Vladimir Putin attended the Everything for Victory! forum organised by the Russian Popular Front public movement, and presented awards to the winners of the Popular Front’s prize.
The President presented awards to security guards Anatoly Vasilchenko and Viktor Taraskin for assisting students in Starobelsk following a terrorist attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He also awarded Shamil Ustarbekov for saving people during a flash flood in Daghestan and the Pojiarskas family from the Amur Region for establishing a group of volunteers to assist service personnel taking part in the special military operation.
Ahead of the awards ceremony, held on the territory of the Rossiya National Centre, Vladimir Putin viewed an exhibition of projects of the Russian Popular Front. Head of the Front’s Executive Committee Mikhail Kuznetsov acted as guide.
The President was shown inventions of the Kulibin Club, an association of enterprises of the people’s defence industry, briefed on the Front’s assistance to people in Russian border regions and liberated territories. The President also inspected stands showcasing the rehabilitation of veterans of the special military operation, as well as other exhibits highlighting mobile medicine and programmes for training drone operators.
First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, and Deputy Defence Minister Alexei Krivoruchko attended the forum along with the President.
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Address at the Everything for Victory! awards ceremony
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much for such a warm welcome.
For my part, I would like to say that when the Russian Popular Front was established 15 years ago, it was by no means a spontaneous decision. Today, as we mark its 15th anniversary, I can say with confidence that it has fully justified its creation. First and foremost, it has brought together people like you. I want to express my deepest gratitude for everything you do.
Over the past 15 years – not just during the years of the special military operation, which is highly important, and I will certainly mention it as well – you have always been at the forefront of addressing the country’s challenges. You have always been able to identify where attention should be focused in order to help specific people. Ultimately, that means helping the entire country and the Russian state as a whole.
This direct feedback from people is invaluable for every level of government and for the country. As I understand it, you are currently monitoring the implementation of 552 presidential instructions. These are not abstract discussions. Where do presidential instructions come from? They emerge from the Direct Line with citizens. Of course, these direct lines are carefully prepared and supported by large teams, but they nevertheless represent a live dialogue with the people.
These instructions do not appear out of nowhere. They arise directly from people’s concerns – from the problems they face in their daily lives and the challenges they are striving to overcome. That is where they come from. And what are you doing? You are working to help people directly.
Even their requests that later become instructions issued by the head of state are not always easy to implement within such a vast administrative system. As you know, this problem is not unique to Russia – it is a challenge faced by governments everywhere in the world. But nowhere else is there an organisation like yours – the Russian Popular Front.
You are working in all the most important areas. Let us take healthcare, for example: thanks to your efforts, solutions are being found to the problems faced by children suffering from diabetes. In education, you are drawing attention to important aspects of this extremely important field – and I apologise for the repetition.
What could be more important than a child’s soul? What could be more important than shaping a child’s outlook on life, their attitude towards society and towards other people? What could be more important than fostering respect among the younger generation for their parents and grandparents, and for everything they have done throughout their lives – for them, for their future children and for their grandchildren?
What could be more important than all of this for preserving, strengthening and further developing the Russian state? Nothing. And this is what you are doing.
Finally, during the special military operation, you are working directly with people – with our service members and with their families. What could be more important than this? Nothing. Today, there is nothing more important. And this is what you are doing.
You know, people often ask: how is it that the entire Russophobic, aggressive part of the so-called collective West is fighting against us, while we are developing our economy, strengthening our financial system, improving our Armed Forces, achieving new results in our defence industry, and moving forward – with our service members moving forward? How is this possible?
It is possible, among other things, thanks to your efforts. You have brought together more than 20 million people, citizens of the Russian Federation, around your work, and you have collected – not from the state, but from citizens who voluntarily contributed because they trust you – almost 70 billion rubles for the special military operation. That is how it is possible. That is why victory will undoubtedly be ours.
I thank you and I will be pleased to take part in the ceremony honouring the awardees of the Russian Popular Front.
Thank you.