Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Dear winners!

Dear colleagues and friends!

Let me begin by congratulating you on our national holiday, the Day of Russia, and the national awards winners on this landmark event in their lives.

It is deeply symbolic that it is precisely on this day that the awards ceremony for the most important, most prestigious prizes of Russia takes place, on the day that we are particularly aware of the greatness of our country's historical path and the inextricable link we have with our native land and true home.

June 12 is firmly linked with the values of democracy and freedom. And we are well aware that the free development of our society and the self-realization of our citizens is the best foundation for ensuring that Russia can be a leader in the intellectual and technological spheres, as well as ensuring Russia's high competitiveness based on breakthrough achievements and creative types of development.

I would emphasize that such a massive task can be accomplished only by cultivating human abilities and talents, by increasing the value and prestige of creative and educational activities and, of course, through the mass influx of youth into education, culture and science.

People who have devoted their lives to searching for new ideas in the intellectual and artistic spheres play an enormous role in this process. Their labour, energy and successes inspire young citizens of Russia and stimulate their desire to set more ambitious life goals, think progressively, and act apace with progress. Today this is especially important for our country.

Dear friends!

The winners of the national awards are, of course, among the most outstanding citizens of Russia. They include mathematician Vladimir Igorevich Arnold, an internationally renowned scientist and unquestioned authority. He is the author of 600 scientific papers and 20 monographs. His work has had a decisive impact on most fields of research in contemporary mathematics. Even as a young scientist he made a brilliant contribution to the famous Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theory. It is hard to believe, but Vladimir Igorevich was only 26 years old at the time. But this theory has had an enormous influence on celestial mechanics and stability theory.

Academician Arnold is also the creator of the modern theory of catastrophes and, in particular, discovered a universal mechanism of instability dubbed ”Arnold diffusion“ by physicists.

Today, incidentally, is Vladimir Igorevich's birthday. And we congratulate him with all our hearts. It is very pleasant to have a birthday as well as to receive an award.

Another winner is our outstanding scholar and linguist Andrei Anatolyevich Zaliznyak. He has made an enormous contribution to Russian and international linguistics. His unique works are devoted to analysing Russian language and a systematic description of its morphology.

Andrei Anatolyevich's works are characterized by profound and unexpected observations and the desire to get to the very essence of the subject of the study. Virtually all of them contain new discoveries. His great historic merit is his detailed linguistic analysis of the Slovo o polku Igoreve (Song of Igor's Campaign), a masterpiece of Old Russian literature. And thanks to this truly outstanding research scholars were able to conclude the debate on the authenticity of this Old Russian text, a text which is a precursor to all Russian literature.

A national award has also been awarded to Alexei Removich Khokhlov, one of the world's leading scientists in the field of polymers. He developed a fundamental theory in the field of polymer systems which created a new direction of polymer physics. And this is only one of his multifaceted and fruitful activities. Their results are very much in demand and widely used.

He has contributed to unique durable and bio-compatible plastics and catalysts for production of vitamins, and polymer liquids for oil extraction. I think it is essential that those who have won national awards in science and technology will soon give special public lectures to a wide-ranging Russian public.

Now a few words about the winners of national awards in the fields of culture and art. Vladimir Gritsenko, Andrei Naumov and Vladimir Danilov are here today. The life work of these enthusiasts consists in the establishment of the State Museum of Military History and Nature Reserve Kulikovo Pole.

For all of us this is not only a place where great battles that marked a victory for Russian national spirit took place. This is a historic and moral underpinning of civic patriotism. Returning the holy places of our land to their original state is a vivid example of true love for one's Fatherland. Today, these feelings can be shared with thousands of citizens of Russia when they visit the Kulikovo Pole Museum.

Alisa Brunovna Freindlikh has also won a national award. Her work incorporates not only an actor's skill and talent, she also captures spectators with her quiet dignity, intelligence and generous heart. Alisa Brunovna is a real personality and is deeply venerated by millions of people in our country.

The sculptor Andrei Nikolaevich Kovalchuk has devoted his life to the development of the domestic traditions of plastic arts. Interested and detailed study of the history of Russia are at the core of his works. He is the author of distinctive monuments to the great people of our Motherland. And to mark their historic achievements these monuments have been erected in various regions of Russia.

And, of course, I am sincerely pleased to welcome Mr Chirac to the Kremlin. He has won a Russian national award for his outstanding achievements in the field of humanitarian work. Mr Chirac is well-known for his great personal contribution to integration processes in Europe and the development of Russian-French relations. And he acted not only as a politician, but also as a man who deeply understands the great importance and strength of knowledge of different cultures, the value of extensive contacts between peoples and individuals.

Mr Chirac is an ardent supporter of the idea of cultural unity in all its diversity and that culture is able to bring together people from many different nationalities. The breadth of Mr Chirac's knowledge of culture is simply amazing. He has a thorough knowledge of the history and culture of the peoples of the Arab world, the study of Chinese art, and something that is particularly pleasant for us, a deep interest in literature and art of Russia.

The fact that Mr Chirac completed his own translations of Eugene Onegin says a lot. Such an interested attitude to Russian culture has had a particularly positive impact on the development of ties between our countries. And a natural extension of that work has been the joint decision to declare 2010 the Year of France in Russia and the Year of Russia in France.

Dear friends!

I sincerely thank you for your brilliant and, indeed, unique work. You have incorporated your intellect, inspiration and strength of soul into your work and brought tremendous benefits to various people, our Fatherland and world civilization.

Thank you for your attention.

***

Dmitry Medvedev: Dear friends! Dear award winners!

Allow me to congratulate you once again on the achievements of our country, of our homeland. A few minutes ago Alexei Removich Khokhlov talked about the need to encourage young people, those who are just taking their first steps in our science.

I would like to inform you that as of next year special prizes for young people who have achieved specific successes in science and innovation will be awarded on the Day of Russian Science. I think that this is very important and significant for Russia, especially in today's world.

Once again, dear friends, I congratulate you on the Day of Russia.