Official website of the President of Russia

News   /

The event took place in the Grand Catherine Palace located in the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum and Reserve. This year’s theme is Return to Culture – New Opportunities.

* * *

Speech at the plenary session of the United Cultures Forum

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Forum participants, ladies and gentlemen, friends,

Welcome to the International United Cultures Forum. It is truly a pleasure to once again host people of art and education from different countries in Russia.

I am confident that your professional dialogue that is free from stereotypes and biased approaches will help expand cooperation and interaction between states and peoples, and embody the motto of this year’s forum, Return to Culture – New Opportunities, into vibrant and highly relevant modern-day projects.

It is deeply symbolic that one of the main venues of the forum this year is here, in Tsarskoye Selo. I hope you will enjoy these marvellous masterpieces and outstanding interior decorations. The magnificence of the Catherine Palace and its park ensembles is born of the harmony of different cultural traditions and embodies the nations’ ability to have the ideas unite them, and to join efforts in order to create beautiful works of art going from one generation to the next. All this serves as a remarkable evidence of the unifying and creative power of culture.

These approaches are the essence and meaning of our forum. They reflect the significance of languages, customs, and artistic heritage of each nation for the whole world, and the supreme value of their diversity, which creates harmony and forms our civilisation.

All our forums – this is the 11^th forum – asserted the core, key principle which says that the more vibrant, the more fulfilling, and the more distinctive this diversity is, the richer our common cultural heritage is and the more stable and successful the future of our planet will be.

We, in Russia, know well that national culture can thrive and get richer only in interaction with other cultures. Our country was originally formed as a multiethnic nation, and this priceless gift determined its unique cultural palette and the status of a truly great power with great art, science, and literature. By the way, creative writing is in itself an excellent environment for communication, and we are in favour of strengthening the interaction between writers from different countries.

History proves that the brightest pages of cultural explosion occur in times when cultures actively interact with the outside world. And conversely, when society shuts off itself from the world, putting blind, dogmatic trust in its exceptionalism and superiority over others, a period of spiritual and intellectual crisis comes, followed by cultural decline and stagnation across all spheres of life.

We must strive for balance between preserving national values and being open to the influence that fosters development and progress. Mixing traditions and techniques often creates world-class masterpieces, while personal contacts help artists, writers, and musicians find unusual forms to realise their talent potential, stimulating creative thinking and the emergence of new movements.

Culture dialogue takes on particular significance today, in the era of rapid development of technology, including artificial intelligence. These technologies make our world increasingly interconnected, opening up tremendous opportunities for creation, ambitious experiments, and daring innovation, including in culture.

Yet our shared task is to avoid risks and negative social consequences, particularly the dilution and devaluation of the values of freedom and human rights, ethical and moral standards, as well as the loss of national distinctiveness and cultural diversity, without which there would be no global harmony.

It is obvious that technology encourages faster spread of ideas. Artificial intelligence, for instance, analyses large data sets and forecasts trends. However, I believe that only human inspiration and genius – that of true masters and creators – can produce original solutions that would lead to discoveries and breakthroughs in science, art, and social spheres. And certainly, the interaction and mutual trust among representatives of different cultures.

Humanity is yet to embrace the new reality while preserving the origins that serve as our foundation. We believe that the world of the future is neither for egoists totally immersed in cyberspace, nor for loners who live following the principle of “every man for himself,” but for people who still appreciate love and friendship, cherish their loved ones, and understand their inseparable connection to, and responsibility toward, society.

It is no coincidence that in Russia, many cultural sector development programmes are included in the Family national project. We see this as a guarantee of resolving demographic problems, creating conditions for self-realisation of young people and for their successful future, raising good citizens on a solid basis of Russian culture and the best pieces of world culture.

For Russia, supporting families with children, enhancing the influence and authority of the institution of the family and its values is top priority. After all, our identity and national character are deeply rooted in the family. Family teaches, educates, passes on traditions and acts as the main keeper of our culture.

Of course, many in this audience, almost all of you, know a classic definition of culture: culture is information that is passed on from generation to generation. The spiritual and moral values ​​are the result of tireless work and quest by scores of generations, and each one added a new perception to the existing world outlook.

Everything that we refer to as heritage today was, at the time of its creation, acutely contemporary art, be it the Tale of Bygone Years, probably known to every Russian citizen, or the avant-garde art of the early 20^th century. Great Russian classics, such as Pushkin, Lermontov, Gogol, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov, to name a few, authored books that were ahead of their time and caused heated debates back in the day.

This kind of innovation created a tradition – a living tradition open to change and capable of catering to the needs of society. In order for it to carry on, it must be enriched by new generations of masters.

It is gratifying that a noticeable renewal is taking place in various spheres of Russia’s cultural sector. Creative associations and unions are gaining ground. That includes the Union of Writers of Russia, which consolidates in its ranks outstanding representatives of the literary community. Young creative talents are heading leading theatres, and musical and artistic performance groups. This is a positive development that reflects healthy continuity processes.

The emergence of new names in literature, cinema, and fine arts is also facilitated by the state policy. In Russia, comprehensive support for young people, assistance in exercising the rights to freedom for all types of creativity, in discovering new talents and helping them grow professionally are enshrined in law.

Accessible quality teaching for gifted children is being ensured in Russia by its unrivalled system of continuous creative education that includes specialty schools, colleges, and higher education institutions.

We hold numerous festivals and competitions each year for young actors, artists, musicians, and dancers. Aspiring young professionals, who are just starting out, also receive support through prizes, grants, and scholarships.

We pay significant attention to developing cultural centres in the regions. This enables us to discover and nurture talent even in small towns and settlements, ensuring equal opportunities for gifted young people and all residents of our country.

Naturally, much remains to be done, particularly in smaller towns and residential communities. We will definitely continue to promote this trend which is gaining momentum.

We are opening new theatres, concert halls, cultural centres, galleries, and traditional arts and crafts centres in the regions, restoring and renovating cultural and historical heritage sites and creating conditions for our people, civil society organisations, philanthropists, and business representatives to participate in such projects. By the way, I would like to thank business leaders for their involvement.

We expect that our successful cultural initiatives may be of interest to our friends abroad, and we are certainly ready to share this experience with all partners, jointly enriching the global cultural landscape with vibrant events. Today, I would like to highlight one such initiative.

Friends, we are grateful to our like-minded partners who supported Russia’s proposal to revive the Intervision international song contest – a remarkable platform where songs capture the distinctive character of peoples and the diversity of cultures and traditions. I firmly believe that the modern Intervision contest will fully preserve this atmosphere of creativity and friendship, serving as yet another proof that true art knows no borders and its unifying power is immeasurable. I wish all contestants success. There is no doubt that they will make their own meaningful contribution to strengthening dialogue between cultures and peoples.

I would like to stress once again: cultural and humanitarian area is one of the priorities for us in terms of international cooperation. This topic was also addressed during the recent meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation leaders, particularly within the context of countering extremist ideology.

We are aware of the threats it poses and the horrific tragedies it precipitates. We consider the preservation of shared historical memory – which truly unites our peoples and strengthens their spiritual bonds through mutual understanding and trust – to be one of culture’s most vital tasks.

This year marks the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the Great Patriotic War. Undying gratitude to frontline soldiers and homefront workers, the memory of millions of fallen civilians – victims of Nazism, and pride in the generation of the victors have become an inseparable, essential part of our culture, being embodied in artworks, paintings, books, films, and memorials, instilling in youth a sense of responsibility for their country and for the security of the entire global community.

I am convinced that the role of culture in international cooperation, in countering neo-Nazism, Russophobia, antisemitism, and all forms of racism, ethnic or religious intolerance, should grow stronger. Here, first and foremost, we count on your support, on the engagement and contribution of cultural figures, and on concrete initiatives that can enrich our common cultural space.

I know that the forum’s agenda includes numerous professional discussions and creative exchanges. We will make every effort to incorporate your ideas and proposals when working with partners across all international organisations where Russia maintains an active presence – including the SCO, as I mentioned, BRICS, and other multilateral associations.

Let me stress once again: our task in the modern world is to combine efforts in safeguarding cultural identity and diversity, traditions, and worldviews whilst moving forward, fostering innovation, and jointly creating genuine art – uplifting creativity that elevates humanity’s finest qualities. We must counter threats to minority cultures’ survival, advance principles of justice and equality in interethnic relations, and free the world from prejudice, double standards, and attempts to cancel this or that culture.

We must strive for openness and mutual respect, be willing to learn, and contribute to strengthening and expanding the global cultural space thereby ensuring a decent, peaceful, and prosperous future for our peoples.

I wish you every success and fruitful discussions. Thank you for your attention. Thank you for joining us today.

Thank you. All the best.