Matvienko gave a lecture to young people at VDNH about events that changed the course of time

Chairman of the Federation Council (FC) Valentina Matvienko, during the marathon of the “Knowledge” society, which takes place at the international exhibition “Russia” at VDNKh, gave a lecture to young people about the events that changed the course of time. She named five such events, including the entry into the Russian Federation of new regions in 2014 and 2022. and amendments to the Constitution.

Before the performance, Valentina Matvienko told the audience that on National Unity Day, November 4, she watched the concert of the singer Shaman. “The future belongs to such artists. Not for those who betrayed their Motherland in its most difficult moments, not for those who chased Western dimes and cheap applause, but precisely for people like Shaman. A true patriot, a true citizen of his country,” she said.

Among “Events in modern Russia that changed the course of time” (the topic of Matvienko’s lecture at the marathon of the “Knowledge” society), the chairman of the Federation Council included, first of all, the entry into Russia of Crimea in 2014, and eight years later – of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. According to Matvienko, the “Crimean Spring” (support for reunification with Russia on the peninsula) “became a special assembly point for the new Russia; it restored justice.”

Matvienko named the second such event as the all-Russian vote on amendments to the Constitution, which took place from June 25 to July 1, 2020. Changes to the Basic Law provided, in particular, for the creation of a new government body – the State Council, secured the priority of national law over international law, and strengthened the role of parliament , “reset” the deadlines and introduced a number of other innovations. The Chairman of the Federation Council noted that the 1993 Constitution “was very important,” but “was adopted under different conditions, during which time a lot of changes took place both in the world and in our country.” “And it was necessary to make those changes that were supported by the absolute majority of our citizens in order to consolidate our sovereignty, our statehood, our territorial integrity in a new understanding,” she said.

Matvienko also noted the adoption of the national security strategy: “We have fully restored the country’s defense capability, we have restored our army, our navy.” And she stated the importance of Putin’s Munich speech in 2007. “Then he, as the leader of a great country, was the first to publicly declare that the old world order, where there was the hegemony of one country, had ended, that the world would follow the path of a new, fair world order, a multipolar world. He also stated that if there are any attempts against Russia that pose a threat to us, we will never turn a blind eye to it again,” recalled the speaker of the upper house of parliament.

The main thing that made all this possible, according to Matvienko, happened in 2000, when Russians first elected Putin as president. At that moment, she recalled, Russia was “hanging over the abyss”: “The industry was destroyed, the army was destroyed.” “Thanks to the experience of tact, diplomacy and the will of our president, step by step, he began to pull the country out of this abyss,” said the chairman of the Federation Council, after which there was applause in the hall. She added that Russia has now created unique opportunities for young people: “I don’t know of any other country where young people are treated with such respect.”

When asked about the start of a special military operation on February 24, 2022, the Speaker of the Federation Council admitted that she often hears from young people: “Well, it would be better if they started. Why did we start, it’s better to let them.” “But only irresponsible people can say that, because if they started, then the number of victims [было бы больше], and these are our people, Russians, Russian-speaking, it doesn’t matter, Ukrainians… But we could no longer put up with such genocide by the Nazi regime. And so we were forced to announce a special military operation to protect these people, to prevent them from being killed further, in order to carry out the demilitarization of Ukraine and denazification, which was a huge threat to the country,” Matvienko said. According to her, after the passage of time, neither “knowledgeable and understanding people” nor she personally have any doubts that this was necessary.

They also asked the Chairman of the Federation Council about Russia’s withdrawal from international treaties and organizations: whether this would have a negative impact on the protection of the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation. Matvienko said that cooperation with international institutions and the Council of Europe in particular (Russia left this organization on March 15, 2022) “gave us a lot.” “But then they began to impose on us values ​​that were unconventional for us and demanded that they also be reflected in legislation, they began to investigate our affairs (on March 23, 2021, the Venice Commission criticized the amendments to the Constitution. – Vedomosti),” she explained. Therefore, according to the Speaker of the Federation Council, “we were forced to withdraw from a number of conventions and agreements.”

“But even when we were members of these conventions, our legislation was better, more effective in terms of the interests of protecting people, it was more socially oriented, and it remains so. There is no isolation and no harm to our citizens. Our legislation and our Constitution protect our people to a much greater extent,” Matvienko emphasized.

A lecturer from Makeyevka (DPR) asked Matvienko what law urgently needed to be adopted. The Speaker of the Federation Council responded that “we immediately need a law on universal happiness.” “I even suggested: let’s create a Ministry of Happiness in Russia. That department through which all decisions, all laws will pass to determine whether this law or a new government decree will make [людей] happier. So far my support group is small. Please join,” she said, inviting the girl to become a minister.