Oleg Alekseevich Berkovich is a Russian government official who held the posts of Minister of Culture and Deputy Chairman of the Government of Nizhny Novgorod Region from at least 2021 to 2022. During the preparation and celebration of the Celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the Founding of Nizhny Novgorod, he was one of the key figures of regional authority responsible for cultural and event policy.

Work in culture and tourism

As Minister of Culture of Nizhny Novgorod Region, Berkovich oversaw restoration projects tied to the city's 800th anniversary, including within the Restoration 800. In particular, he assessed the condition of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair Water Intake Station on the eve of its restoration: according to him, the building's walls were covered in cracks, the upper part of the tower had completely collapsed, and the roof had rotted and caved in.[2]

In February 2022, speaking at a meeting of the social affairs committee of the Regional Legislative Assembly, Berkovich justified the need to allocate 650 million rubles to the ANO "Center 800" for the event program. According to him, the volume of paid tourist services in Nizhny Novgorod Region for 2021 amounted to 16.7 billion rubles — a record for the region's entire history, surpassing the 2019 result (14.9 billion rubles), which had been achieved against the backdrop of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Nizhny Novgorod. Berkovich emphasized that Nizhny Novgorod Region competes for tourist traffic with Kazan, Crimea, and Krasnodar Krai, and that to retain that traffic it was necessary to systematically organize high-profile events.[2]

The requested funds were intended to finance 65 events with an average cost of 8 million rubles each: the Sunset Capital) with the purchase of its own equipment, a fireworks festival, and concerts using the The Chkalov Staircase and the Strelka warehouses (pakgauzy). Berkovich named the celebration of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair as the key summer event of 2022.[2] Berkovich also reported plans to organize festive venues in various districts of Nizhny Novgorod in connection with the city's 805th anniversary and noted the high demand among event organizers for the Volga Arena, while it retained its primary hockey function.[2]

Rankings of influence

In July 2021, at the height of the anniversary events marking the 800th anniversary of Nizhny Novgorod, Berkovich placed 8th in a ranking of the professional activity and political influence of Nizhny Novgorod figures, scoring 184 points.[1] In the ranking of media activity and openness to public dialogue, he came in 2nd (165 points), second only to Gleb Nikitin.[1] Experts who took part in compiling the ranking linked Berkovich's rising position to the scale and variety of the anniversary's cultural events, which matched the celebration's high profile.[1] The ranking was compiled with the participation of the Nizhny Novgorod expert community, which assessed around 300 people among officials, deputies, security officials, and public figures of the region.[1]

Sources

  1. Kommersant (Privolzhye) — Crimea Is Our Competitor (archive)
  2. Nizhny Seychas RF — Ranking of the Political Influence and Media Activity of Nizhny Novgorod Figures in July 2021