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Following the ceremony, the President had brief conversation with winners of the National Awards and Heroes of Labour of the Russian Federation.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, colleagues,

I congratulate you on the holiday, Russia Day.

(Applause.)

This national holiday marks the continuity of the many centuries of our history, the glory and grandeur of our Fatherland, the unity of our multi-ethnic people, our loyalty to our country and our cordial affection for our beloved Motherland.

These striking feelings are hard to express in words, but we all understand and cherish them. Today, when Russia is going through a difficult period, they are bringing our society even closer and serve as a tower of strength for our heroes taking part in the special military operation.

Patriotism and the responsibility we feel for the future of your country have been passed down to us from our ancestors who were able to secure truly momentous victories in labour and on the battlefields.

Today we feel the significance of their achievements, their unwavering unity and their firm resolve to defend their country and to work for the benefit of all, for the prosperity of the Fatherland.

This legacy is sacred to us. We are true to its tradition, and the outstanding citizens of Russia who will receive the Hero of Labour gold medals and the National Award badges are the best proof of this.

By their lifelong example they demonstrate what it means to be true to your country. I warmly congratulate you, friends!

(Applause.)

You have excelled in your chosen trade, profession and creative endeavour to become paragons of determination, strong character and generosity of spirit. I thank you for your valiant service to our Motherland, our people and our society.

It is a great honour for me to name those who have been awarded the title Hero of Labour.

A disciple of the famous Perm school of science and technology, renowned designer and researcher Alexander Inozemtsev is rightfully regarded as one of the most prominent creators of aircraft. He made invaluable contribution to the development of the PD-14 turbofan engine that is in huge demand in civil aviation today.

Strengthening the security of our country and increasing its defence capability has become the life's work of the General Director of the Soyuz Federal Centre of Dual Technology Yury Milekhin.

The highly efficient solid rocket fuels that he and his team have developed have given unparalleled characteristics to Russian missile systems, including strategic systems.

Eduard Shcherbina devoted himself to difficult, sometimes dangerous, but much-needed work for his country. A miner, he has been working for more than 25 years in the Trans-Baikal Territory, at one of the largest uranium mining enterprises in the world, Argun Industrial Mining and Chemical Association, where he demonstrates a high level of performance and shares his best practices with young miners.

Lev Kalenov has been in charge of the Biysk Linen Company for almost half a century. Despite the challenging conditions in Siberia and Altai, he was able to revive this agricultural production, which is traditional for Russia, and to reaffirm the well-deserved renown of Russian flax.

The life path of each person is largely determined at school. Tatyana Baburova, a talented teacher who specialises in Russian language and literature, became a true friend and mentor for many generations of students. With her graduates, she created a museum devoted to the local history of Volokolamsk. Her work is filled with sincere love for her hometown and the quest to preserve historical memory.

Friends,

Russian science, its famous schools, ground-breaking ideas and outstanding achievements are undoubtedly our national treasure. I am pleased to welcome the recipients of the National Awards in Science and Technology.

This title was awarded to Gennady Sukhikh, Levon Ashrafyan and Dmitry Trofimov.

As prominent researchers, brilliant doctors and progressive managers, they have made a huge contribution to the development of reproductive medicine. Their work is a convincing example of how ideas, supported by fundamental research, quickly find practical application.

They proved that discoveries in genetics, molecular and cellular biology make it possible to conjure real miracles, overcome ailments, help women become happy mothers, and bring joy to many families.

By the way, today is Mr Ashrafyan's birthday – please accept our greetings.

Another research team that has earned this award also specialises in medicine. They are Dmitry Pushkar, Igor Khatkov and Alexei Shabunin, who have achieved great efficacy in cancer treatment.

The proposed methods of treatment represent a breakthrough, and, most importantly, can be more easily tolerated by patients, which speeds up their recovery and return to normal life.

Researchers from the Kurchatov Institute, Mikhail Skorokhvatov and Vladimir Kopeikin, have been studying the physics of neutrinos, the so-called ghost particles, for half a century. During this time, they have significantly advanced into the depths of the microcosm, developing new technologies that are in high demand to ensure the safety of nuclear reactors and also to make sure that nuclear non-proliferation agreements are followed.

In the future, experimental neutrino studies are expected to bring forward technologies for producing ultrapure materials. They are extremely important for the electronics industry among many others.

It is my pleasure to introduce the recipients of the National Awards in Literature and Art.

It was awarded to restoration artists Andrei Golubeiko and Alexandra Orlovskaya for the work to restore Ilya Repin's Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan.

When a vandal damaged it five years ago, few believed that the painting could be returned to its former state, because it had already been brutally attacked as early as 1913. After it was restored more than a century ago, the painting was extremely fragile. It was, to quote experts, “seriously ill.” The fact that it has been restored is evidence of the highest professionalism of those who made it happen.

A special workshop was set up in the Tretyakov Gallery, equipped with unique climatic and lighting equipment.

Andrei Golubeiko proposed and manufactured a restoration complex that no one else in the world has. A reconstruction technique developed by Alexandra Orlovskaya helped repair and renovate the paint layer and texture of the work.

Today this masterpiece is again on public display at the Tretyakov Gallery.

Alexandra Permyakova devoted all her energy to the glorious Pyatnitsky Choir.

She went from being a soloist to artistic director, headed it in the difficult 1990s, when there were only 40 people left, and restored the team through inviting young, gifted singers, musicians and dancers from different regions of Russia.

I would like to emphasise her role in the formation of a new type of choir, in bringing Russian-style dances and genre art songs to the stage.

As Ms Permyakova puts it, she is convinced that the song is not sung, but played, so her choir’s programmes are real performances, delighting audiences with memorable staging, the beauty and artistic exceptionalism of Russian folk art.

Another National Award goes to the people behind The Challenge feature film: the author of the idea and producer Konstantin Ernst, director, cameraman Klim Shipenko and the lead actress Yulia Peresild.

This film is, of course, a breakthrough for world cinema. It was made by our Russian team of filmmakers, and this primacy is undeniable.

The scenes of the take-off, landing and the extremely complex operation conducted by a surgeon aboard the earth orbit space station are, of course, fascinating in terms of their courage and realism. These were not drawn on a computer: the shooting took place in the extreme conditions of real outer space, and this, of course, had never happened before.

The fact that the film was eventually made is a great achievement of the director and cameraman Klim Shipenko. Undoubtedly, a film shot in space in zero gravity is proof of his skill and talent.

The beating heart of the film was, of course, Yulia Peresild. Her heroine, as well as the actress herself, proved that a woman can overcome the most difficult trials, especially if someone’s life is at stake and every effort is being taken to save it.

Proactive care for those who need help distinguishes a member of Russia’s Civic Chamber Yulia Zimova, a winner of the National Award in the field of charity.

The organiser of a number of major projects to support orphaned children, she has done much to ensure that such children find families. Thanks to the public database of potential adoptive parents that she created, more than 1,400 children now enjoy the warmth and care of a family. I would like to note that 180 of these children require special care.

An important area of Yulia Zimova's activity is helping volunteers, doctors, psychologists and social workers who come to the new regions of our country. Under her leadership, the Russian Popular Front team organises them into mobile brigades and provides all that is needed for effective work.

What distinguishes Olga Demicheva, a National Award winner in the field of human rights, is the desire to be wherever hardship is and to do what is necessary to see that justice is done.

A well-known endocrinologist, she has defended the rights of patients with diabetes mellitus, initiated a public movement for the creation of the first Centre for Palliative Medicine in Russia, and continued the work of Yelizaveta Glinka, becoming the head of the Dr Liza’s Fair Care Foundation.

All the projects under this organisation are now operating at full potential. This includes care for the homeless, palliative care and treatment of seriously ill children in Donbass.

At the same time, Olga Demicheva remains a popular doctor. Of course, she is greatly respected for her dedication and responsiveness to people’s needs, as she devotes so much time and effort to charity and human rights, considering it her life’s mission.

The National Award for outstanding achievements in humanitarian activity goes to film director and General Director of Mosfilm Karen Shakhnazarov.

Many of his films are not only included in the “hall of fame“ of Russian cinematography, but are still relevant, urging people to think and reflect on relationships, on true and pseudo values. They captivate with their sincerity, kindness and wisdom.

Karen Shakhnazarov continues to make films, including as a director, and they invariably attract public attention. At the same time, he has been heading Mosfilm Studios, where a large-scale modernisation drive has taken place under his leadership, for a quarter of a century. Today this is a world-class film studio with great technical capabilities.

Of course, Karen Shakhnazarov’s work ethos, the richness of his creative ideas, his ability to identify and accentuate the most important meanings of our time never cease to amaze.

A man of inner strength and conviction, he takes a proactive, honest, clear civic position, calmly, honestly, reasonably sharing his views on important issues of our domestic and foreign policy. Millions of people listen to what he has to say.

The multifaceted creative endeavours of Karen Shakhnazarov are a great contribution to the enhancement of the domestic traditions of enlightenment and humanism.

Friends, you have been able to fully bring out your talents and achieve tremendous success to the benefit of your Motherland and our people, securing new achievements in labour and the arts.

I wish you good health, inspiration, success, attainment of bold and lofty goals that unite all of us in serving Russia.

Once again, I congratulate you and all our people, all of Russia, on this holiday. Have a great day!

(Applause.)

<…>

Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,

Esteemed award winners,

Our ceremony is coming to an end.

Iwanted to respond to the remarks of every award winner today. However, this would be futile because it is hard to say anything better than our winners and Heroes of Labour. To be honest, I found some remarks to be so poignant and unexpected that there is no need to retell them. However, I would like to make a few points.

Konstantin Ernst said that cinema is not just a form of entertainment; in fact, it is not entertainment at all. It shapes out mindsets, our mentality. However, only real art can shape our mindsets because some second-rate concoctions cannot influence anyone.

Our award winners, today’s Heroes of Labour, they are proving with their deeds that their creations amount to true art, in a broad and the most noble sense of the word.

The first speaker, a teacher, noted very aptly that results are achieved by those who perceive their work as a responsibility and a privilege. This is very true. It is a combination of a sense of duty and exhilaration from what a person is doing, and it also leads to the needed results for any person who expresses himself and for the entire nation.

Of course, I cannot help but agree that faith and people form the mainstay of Russia. Our people are moving from victory to victory, and in their life and work, they rely on faith – in victory, in justice, in Russia.

Happy holiday!

(The National Anthem of Russia plays.)