MOSCOW, March 20 - RAPSI. The Russian government has approved a bill on patronage of the arts, although it has also pointed out some of its drawbacks, reads the conclusion posted on the government's website on Wednesday.

The government states that the bill does not provide a clear definition for the term "patronage of the arts."

According to the explanatory note to the bill and some of its articles, patronage is charity work which is aimed at promoting and supporting culture, the arts, science and education.

However, charity is the giving of free assistance or aid on preferential terms to those who need it. A key element to charity is the free and unenforced choice of the type, time, place and nature of assistance.

Charity work in Russia is regulated by the country's Constitution and legislation.

The government concludes that "the bill does not distinguish between charity and patronage."

"Therefore, the adoption of the bill within the framework of the proposed concept will not create additional opportunities or incentives for charity work in the arts compared to the opportunities that are already stipulated by current legislation," the government said.

In accordance with the bill, only government and municipal establishments can become patrons, which will put ungrounded restraints on the recipients of this kind of assistance.

The government has urged the authors of the bill, including film director Stanislav Govorukhin, chief of the State Duma Committee on Culture, and his first deputy Iosif Kobzon to take into account its recommendations when finalizing the phrasing of the bill.