Vladimir Putin spoke at the plenary session of the World Russian Council

On November 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech at the plenary session of the World Russian Council in which, according to a special correspondent for Kommersant, Andrey Kolesnikov, he deliberately tightened up previously used or not used concepts at all. Yes, it was confrontational and pre-election.

The plenary session of the World Russian People’s Council was held at the State Kremlin Palace (GKD). It was varied here. There are many delegates from Russian communities abroad. Top government officials and party leaders sat in the front row. There, artist and State Duma deputy Nikolai Burlyaev squeezed his way to the front rows, delicately addressing the priests and photographers crowded in the aisle: “Brothers… Brothers…”. And people managed to step aside. No, not all.

Religious figures were represented by church hierarchs and heads of public religious organizations, among whom the lady from the Father Online office stood out. She stood out primarily because closer to her stomach (but one could also say on her chest) she hung a large red heart cut out of paper with the name of her organization, and you could not pay attention to everything if, say, you didn’t want to see all this, but this was exactly what was impossible.

Vladimir Putin participated in the plenary meeting via video conference from Sochi. That is, a huge monitor was installed on the stage, and the Russian President towered over the plenary participants, like a festive icon above the rest of the iconostasis.

The speech of the Russian president was, one might say, introductory. That is, new installations have indeed appeared.

So, it turned out that everything was much more serious than it even seemed before.

“Dear friends, our battle for sovereignty,” said the president, “for justice, without any exaggeration, is of a national liberation nature, because we defend the security and well-being of our people, the highest, historical right to be Russia – a strong, independent power, a country-civilization.” !

After the meeting of the Valdai Club in October, Vladimir Putin does not stop trying to establish the term “country-civilization” in the minds of the Russian people and their media, but something has not yet taken root.

“It is our country, the Russian world, as has happened more than once in history, that has blocked the path of those who claim world domination, their exclusiveness,” the president continued. “We are now fighting for the freedom of not only Russia, but the whole world.”

The mission has become broader before our eyes. The battlefield is Earth.

“We openly say that the dictatorship of one hegemon – we see it, everyone sees it now – is becoming decrepit. She has gone, as they say, peddling and is simply dangerous to others! — Vladimir Putin warned. “This is already clear to the entire world majority!” But, I repeat, it is our country that is now at the forefront of creating a more equitable world order. And I want to emphasize: without a sovereign, strong Russia, no lasting, stable world order is possible.

The world “seven” is doomed. But we cannot yet underestimate the danger.

“We know what threat we are confronting,” the president nodded. “Today, Russophobia and other forms of racism and neo-Nazism have become almost the official ideology of the Western ruling elites.” They are directed not only against the Russian, but against all the peoples of Russia: Tatars, Chechens, Avars, Tuvinians, Bashkirs, Buryats, Yakuts, Ossetians, Jews, Ingush, Mari, Altaians! There are many of us, I won’t name them all now, but, I repeat, this is directed against all the peoples of Russia!

It was, of course, a confrontational speech. The speech of a man who understands that there is nothing more to lose, despite the fact that the situation at the front is getting better.

Meanwhile, it’s even strange that Vladimir Putin made such a speech at a meeting of the Russian Council. It would seem, on the contrary, there could be only peacefulness here.

— The West, in principle, does not need such a large and multinational country as Russia! – said the president. – Our diversity and unity of cultures, traditions, languages, ethnic groups simply do not fit into the logic of Western racists and colonialists, into their cruel scheme of total depersonalization, disunity, suppression and exploitation. Therefore, they again launched the old barrel organ: they say that Russia is a “prison of nations”, and the Russians themselves are a “people of slaves”. Have heard this many times over the centuries. We also heard that Russia, it turns out, needs to be “decolonized” today. But what do they really need? In fact, Russia needs to be dismembered and plundered! It doesn’t work by force – then sow confusion!

The strategy of the election campaign is already approximately clear. She will be at least as aggressive.

“And I would like,” Vladimir Putin emphasized, “in this audience to remember the words of St. Gregory the Theologian: “Honoring your mother is a sacred thing. But everyone has their own mother, and the common mother is the Motherland!

The Cathedral of the Russian Common Mother—that’s where ambitions of the highest order were seen.

The new definition of “Russian” also sounded bold.

— Russian is more than a nationality! – said the president, who had previously refrained from this kind of specificity. – This includes cultural, spiritual, historical identity. Being Russian is, first of all, a responsibility. I repeat, there is a huge responsibility for preserving Russia, this is where true patriotism lies! And as a Russian person, I want to say: only a united, strong, sovereign Russia is capable of guaranteeing the future and original development of both the Russian people and all other peoples who have lived and are living in our country for centuries, united by a common historical destiny.

And how pointedly Russian man Vladimir Putin has not spoken before. There was perhaps no such urgent need.

He addressed entrepreneurs:

— Invest in Russia, create jobs, develop production, participate in personnel training — and then the growth of the national economy will translate into new successes and opportunities for your companies!

And that was already a sermon.

He briefly spoke about sovereign culture and sovereign education. And these, too, seemed to be in the heat of the moment, ready-made election theses.

Patriarch Kirill received a separate thesis:

— I am glad today at the World Russian People’s Council to congratulate you on being awarded the 2023 Presidential Prize for your contribution to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation!

Yes, the church, as Vladimir Putin said now, is separated from the state.

But inseparable.

Andrey Kolesnikov