Address of Rustam Minnikhanov on occasion of the Day of Russian Language and the birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin

In his address on occasion of the Day of Russian Language and 223d birthday of Aleksandr Pushkin, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said: 

“Dear Tatarstan residents! From the bottom of my heart I congratulate you with a wonderful holiday - the Day of Russian Language and 223d birthday of “the sun of the Russian poetry” Aleksandr Pushkin.

We can hardly overestimate the meaning of Pushkin for Russian poetry, multi-national Russia and the whole vast Russian world. His immortal poetry and the well-recognizable Pushkin image are indispensably linked to the Russian lore and multi-faceted Russian culture and that is why the international Day of the Russian language is rightly celebrated on the birthday of the great poet.

Russian language has always been and is one of the most important world languages used for international communication not only in the Russian Federation but on the largest part of the post-Soviet space. Tatarstan, which for many centuries has pursued the peaceful and respectful interaction of various ethnicities and religions, pays special attention to development of Russian language alongside with Tatar and other national languages of the republic.

Currently because of the well-known international events, Russian language and the whole of our multi-national Russian culture needs protection and active promotion at all levels. In this respect it is appropriate to recollect wise words of a well-known Soviet poet Yaroslav Smelyakov: “Rulers have been disappearing immediately and forever when they happen to infringe on the essence of Russian language”. I am sure that history will set the record straight and the Great Russian culture will inevitably occupy its right place in the European space and in the whole world.”