The message reads, in part:
“Over the years of holding the festival, it has become one of the major, most impressive and long-awaited events in the cultural life of our country. It is rightfully renowned for its pleasant and hospitable atmosphere. You bring together renowned and young authors, professional librarians and publishers, admirers of all literary genres and schools. It is gratifying that, owing to the Union of Russian Writers, the process of consolidating the best writers is becoming more active and makes it possible to better reflect our country’s cultural wealth.
In the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, the festival becomes not just a grand literary occasion but also a unique opportunity to gain an insight into the immensely rich palette of publications in the languages of the peoples of the Russian Federation.
No doubt, the native language and literature are the foundation of national identity. They play a tremendous educational, constructive and consolidating role, therefore I hope that the festival will help preserve our cultural diversity, keep and expand unique traditions of our national literature.”