Putin held a state awards ceremony in the Kremlin on National Unity Day

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a state awards ceremony in the Kremlin on November 4, National Unity Day.

It is noted that the Russian leader awarded the prize for his contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Director General of the national center "Russia" Natalia Virtuozova and her deputy Pavel Doroshenko. The prize was also awarded to Pavel Orlov, Scientific Secretary of the Ludorvay Museum in Udmurtia, Anna Gabdullina, Deputy Director of Otkritie LLC, and Alexey Zharich, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for Public Projects.

In addition, the Head of state presented the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree, to Special Representative for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi and President of the Alexander Solzhenitsyn Russian Charitable Foundation Natalia Solzhenitsyna, as well as the Order of Friendship to independent Italian journalist Eliseo Bertolasi.

"Understanding that the future of Russia is possible only with the unity of the peoples living in it is very important. I think the future of our country depends on this," Shvydkoi said in an interview with Izvestia correspondent Maxim Prikhoda.

According to him, despite the fact that the holiday is young, it has been important for Russia for centuries. Shvydkoi noted that the roots of National Unity Day go deep into national history, reminding that the strength of the country lies in the unity of its people.

The Pushkin Medal, in turn, was awarded to UAE Ambassador Muhammad Ahmad al-Jaber, Chairman of the organizing committee of the Festival of Russian Culture in Japan Komaki Kurihara, Iranian and Kurdish ethnographer and translator Rashad Miran, head of the Free University of Kinshasa (DR Congo) Medar Bompoko Boquete.

Everything is ours forever: what we celebrate on National Unity Day

On November 4, Russia commemorates the victory of the patriotic forces in 1612

On the same day, Putin said that National Unity Day was of particular importance because the concept of unity meant preserving Russia's sovereignty. The President also noted that the Russian Federation strives for friendship and cooperation with all peoples of the world. According to him, the cultural impulses emanating from Russia are aimed at creating an atmosphere of unity between the peoples of the planet around common values.

Prior to that, the Russian leader laid flowers at the monument to Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky on Red Square in Moscow, and also talked with young activists, representatives of volunteer movements and children of heroes of the special military operation (SVO).

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.