managed to create a format for a very frank and professional discussion about the most urgent issues. Such a conversation suggests firm standing without common places. I am glad that our Arkhangelsk region has become the territory of law and not only the cradle of military space, Russian forest and submarine fleet, for the third time in a row," - emphasized in the end of the meeting Konstantin Dobrynin, vice-chairman of the Committee of the Russian Federation on Constitutional Legislation and State Construction, representative of the State Legislature of Arkhangelsk Region.

 According to Andrey Klishas, chairman of the CF Committee, the Forum deals with various issues of law and its participants are highly professional. The Senator noted a wide range of issues discussed during the session, historical ones as well.

 "Participation of MP's in discussions with conflicting opinions is necessary. Thus, representatives of the state can convey the official position to those who are critical towards decisions taken by the state in different spheres," - concluded Andrey Klishas.

 Ludmila Kononova, member of the CF Committee on Social Politics, representative of the State Legislature of Arkhangelsk in the CF, and Director of the Federal State Budget Establishment National Park "Kenozersky" Yelena Shatkovskaya also took part in the event.