WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859
[Head of the Federal Agency for Press and Mass Media Mikhail Seslavinsky]

2
00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:04.706
Good afternoon, friends,

3
00:00:04.706 --> 00:00:13.349
Mr President, Mr Sobyanin, Mrs Solzhenitsyn, ladies and gentlemen,

4
00:00:13.349 --> 00:00:18.843
We gathered today on the street named after Alexander Solzhenitsyn 

5
00:00:18.843 --> 00:00:24.090
to mark 100years since the birth of a great writer and humanist,

6
00:00:24.090 --> 00:00:28.600
as well as to take part in the unveiling of a monument 

7
00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:30.731
to Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

8
00:00:30.731 --> 00:00:36.512
We are joined here by members of the organising committee established 

9
00:00:36.512 --> 00:00:42.209
under Presidential Executive Order in 2014 and tasked with preparing 

10
00:00:42.209 --> 00:00:47.825
centenary celebrations, as well as researchers and cultural figures,

11
00:00:47.825 --> 00:00:53.605
foreign ambassadors, and participants in the international conference 

12
00:00:53.605 --> 00:00:57.981
Alexander Solzhenitsyn: A View from the 21st Century.

13
00:00:57.981 --> 00:01:03.036
A plethora of events are being held today in dozens 

14
00:01:03.036 --> 00:01:05.952
of Russian regions and abroad.

15
00:01:05.952 --> 00:01:12.229
These events are driven not by government instructions,

16
00:01:12.229 --> 00:01:19.076
but by people who simply love Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s work,

17
00:01:19.076 --> 00:01:26.152
by people who remain under the spell of his novels and essays,

18
00:01:26.152 --> 00:01:32.429
and who choose to align their worldview with his ideas.

19
00:01:32.429 --> 00:01:38.405
About one year ago the contest to choose the best project 

20
00:01:38.405 --> 00:01:44.175
for the monument to Alexander Solzhenitsyn was launched.

21
00:01:44.175 --> 00:01:49.918
As you may know, about 70 projects were submitted from across Russia,

22
00:01:49.918 --> 00:01:55.827
not only from Moscow or the Moscow Region, but also from St Petersburg,

23
00:01:55.827 --> 00:02:00.654
Orel, Belgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Khabarovsk and Vladivostok.

24
00:02:00.654 --> 00:02:03.586
This is telling in itself.

25
00:02:03.586 --> 00:02:07.520
The contest was managed by the Union of Moscow Architects.

26
00:02:07.520 --> 00:02:15.852
There was an exhibition and debates on various projects.

27
00:02:15.852 --> 00:02:20.622
At the end of the day, it was the prominent architect and Chair 

28
00:02:20.622 --> 00:02:25.839
of the Union of Artists, sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk who won the tender.

29
00:02:25.839 --> 00:02:30.669
We would like to thank everyone who took part in this undertaking.

30
00:02:30.669 --> 00:02:35.680
I now invite President of Russia Vladimir Putin to take the floor.

31
00:02:36.620 --> 00:02:41.613
Ladies and gentlemen, Mrs Solzhenitsyn,

32
00:02:41.613 --> 00:02:46.902
Today we are unveiling a monument to Alexander Solzhenitsyn –

33
00:02:46.902 --> 00:02:51.845
our outstanding compatriot, writer, thinker, war veteran,

34
00:02:51.845 --> 00:02:56.961
who participated in the Great Patriotic War and was a true 

35
00:02:56.961 --> 00:02:58.521
patriot of Russia.

36
00:02:58.521 --> 00:03:01.805
December 11 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth 

37
00:03:01.805 --> 00:03:03.416
of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

38
00:03:03.416 --> 00:03:07.784
For us, it is not only a day of remembrance and respect,

39
00:03:07.784 --> 00:03:11.684
but above all an occasion to revisit his literary,

40
00:03:11.684 --> 00:03:14.882
social as well as philosophical heritage,

41
00:03:14.882 --> 00:03:20.194
which is woven into the very fabric of the 20th century and continues 

42
00:03:20.194 --> 00:03:24.520
to be up-to-date – for us, for Russia, and for the world.

43
00:03:24.520 --> 00:03:28.822
I remember well all the meetings with Alexander Solzhenitsyn –

44
00:03:28.822 --> 00:03:33.055
his wisdom, his prudence and a deep understanding of history.

45
00:03:33.055 --> 00:03:38.987
His heart and soul, his thoughts were filled in equal measure with pain 

46
00:03:38.987 --> 00:03:42.694
for the Fatherland and unlimited love for it.

47
00:03:42.694 --> 00:03:45.972
These feelings fueled all his work.

48
00:03:45.972 --> 00:03:50.108
He clearly delineated the true, genuine,

49
00:03:50.108 --> 00:03:54.657
people's Russia and the totalitarian system,

50
00:03:54.657 --> 00:04:01.274
which brought suffering and severe trials to millions of people.

51
00:04:01.274 --> 00:04:06.023
But even being in exile, Solzhenitsyn would not tolerate anyone 

52
00:04:06.023 --> 00:04:09.288
to speak evil or scornfully of his homeland,

53
00:04:09.288 --> 00:04:12.701
and opposed any manifestations of Russophobia.

54
00:04:12.701 --> 00:04:16.671
A man of integrity, an exceptionally principled person,

55
00:04:16.671 --> 00:04:19.847
Solzhenitsyn never wanted to be comfortable.

56
00:04:19.847 --> 00:04:25.274
In his writings, in his literary, journalistic and social activity,

57
00:04:25.274 --> 00:04:30.296
he openly and consistently defended his views and convictions,

58
00:04:30.296 --> 00:04:34.669
and argued the unconditional value of the morals that 

59
00:04:34.669 --> 00:04:37.099
provide for a healthy society.

60
00:04:37.099 --> 00:04:41.041
Without understanding the country's past there can be no meaningful 

61
00:04:41.041 --> 00:04:43.824
movement into the future, Solzhenitsyn believed.

62
00:04:43.824 --> 00:04:48.978
Therefore, he directed his efforts toward finding and designating ways 

63
00:04:48.978 --> 00:04:53.987
to improve Russia, so that the hardest and most dramatic trials that 

64
00:04:53.987 --> 00:04:57.182
befell our country would never happen again,

65
00:04:57.182 --> 00:05:01.901
so that our multiethnic people would live in dignity and justice.

66
00:05:01.901 --> 00:05:04.558
This is how he saw his mission,

67
00:05:04.558 --> 00:05:08.073
his goals and the meaning of his service.

68
00:05:08.073 --> 00:05:13.333
Friends, the centenary of Alexander Solzhenitsyn is a landmark occasion 

69
00:05:13.333 --> 00:05:14.940
for the whole country.

70
00:05:14.940 --> 00:05:19.191
Many events have been timed to this date to perpetuate 

71
00:05:19.191 --> 00:05:21.896
the memory of our great compatriot.

72
00:05:21.896 --> 00:05:25.672
One of them is the unveiling of a monument in the writer's native town 

73
00:05:25.672 --> 00:05:29.076
of Kislovodsk, and the opening of his memorial museum in Moscow,

74
00:05:29.076 --> 00:05:32.282
as well as conferences, exhibitions, lectures,

75
00:05:32.282 --> 00:05:37.021
productions and theatrical adaptations of his works in many regions.

76
00:05:37.021 --> 00:05:41.069
But the most important thing is that Solzhenitsyn’s voice 

77
00:05:41.069 --> 00:05:42.535
is still being heard.

78
00:05:42.535 --> 00:05:47.904
His thoughts and ideas resonate in people’s minds and hearts.

79
00:05:47.904 --> 00:05:53.927
Popularising his work, encouraging and introducing new young readers 

80
00:05:53.927 --> 00:05:59.514
to it is the best thing we can and must do to honour his memory.

81
00:05:59.514 --> 00:06:03.654
I must certainly express special gratitude to Natalia Solzhenitsyn 

82
00:06:03.654 --> 00:06:07.362
for her tireless work and her truly invaluable contribution 

83
00:06:07.362 --> 00:06:10.762
to the preservation of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s legacy.

84
00:06:10.762 --> 00:06:13.290
Thank you.

85
00:06:17.050 --> 00:06:24.030
[Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s widow Natalia Solzhenitsyn]

86
00:06:24.650 --> 00:06:26.705
Friends,

87
00:06:26.705 --> 00:06:33.192
I would like to thank everyone who remains receptive and true 

88
00:06:33.192 --> 00:06:37.900
to Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s ideas and memory.

89
00:06:37.900 --> 00:06:42.139
Allow me to thank the prominent members of the organising committee.

90
00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:46.623
They are very important people with busy lives.

91
00:06:46.623 --> 00:06:51.965
Still, they were able to dedicate their time and effort 

92
00:06:51.965 --> 00:06:58.356
to the celebrations of Solzhenitsyn’s centenary across the country.

93
00:06:58.356 --> 00:07:04.941
As Alexander Solzhenitsyn said back in the 1970s: throughout my life 

94
00:07:04.941 --> 00:07:09.141
all I do is walk the earth of my Fatherland,

95
00:07:09.141 --> 00:07:11.708
and it is only her pain that I hear,

96
00:07:11.708 --> 00:07:14.702
and I cannot write about anything but her.

97
00:07:14.702 --> 00:07:17.513
Afterwards his was expelled from the country,

98
00:07:17.513 --> 00:07:21.323
but they never succeeded in separating him from his homeland.

99
00:07:21.323 --> 00:07:26.051
He returned when he was allowed to do so.

100
00:07:26.051 --> 00:07:30.390
So throughout his life he walked the earth of his Fatherland,

101
00:07:30.390 --> 00:07:34.444
and now that he is no longer with us he rises once again,

102
00:07:34.444 --> 00:07:38.098
and will always stand upright.

103
00:07:38.098 --> 00:07:43.754
I am especially delighted that on the monument’s right side is 

104
00:07:43.754 --> 00:07:48.512
Matryona, the true Christian who can be found in any 

105
00:07:48.512 --> 00:07:51.565
village, city and across our land.

106
00:07:51.565 --> 00:07:57.263
Let us cherish the righteous ones, who are still among us,

107
00:07:57.263 --> 00:07:59.522
staying in the shadows.

108
00:07:59.522 --> 00:08:05.614
To his left is an image of Ivan Denisovich,

109
00:08:05.614 --> 00:08:14.680
carved in stone. For him, life in a prison camp was challenging,

110
00:08:14.680 --> 00:08:24.052
but on the outside life can also be dangerous, miserable and hard.

111
00:08:24.052 --> 00:08:31.521
What I would like to say is that the world has gone mad,

112
00:08:31.521 --> 00:08:37.638
and in many places people do not live as they should: killing each 

113
00:08:37.638 --> 00:08:41.542
other, keeping one another in poverty,

114
00:08:41.542 --> 00:08:44.536
hunger and other hardships.

115
00:08:44.536 --> 00:08:50.574
For this reason, the day in the life of Ivan Denisovich is not yet over. 

116
00:08:50.574 --> 00:08:53.764
We have to be mindful of this,

117
00:08:53.764 --> 00:08:56.284
and see the world around us with open eyes.

118
00:08:56.284 --> 00:09:01.787
Whenever we spot an opportunity to help Ivan Denisovich,

119
00:09:01.787 --> 00:09:04.288
it is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do so.

120
00:09:04.288 --> 00:09:05.877
Thank you all very much.