00:00President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
00:12Thank you very much.
00:18Esteemed forum participants, ladies and gentlemen, friends.
00:24I am glad to welcome you to Russia, to Saint Petersburg.
00:28For the tenth time, our northern capital has hosted cultural envoys from various countries of the world.
00:38Each such meeting, like culture itself, reflects the spirit of the times.
00:44It traces the most important, acute and significant issues.
00:49The Forum of United Cultures is one of the meaningful responses to the complex challenges
00:56that countries and peoples face today.
01:00Its very name recognizes the civilizational diversity of the world,
01:05the natural right of people to identity,
01:09respect for traditional values and religions, and, of course,
01:15the unconditional equality of states in shaping the global cultural agenda.
01:21These approaches and principles were recorded in the declaration adopted at the forum last year.
01:27Their relevance in our time is higher than ever.
01:31The importance of humanism and dialogue,
01:34mutual respect and trust in the world is shared by the global majority, but, unfortunately,
01:41it is under constant pressure and the threat of erosion,
01:45primarily due to the unprecedented politicization of the cultural sphere,
01:50due to its transformation into a weapon of geopolitical intrigue,
01:54due to constant attempts to push to the sidelines of life,
01:58to belittle the importance of national value systems, everything
02:04that does not coincide with the agenda promoted by the so-called globalist elites
02:08and the ruling circles of some states, in Russia.
02:11We have defined our main values.
02:14We have enshrined them in the basic law of the country, in the Constitution.
02:19We protect these values and all, who share them, who, like us,
02:26consider the sacred right of people to speak their native language and keep the faith of their fathers,
02:32to live in harmony with nature, according to its natural laws.
02:37The result of these efforts, without any exaggeration,
02:41will determine both the future world order and the prospects of culture.
02:45We are convinced that culture should and can exist without gross interference,
02:50without the so-called cancel culture, that is, the cancellation of culture itself.
02:55It is not for nothing that diplomacy is called an art.
02:58To master this art, you need not only knowledge and talent.
03:04Diplomacy is also a culture.
03:07A culture of actions, emotions, speech, it is this
03:12that gives an understanding of
03:16what can and cannot be said and done in order to avoid irreparable consequences.
03:23Culture has always been a kind of fuse for the world, it seems
03:27that in a number of countries this fuse has burned out.
03:31Many modern high-ranking politicians have lost their moral boundaries, they violate taboos
03:37that remained even during the most tense moments of the Cold War.
03:41In countries where such elites rule,
03:45citizens gradually accept first xenophobia
03:49and then extreme forms of discrimination,
03:53persecution on national, ethnic
03:56or religious grounds as a given.
03:58We all know
04:01how quickly the dehumanization of ruling regimes occurs in such a situation, and
04:07what consequences this leads to for specific families, people, and of all ages.
04:12We see this.
04:15That is why the decree of the President of Russia on providing humanitarian support to people
04:20who share traditional Russian spiritual and moral values was recently signed.
04:25We are not fighting against any other values.
04:29We support our own, this is
04:32where the difference in approaches between us and our opponents lies,
04:36and this decision was made in response to a growing flow of requests from countries,
04:40where people are essentially deprived of freedom of choice, mainly
04:44we are talking about families with children,
04:48towards whom local authorities impose perverted ethical standards.
04:52There are also many requests from cultural figures, who, by the way,
04:57do not want to fit their creativity into the Procrustean bed of quotas and criteria
05:02to create with an eye to compliance with alien neoliberal standards.
05:06These standards are actively replicated by some media,
05:10forming the so-called mainstream.
05:13If the author is interested in his work appearing on stage or screen,
05:18in order for it to be published, then he is obliged to follow this mainstream.
05:23And if in these works or even in private statements of a writer, director,
05:28actor there is a flash of dissent, doubt,
05:33then persecution and cancellation await him, moreover, we increasingly see
05:39how the value agenda promoted by Western elites ignores
05:43and sometimes deliberately insults
05:47global religions and cultural traditions of entire regions of the world.
05:52I am sure that most countries and peoples, of course,
05:56do not like such approaches.
05:59They see the future of culture in mutual respect and trust
06:03and equal international cooperation in this area.
06:07By hosting the forum again, and at a difficult time for us,
06:12we are firmly convinced of the vital need for a dialogue of cultures.
06:16Dear friends, your voice must certainly be heard.
06:21Intrusive propaganda is powerless in the face of true art,
06:25because those, who serve it,
06:28who acutely feel the nerve of the era and the needs of society,
06:32they can distinguish between true and false values.
06:36They can understand who with their hearts advocates for peace,
06:40prosperity and friendship of peoples,
06:43and who hides self-interest, superiority,
06:46destructive plans and their own exclusivity behind the right words.
06:50You're creative.
06:54Scientific and educational activities have enormous potential
06:58for peacekeeping and counteracting discord.
07:02This preserves connections between people.
07:05It can heal the wounds caused by conflicts and wars.
07:08Therefore, it is important
07:11that you have the opportunity to communicate,
07:14exchange ideas and implement joint projects.
07:18Russia is one of the most multinational countries in the world,
07:23and we are sincerely happy to provide such a platform for you.
07:28Including within the framework of our and your forum today,
07:31we know that the key to the development of cultures
07:34is constant interaction and mutual enrichment, we know
07:38what a powerful creative force lies in the unity of different cultures and traditions.
07:44This unity is the source of our national identity.
07:49Such fundamental values of our people as mutual assistance, justice, mercy,
07:55historical memory and continuity of generations,
07:58a strong family, patriotism and citizenship.
08:03I am now addressing a foreign audience.
08:07Russia was initially formed as a multinational state,
08:11and, of course, this has affected our traditions.
08:16This is the basis of both our common identity and our spiritual strength.
08:20We attach great importance to the development of culture.
08:23The infrastructure of museums, theaters, clubs and libraries is constantly being updated.
08:28We are reviving churches, embankments, parks, squares
08:32and public spaces are being reconstructed.
08:35All this is not only a humanitarian component,
08:39but also an important factor in the development of all our regions.
08:43I was recently in Tuva, and I saw how the local religious community is developing there.
08:51We are building hundreds, maybe thousands of mosques,
08:56completely new churches, synagogues.
09:00We have all this on the march.
09:03All this is developing very actively, of course.
09:08Neither Tsarist Russia nor Soviet Russia had anything like this.
09:12We do a lot to protect cultural heritage sites.
09:15We plan to adopt a long-term program here
09:18to implement it not only at the expense of the budget,
09:21but also with the involvement of patrons, we have such experience,
09:25we will develop it, we understand how important it is to restore old estates, churches.
09:31This is a visible embodiment of our centuries-old history and national identity,
09:36humanitarian ties, cooperation in the field of art and education.
09:41Youth exchanges are among the priorities of the Russian chairmanship of BRICS.
09:47This organization is a prototype of a multilateral world
09:51where the principles of mutual respect,
09:57independent choice of the path of development and ensuring in practice
10:01the key principle of the Charter of the United Nations,
10:04the sovereign equality of all states reign.
10:06This year, Russia is also chairing the Commonwealth of Independent States.
10:13An unprecedented number of projects are being implemented both through the CIS and BRICS.
10:18The business program of your forum also includes meetings in the formats of these organizations.
10:24For example, as far as I know, yesterday there was a meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the countries participating in the forum.
10:31I am pleased to welcome you in this hall, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,
10:36and I am pleased to thank you for your contribution to expanding intercultural dialogue,
10:42for your efforts to fill it with bright, creative content and bright initiatives.
10:47I believe that in general the time has come to form a new common international infrastructure of national cultures.
10:55In the modern world, the society that achieves success is one in which people are primarily motivated,
11:03inspired by culture, and where they can rely on a solid foundation of their values,
11:09their history, and their traditions.
11:12Dear friends, colleagues, last year,
11:17we actively and in sufficient detail discussed many issues
11:23that are of interest to all those gathered.
11:26I hope you will understand, unfortunately,
11:29I will not be able to do this now, but I am sure
11:33that everything
11:35that was within the framework of the forum on the platforms
11:40that were organized by the participants was extremely interesting and useful,
11:45and we are always glad to see you in Russia,
11:48not only at this forum,
11:50but also at a large number of events
11:54that Russia organizes in a number of areas related to our culture and to the world culture,
12:00unconditional, of
12:02which the culture of our country is also a part.
12:05I thank you for your attention and wish you all the best, thank you very much.
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