The Russian president marked National Unity Day by addressing a gathering of historians
Russian President Vladimir Putin honored National Unity Day by meeting with historians and dignitaries – including leaders of religious communities – and discussing the role of history in protecting sovereignty, identity and national culture. Here are some key points from his speech and the ensuing discussion.
The conflict in Ukraine wasinevitable” “Russia’s clash with the neo-Nazi regime that sprung up in Ukraine was inevitable, and if our country had not taken the actions it did in February, nothing would have changed, only our position would have been much worse,” he added. says Putin.
The West has distorted the history of Ukraine Western countries meddled in Ukraine’s internal affairs after the fall of the Soviet Union and “managed to instill such pseudo-values in the minds of millions of people, which led to the fact that anti-Russia was created on this territory, sowing hatred, violating people’s minds, depriving of the real story”, says Putin.
Ukraine has become a serious danger for Russia, but also something suicidal for the Ukrainians themselves, he explained. “It is Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, who are the first and the main victim of the deliberate sublimation of hatred towards Russians and Russia. In Russia, everything is exactly the opposite – you know this very well: we have always treated the Ukrainian people with respect and warmth. This is so, despite today’s tragic confrontation.
A civil war, like in 1917 Speaking in more detail about the current conflict in Ukraine, Putin drew a parallel with the Russian Revolution more than a hundred years ago. “In fact, the confrontation is taking place among the same people – as after the upheavals of 1917.” At the time, “Foreign powers have warmed their hands on the tragedy of our people. They cared neither for whites nor for reds, they pursued their own interests, weakened and tore apart historic Russia.
The West is doing the same in Ukraine today, Putin said, sacrificing the Ukrainian people to achieve his geopolitical goals, which he described as “weaken, disintegrate and destroy Russia”.
Arming the Distortion of History Russians need to know all about their country’s past, argued the president, without repeating the “mistakes of the Soviet period”, where academia has worked to adapt to ideological models. “Something similar is happening now in some Western countries, where much is determined by the current radical-liberal establishment. To please him, key historical events are presented in a completely distorted and reversed form, and the truth is nullified,” says Putin.
“When someone wants to deprive the state of sovereignty and make its citizens vassals, he begins by twisting the history of the country, in order to deprive people of their roots, to doom them to unconsciousness.” explained the Russian president, condemning this as a “deliberately perverted attitude toward history.” “There have been similar attempts against Russia, and they do not stop, but we firmly and in time erected a strong barrier against them. “
The colonial era is over While Russia is absolutely part of European civilization, it is undeniable that many great Western colonial empires are now “medium or small-sized country”, Putin said, comparing the population of Portugal with its former colony Brazil, the UK with India, and how China’s Guangdong province alone has 1.5 times the population of Germany. “European capitals were [once] the center of the universe – but that’s already in the past”, said the Russian president.
Batman or historical heroes? Putin also chose to tackle a slightly less political issue. During the Q&A session, he noted that academic work would not suffice without teaming up with popular culture and merchandising.
Russian children “I know Batman but not our own heroes”, Putin said, noting that historical education begins at an early age. “There should be cartoons, movies, children’s literature… All of these things are needed. That is why we are here today, to move this process forward.
