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The Head of state presented a statuette to Ilnara Safina, village head of the Meshchegarovo village council administration from the Salavatsky District, Republic of Bashkortostan, winner in the special category, One Man’s Destiny – the Pride of the Fatherland.

The Service all-Russian municipal award was established under Presidential instruction. It is awarded in ten categories to representatives of the municipal community who have made a significant contribution to resolving issues of local importance and to developing local self-government. This year, about 19,000 applications from 89 entities of the Russian Federation were reviewed.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends,

I am delighted to welcome everyone to the first All-Russian Municipal Forum, Small Homeland – the Strength of Russia. What a name!

Here in this room, we have representatives of the municipal community from every Russian region: heads of municipalities, municipal officials, employees of municipal organisations. The people who are with us today are making real changes for the better in their cities, districts, and rural settlements; they have found their calling in serving society, for the benefit of their fellow citizens.

I believe that even the name of the forum holds a lot of meaning. Love for one’s small motherland is a very personal and heart-warming feeling, but at the same time, it possesses a tremendous creative power, a power on a truly national scale. I would say that our country’s transformation and growth, its confident progress, and even its position in the world begins with a person’s sincere desire to do as much as possible for their homeland, for the place where they lived as children, and where their relatives, family, friends, fellow countrymen live now. It all starts with the people’s aspirations to contribute to the prosperity and development of their town, village, or district. In fact, this is so consonant with the lyrics of the legendary song, which I am sure everyone here knows, “Where does the Motherland begin?”

We often say that municipal governments are closest to the people. That is certainly true. The quality of Russians’ everyday life directly depends on it. And I would like to repeat once again: local governments, working at the municipal level, are the ones shaping the image of our great country the way people see their present and future.

I know that the main events of the forum took place at the Russia forum and exhibition with its a large-scale, exciting presentation of everything that out country can be proud of. I think you felt that these achievements are the result of our, primarily your work, friends.

Much has been done and much will still have to be done but much good, useful work was done owing to the National Contest of the Best Projects to Create a Comfortable Urban Environment. I can say that a decision to extend it to 2030 has already been adopted.

I would also like to note that Executive Order instituting the honorary title of Merited Local Self-Government Worker of the Russian Federation was signed today. It is long overdue. I would like to say in this context that there are many decent people working in municipal government. They are reviving the best traditions of domestic local self-government in practical terms. Its rich history is rooted in the distant past. In fact, the creative development of local self-government has been part of the formation of a strong, united Russian state. It is very important for us to prevent this continuity from being interrupted and to make it stronger. The voice of local self-government must be heard directly in the decision-making process. This is exactly why representatives of municipal authorities take part in the work of the State Council.

It is important for as many people as possible, including young people, to feel needed at all levels of public government and, of course, to become part of the municipal community.

I know that some of you have set examples of devotion to the Motherland and its interests by performing tasks during the special military operation. In addition to expressing gratitude for this, I would like to note that this is a very good example of how people from your sphere in general, from any government level, are sharing in the fate of our homeland rather than sitting it out in their offices. They are at one with our people and our Army.

No doubt, the spirit of the defenders of our Fatherland, their deep feelings of patriotism are truly stunning. I will repeat that if they are willing to put their best qualities to use in various areas of civil service, they should be supported in this desire.

Municipal employees in our regions located in the direct vicinity of the combat zone are displaying courage and dedication. They often work under fire, helping old people and children, their compatriots and fellow villagers at the risk of their own lives. Of course, I would like to note local government workers of Donbass and Novorossiya. They are really strong people, you could say, people of steel that have proved that nobody and nothing can break them.

I would like to thank everyone, all our colleagues from across our vast country who are helping our frontline troops at the local, municipal level and supporting their families with care and attention. This is a most important national goal of tremendous moral significance. The way to achieve it lies in the ability to comprehend the specific needs of our heroes and veterans and to respond to all of them promptly and with understanding.

Generally speaking, work in local self-government clearly requires special responsiveness, an ability to perceive problems in a difficult situation as your own, realising that we are all working for the same goal – happiness and prosperity for our homeland and the future of our children. This is the essence of service to the Motherland and your compatriots, when the highest value is the common good, joining your fate with that of your Fatherland and uniting in moments of historical challenges.

Friends, I would like to congratulate all winners and laureates of the Service all-Russian municipal award. I will be happy to present the award today in the special category, One Man’s Destiny – the Pride of the Fatherland. This award is a sign of respect for the people that channel all their efforts and energy into solving very important problems for the residents of cities and villages in what seems a simple, unremarkable way. But in doing so, they help transform these places. These changes for the better in the lives of people and their wellbeing are the beginning of the road to major new successes. Likewise, from the love of our native places – each different, unique, unforgettable – is born our common understanding of the value of sovereignty, Russia’s free development and our right to determine our future ourselves. There can be no doubt that we guarantee this right.

I am grateful for your attention and it is my pleasure to start the award ceremony.

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Vladimir Putin: I would like to congratulate the winners. I would also like to address you and your colleagues who are not here today but are closely following what is happening today in Moscow. I would like to address all municipal employees. We talk about this all the time and I have said this many times, but this is one of those times when it bears repeating – you have the most complicated job because you are working with people directly and this part of our common work always demands the greatest responsibility.

Sometimes, you have to be responsible for what is outside your duties – the entire country. I have understood this very well since the time I worked in Leningrad and Petersburg – some problems are not within the competence of a city or other place, not to mention a village, but people are still coming to you. And you need to find the strength in yourself, the heartstrings to be able to help a person in any case. This requires talent. If you want to put your heart into it and get results, you certainly need to discover your talent for working with people. I am hoping that our municipalities will have more and more people of this kind.

I sincerely wish you success. Thank you very much for your work.

Thank you.