Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ladies and gentlemen,

Today we celebrate Russia Day, the Day of our Motherland, which we are proud of and which we cherish, honour and love, and for which we share a historical responsibility to the past and future generations. These feelings unite us around common spiritual and moral values and remain a source of creative inspiration and energy to millions of our fellow citizens.

Esteemed laureates, your unique scientific discoveries and brilliant humanitarian projects have without a doubt become part of our shared national heritage and deserve the highest prize in Russia: the Russian Federation National Award.

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the achievements of scientists from the Siberian and Urals scientific schools, well-known experts in the field of organic synthesis: Boris Trofimov, Valery Charushin and Oleg Chupakhin. Their findings have led to the creation of new chemical compounds that represent a real breakthrough in the nuclear, agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Moreover, a number of widely used medications have already been developed on the basis of their fundamental research.

Another research team will receive the National Award for achievements related to healthcare. Rem Petrov and Rakhim Khaitov have been working together for 40 years. They are leaders in the most important areas of modern immunology, which is a field that opens up new possibilities for medicine.

I am glad to see among the winners a prominent Russian geologist, Kola Peninsula researcher Feliks Mitrofanov. Thanks to Mr Mitrofanov’s many years of hard work, our country not only has access to the richest deposits of platinum group metals and gold, but has found unique exploration methods that are successfully employed by Russian and foreign mining companies.

A team of talented designers – Sergei Boyev, Sergei Saprykin and Valery Karasev – will also receive the Russian Federation National Awards for the development and implementation of advanced technologies but in the field of national security. They have designed the Voronezh-DM new generation high-level radar station, which will become the main element of the updated national missile attack early warning system, and will greatly increase the capability of Russia’s aerospace defence. These radar stations are highly mobile, can be deployed anywhere in the shortest possible time and most importantly, they are able to detect and identify even the most inconspicuous targets.

Our science, civil and defence industries have always been able to address complex issues. The people behind these victories are strong and committed professionals who are able to think outside the box, break stereotypes and achieve the seemingly impossible. Today, when Russia faces the challenge of modernising its economy, there is great demand for such skills as the ability to generate innovative ideas and create breakthrough designs.

Russia is woven out of traditions and modernity; it is a forward-looking nation that values its age-old foundations, its thousand-year culture and historical continuity. Among today's National Award winners are people who have felt a calling to take on the responsibility for the preservation of our national cultural heritage and successfully engage in popularising it. First of all I would like to mention the heroic efforts of a team from Yaroslavl, which has rebuilt and transformed the ancient village of Vyatskoye. Businessman Oleg Zharov, art historian Yelena Ankudinova and artist Nikolai Mukhin have returned to Russia a unique historical ensemble, and created the conditions for the preservation of its ethnic and cultural environment. This project, implemented by civil initiative, the business community and cultural figures, is a worthy role model.

The National Award for the preservation of Russia’s historical heritage is conferred to Galina Malanicheva, who heads the Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments. Established in 1965, this organisation has united all those who understand the great value and power of our nation’s historical memory, and over the years have helped to save and preserve numerous masterpieces, the works of thousands of Russian architects and artists, our spiritual relics.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank everyone who has taken part in this creative work. In the words of Academician Dmitry Likhachev, if a person is indifferent to a country’s historical monuments, such a person is also indifferent to the country. I am happy to note that every year there are more people among us who are not indifferent and who are ready to fight ignorance and forgetfulness.There is no doubt Kultura State Television and Radio Company plays a significant role in the revival of interest in national history, traditions and art. In fact, the company’s mission is to preserve and develop the nation’s intellectual potential. Kultura is a unique and a truly educational channel in many respects, an invaluable information resource, which makes extensive use of archival materials and television classics, produces informative news releases, talk shows and memorable programmes. Kultura has built a strong team of professionals, and three of its members have received the National Award for their achievements: director of Kultura State Television and Radio Company Sergei Shumakov, brilliant programme host Svyatoslav Belza and National State Television and Radio Company (VGTRK) CEO Oleg Dobrodeyev. Congratulations and please convey my sincere gratitude to your entire creative team.

There is another project and award winner I would like to single out. Vladimir Spivakov is famous around the world as a great musician and conductor. But not everyone knows that in addition to creative work, he generously gives his time to philanthropic work. The Vladimir Spivalkov International Charity Foundation established by the maestro has over the past 18 years helped over 10,000 young talents by providing scholarships, paying tuition fees and purchasing musical instruments. I can tell you that I know firsthand how seriously Mr Spivakov takes this aspect of his work, to which I have seen him give a great deal of kindness and warmth.

In addition, Mr Spivakov is the organiser of exciting youth projects, not only for musicians from our country, but also from the  Background information Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) CIS, the Baltic states and other countries.

Friends,

Your personal achievements are colourful events in the national science and culture. Thanks to them the whole of Russia is becoming richer and stronger. Thanks to your efforts, our country has taken another step forward. It is essential that the entire country finds out about your success, especially the younger generation. We will use your examples to educate the young people in our country, teach them how and why they must work, what values and truths they must rely on in life, discarding any misguided aims.

You have convincingly demonstrated that it is possible to gain prestige and honour only by pursuing high and noble goals. The road to success will always be laborious and honest. I sincerely thank you for giving so much of yourselves to your work, for putting your soul and heart into it. I am certain such monumental efforts will always be rewarded not only by state prizes, as they are today, but most importantly, they will win you the national recognition for your achievements and the respect of entire Russian society.

I wish you health, happiness and successful new endeavours. Once again, happy Russia Day!

I suggest we move on to the awards ceremony.

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Friends,

Once again I sincerely congratulate you on winning the National Awards. Thank you for your hard work, generosity and dedication. Thank you for your service to the Fatherland.

It is widely believed that the opportunity to do the work you love is a reward in itself. Many people believe this, declare this, and it is true. However, broad public and state recognition of the results of your efforts makes them all the more meaningful, singles them out as work of the highest quality and sets the bar not only for your peers, but for everyone who wants to be successful, relevant and useful. There is no doubt that the energy, humanity and the pursuit of knowledge will be valued at all times.

Proof of this is history itself, which is full of compelling examples of individuals whose ideas and talent have allowed great leaps in global progress.

One of our winners today, who has dedicated his life to immunology, said that only recently there was no such field in existence and now we have the field and scientists, textbooks and research literature, and the National Awards are presented for achievements in this area, as well as other distinctions. This is evidence that the world around us is rapidly changing, and we are changing along with it. Thanks to such people as our winners, we are sure to occupy a worthy place in a changing world.

Today we presented the National Awards (I believe that we did it together) to professionals working in different fields. One of these fields is national defence. I told you what the award was presented for. This is a very important development, which will affect the very essence of our national defence: a missile attack early warning radar station. Could we imagine just a short time ago that this work will be conducted by an organisation that is completely, one hundred percent funded and owned by private capital? That is unbelievable, yet it is true. This is an example of public-private partnership that we have established not only in this area, but also in science, education, art and culture, and it is certain to yield maximum positive results. Our goal is to create the conditions for the emancipation of our people’s talents, and this is a target we will pursue.

Happy holiday! Congratulations to you all.