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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends,

I sincerely welcome the guests and participants of the fourth Tavrida.ART festival.

Each of you has a bright and creative personality. You represent different areas of culture and art but are united by common values that are universally understood: faith in justice, love for the Motherland, striving for personal development and a sincere desire to help people. It is these qualities, the qualities of the national character, that make our people invincible, and our thousand-year-old culture great.

All attempts to cancel our culture, to cancel Russia are futile. It is just stupid. And those who think otherwise, unfortunately for them, have not learned the lessons of history. But history is made by ordinary people. And today it includes you, young people who can dream and create, work and win. You will carry on the traditions of culture and ensure the continuity of generations.

I am sincerely glad that the Kapsel Bay and ancient Sudak have become a traditional centre of attraction for talented young people from various regions of Russia. This year, the festival’s friendly team includes people from the liberated territories: the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics. Today, you are together, ready to join efforts to achieve common goals, and it means that you know that to be strong, you need to be together. The entire rich, thousand-year history of Russia teaches this.

I know that you support our heroes – soldiers, officers, volunteers and militia men in Donbass – by your deeds and your creative achievements. Thank you for that.

We know that all difficulties and trials are a time of new opportunities, and we often talk about it. It is a time to be daring, it is true, and you are just that.

I would like to express the wish that all of you find new friends in Tavrida and conquer new heights of excellence. I hope that the festival opening today will become an important step towards these heights for you. Good luck and all the best.