The congress was also attended, among others, by Special Presidential Representative for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoi, Deputy Minister of Culture Sergei Pershin, Director of the Department of State Support for Periodicals and Book Industry of the Ministry of Digital Development Vladimir Grigoryev, Head of the Russian Book Union Sergei Stepashin, Director of the D.S. Likhachev Russian Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage Vladimir Aristarkhov, Director General of the Russian State Library Vadim Duda, President of the Filmmakers’ Union Nikita Mikhalkov, and Mosfilm CEO Karen Shakhnazarov, to name a few
Vladimir Medinsky read out a message of greetings from the President to the participants and guests of the congress. In his address to the writers, Vladimir Putin, in particular, noted:
Russia’ classical literary heritage and the best works of contemporary authors play a crucial role in strengthening our cultural, spiritual and ideological sovereignty. They are meant to set high moral standards and serve as a guiding force in educating younger generations.
First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko also addressed the congress. He emphasised that he would say special words of gratitude to poets and writers – participants and veterans of the special military operation: “They are entitled more than others to talk about real patriotism. Culture and literature today is also the front line, it is also the engagement line, and the future of our country depends on victory here as well.”
Electing new members of the governing bodies of the Union of Writers was the centerpiece of the congress. Vladimir Medinsky won the absolute majority of votes.
In his keynote speech, the new president of the union noted that the restoration of the unified Union of Writers was a serious task and one of the most important state priorities. “The Union of Writers of Russia should become the centre for concentrating intellectual and material resources of our literature,” Vladimir Medinsky said. Among his top priorities, the head of the Union outlined the need to quickly raise the status of the writer in society, to make them visible and respected figures, to revive the practice of regular meetings of writers with readers, especially young people, and to build constructive interaction between the writers with the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Education, as well as to more actively promote the works of modern authors.
The congress participants also elected a new board of the Union of Writers. It includes writers Nikolai Ivanov, Alexander Prokhanov, Zakhar Prilepin, and Yury Polyakov, film directors Nikita Mikhalkov and Karen Shakhnazarov, Head of the Russian State Library Vadim Duda, Director of the V.I. Dahl State Museum of the History of Russian Literature Dmitry Bak, and other public and cultural figures.