The message reads, in part:
“It is symbolic that you have met in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, one of the main spiritual centres of Moscow and Russia. Commitment to Christian canons and the timeless values of patriotism has been part of the Cossack world outlook for centuries and a solid foundation of Cossack life and unique customs and traditions.
Thanks to the proactive position of public organisations, volunteers and concerned citizens, as well as the support from the Russian authorities and the Russian Orthodox Church, the Cossack community is growing stronger and is becoming a major constructive social force.
I am confident that the establishment of the Russian Cossack Society will play a key role in this multifaceted and much needed effort and will promote the further development of the Cossack community and its unification on the basis of centuries-old traditions of loyal service to the Fatherland, as well as the preservation of the Cossacks’ unique cultural and historical heritage.”