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The meeting participants – the parents and their children – gathered in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, where a videoconference meeting with the President was held. On June 1, International Children’s Day, the head of state invited families awarded the Order of Parental Glory to Moscow. In Moscow they visited, in particular, the Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Gora and VDNKh, took a cruise along the Moskva River and went on tour in the Kremlin.

During the videoconference, the participants of the event shared their impressions with the President and thanked him for his help in organising the trip.

The Order of Parental Glory is awarded to parents and foster parents who are raising or have raised seven or more children, providing an appropriate level of care for their health, education, physical, spiritual and moral development.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, good afternoon.

I am very happy to see and welcome all of you, to see that your large and friendly families from various regions of Russia are all together now in Moscow, where an entertaining and, I hope, busy programme has been arranged especially for you, as we agreed on June 1, on International Children’s Day.

Unfortunately, I am not in Moscow today, but in St Petersburg, where a great deal of work is underway with our colleagues from African countries. But work is work, so please forgive me for not being able to meet with you in person.

Nevertheless, I am very glad that you are in Moscow, and I would like to say that families like yours are the pride of Russia. You bring up children in an atmosphere of love, care, mutual respect and support, and, what is very important, serve as a wonderful example for other people. When looking at you, everyone understands how important and valuable parental and family happiness is in life; that there is nothing better, nothing more valuable than a family where many children are raised. Hopefully, we will have more such families that embody real, true values, and not artificial ones.

Of course, sometimes it is not easy for a large family to go on a trip for children to see and get to know their country, its culture, history and traditions. So let me repeat, I am very happy that we have been able to help you travel to Moscow. I know that you have already seen a lot, as I have been told: VDNKh, Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Hill and the Moscow Circus – I am sure the children were very interested – and went on a cruise along the Moskva River, as well as a tour around the Kremlin today. I think this trip will leave you with unforgettable impressions and strong and positive emotions.

I would like to separately address the Belov family from Chelyanbinsk today, where their eighth child was born on July 18. Congratulations on this wonderful and happy event to the mom, Yekaterina (if I remember correctly, she stayed at home with her newborn daughter) and the rest of the family who are in Moscow today.

Best wishes to Viktor Gorelov, too, who has turned 19 today, and everyone who had their birthdays these days, during the trip.

I also know that the eldest sons in the families of the Ilyins and Gorelovs have taken the oath in the army recently. I want to wish them to serve with honour.

I hope to hear your opinions of what you have seen on this trip and what you liked the most. Please, go ahead. Maybe you have other wishes.

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