Resolution of the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots “Centenary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future. The World Thematic Forum of Compatriots called for unity for the sake of the future. Publications

October 31 - November 1, 2017 in Moscow, a conference of compatriots dedicated to the theme "Centenary of the Russian Revolution: unity for the sake of the future." The chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate spoke at the opening of the forum.

Dear Sergey Viktorovich!

Dear brothers and sisters!

First of all, I would like to convey to all participants in the high meeting the words of greeting from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.

The current forum, which has brought together compatriots from many countries of the world, is taking place in the year of the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution, which changed the course of not only domestic, but also world history.

The revolution of 1917 was preceded by more than two centuries in the history of the country, which was characterized by the rejection of the foundations of the way of life of the Russian people. The gradual departure of the intelligentsia from the Church in the 19th century, the infatuation of the educated classes with nihilism and atheism inexorably dragged Russia into the abyss.

By the beginning of the 20th century, there was no force left to keep Russia from collapse. According to the words of Christ the Savior, “every kingdom divided against itself will become empty; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Mark 12:25). This happened to our Fatherland, which was divided into conservatives and liberals, and then into reds and whites.

Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) spoke of the revolution as follows: “It always originates in the minds and gradually electrifies different social strata, starting, rather, from the top. Thus, the ideological, spiritual sphere is also of decisive importance in this case, and socio-economic preconditions only speed up or slow down the processes taking place in the minds. The mainspring is a vicious idea that penetrates the depths of society and strikes first of all the tops.

The February revolution is called the bourgeois-democratic, but you need to pay attention to its fruits: the bourgeois system ceased to exist, and democracy was destroyed. Those who stood behind the February revolution were unable to retain their powers, and in October 1917 the Bolsheviks came to power in Russia, who did not spare their predecessors either, destroying them or expelling them from the country.

One of the most important tasks of the new Bolshevik government was the fight against religion. Immediately after the victory of the October Revolution, severe persecution of the Church, arrests and murders of clergymen began. On the very first day after the seizure of power, the Bolsheviks issued the Decree on Land, announcing the nationalization of all church and monastery lands. Further decrees followed, depriving church marriage of legal force, and then formally separating the Church from the state and the school from the Church.

Arrests and executions of clergy became widespread. In 1918, several archpastors, hundreds of clergymen, and many lay people were killed. Emperor Nicholas II, who abdicated the throne, was shot along with his wife, children and servants. The next day, not far from Alapaevsk, Grand Duchess Elisaveta Feodorovna, the founder of the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, was buried alive.

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky) wrote these days: “It is possible to destroy Russia for a long time, it is impossible to destroy Russia. And if you had to choose one of the two, then it would be better if Russia perished, but Russia would be preserved, Petrograd would perish, but the monastery of St. Sergius would not perish, the Russian capital would perish, but the Russian village would not perish, Russian universities would perish.<…>but Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Vasnetsov and Seraphim of Sarov will not perish in the memory of the people.

All these dramatic events in the country gave rise to such a phenomenon as Russian emigration. Departure from one's native country is always associated with pain, nostalgia, regret, thoughts. The feeling of the loss of the Motherland, the ground under one's feet, the departing habitual life, its security and well-being inevitably leaves a heavy imprint on the human personality.

Russian emigration of the post-revolutionary period is a special kind of emigration, which has its own specifics. The emigrants of this time were people who were forced to find themselves outside their country. The need to leave Russia was determined by the prevailing system of beliefs, the loss of habitual living conditions, the rejection of the revolution and the transformations associated with it, the expropriation of property and devastation at all levels. To this was added the persecution of dissent by the new government, arrests, prisons, and, finally, the forced expulsion of the intelligentsia from the country.

According to various estimates, from two to five million people left the Fatherland. This was both a tragedy and a test and a historical challenge for our people. The whirlwind of terror scattered all over the world the most diverse representatives of Russian society - the intelligentsia, the nobility, the clergy, the military, businessmen, civil servants, as well as members of their families.

Living in a foreign land, the emigrants sought to use the experience accumulated in the Fatherland, showing all their best qualities and talents, invariably preserving their faith and original culture. Russian emigration managed to achieve high achievements in the field of science, literature, painting, music, theater, cinema and ballet. The Russian Diaspora introduced the foreign public to outstanding theologians and philosophers, whose works have entered the treasury of not only Russian, but also world thought. Representatives of the Russian diaspora preserved the centuries-old spiritual and cultural heritage, which was destroyed in Soviet Russia.

The main characteristic feature of Russian post-revolutionary emigration is the ability to counteract the threat of assimilation and preserve civilizational identity. Russian emigrants for the most part never became Americans, French, British, Germans and others. They have always remained Russian, Orthodox, believed in the revival of Russia, kept the hope of returning to their native land. In everyday life, in communication with new neighbors, our compatriots became preachers of the spiritual culture of their people.

It is important to note that the greatest “immunity” to assimilation, dissolution in a foreign society is possessed by believers who build their lives around religious values, the center of their spiritual life is the temple of God, church sacraments. The Church from generation to generation transmits enduring values ​​that cannot become obsolete, lose their relevance, depending on external circumstances and the level of technological progress. A people can lose its national identity, it can lose its spiritual and cultural orientation, but then it will either become a different people, adopting a new system of values, or turn into a “population”, losing its old identity and not gaining a new one.

Today Russia is no longer Soviet. But how deeply and fully have the fundamental values ​​of Russian Christianity returned to the consciousness of its citizens? Where does Russia reside in its primordial, pristine and pure form: in the consciousness and worldview of modern citizens of the Russian Federation, or in the memory and carefully guarded tradition of emigrants? These are complex and highly sensitive issues that need to be thought through. Think seriously, deeply and, most importantly, honestly. Without this, it is hardly possible to preserve and revive Holy Russia and the true spiritual and national identity of the Russian people.

I wish the conference participants success and fruitful discussions. I invoke God's blessing on your work.

On October 31 - November 1, 2017, the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots "Centenary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future" was held in Moscow. The event was held under the auspices of the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad (PCDSR) and the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots. The conference was attended by 155 leaders and activists of public organizations of compatriots from 92 countries. As a result of the forum, a resolution was adopted.

Resolution of the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad, "Centenary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future"

Remembering today the years of the Revolution of 1917 in Russia and the civil war a hundred years ago,

The conference notes that those dramatic events had a significant impact on the world history of the 20th century and laid the foundation for the formation of the Russian world abroad;

The conference emphasizes that the main lesson of the 1917 Revolution in Russia, which is still relevant in our time, is to prevent new splits and irreconcilable civil confrontation, fraught with disengagement and disunity of the Russian people;

The conference confirms that an important task of the movement of compatriots is to promote the processes of gathering the nation and the consolidation of the multinational Russian people on the basis of basic values, the preservation of the Russian language, the multinational Russian culture and traditional religions of Russia;

The conference highly appreciates the contribution of organizations of Russian compatriots living abroad to the development of relations between the Russian Federation and other states and emphasizes that the compatriot movement should contribute to the dissemination of truthful information about the Russian Federation, counteract campaigns of slander and Russophobia;

The conference notes the importance of the continuity of generations for the development of the movement of Russian compatriots abroad and considers it necessary to involve young people in this work more widely.

Delegates of the World Thematic Conference of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad, "100th Anniversary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future":

1. Express their gratitude to the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad (PCDC), working under the leadership of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov, for the successful holding of the World Thematic Conference, during which representatives of Russian communities from 92 countries had the opportunity in a practical way discuss topical issues of the activities of organizations of Russian compatriots with representatives of state authorities of the Russian Federation and authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and reach agreed decisions;

2. note the progress in the implementation of the provisions of the resolution adopted by the Conference “Together with Russia” (Moscow, November 1-2, 2016);

3. call for expanding the practice of holding events aimed at preserving the memory and disseminating knowledge about significant pages of Russian history, outstanding representatives of the foreign Russian community, and the contribution of compatriots to the culture and science of foreign countries;

4. Approve the constructive role of organizations and media of compatriots, giving a powerful impetus to the fight against modern forms of Russophobia, to curb the ongoing attempts to falsify history, glorify Nazism and fascism;

5. call on organizations of Russian compatriots to provide active support to volunteers and organizers of the Immortal Regiment procession, St. George Ribbon, Memory Candle and other events dedicated to preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War;

6. note the key importance for the consolidation of the community of a careful attitude to the preservation of memorial objects of the times of the First and Second World Wars, including the burial places of the Red Army soldiers who liberated Europe from Nazism located on the territory of foreign countries; take effective measures to counter acts of vandalism against them; conduct search work related to the preservation of historical memory;

7. call on organizations of compatriots to promote the dissemination of knowledge about the enormous contribution of the historical Motherland to the protection of peace on earth;

8. Express their gratitude to the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad for their great work in helping foreign Russians who find themselves in a difficult life situation;

9. Recommend that Rossotrudnichestvo, the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the Russkiy Mir Foundation, together with organizations of compatriots, actively promote the preservation of the Russian language in foreign countries, as well as Russian schools abroad, take all possible part in the implementation of the concepts "Russian School Abroad" and "State Support and promotion of the Russian language abroad”.

10. urge to pay due attention in their work to measures to preserve national, linguistic, religious identity among compatriots, especially its youth wing; take all possible measures to preserve the continuity of generations, including support for pre-school education abroad in Russian.

11. organize sports competitions among young compatriots, paying special attention to the international aspect of this activity, including the World Games of Young Compatriots;

12. contribute to the active establishment of the media of compatriots in the context of the rapid development of modern digital technologies; more widely use the capabilities of the most popular social networks based on innovative and non-standard approaches; pay additional attention to those activists who, on their own initiative, develop a positive image of Russia through blogs, websites, accounts, newsletters, etc.;

13. pay all possible attention to the unity of the community and mutual support in the course of various events in the conditions of modern international relations and the current information atmosphere;

14. welcome the opening in Moscow of the Museum of the Russian Diaspora and call for assistance in transferring family archives to it;

15. Support the implementation of the State Program to Assist Voluntary Resettlement to the Russian Federation of Compatriots Living Abroad, and also recommend intensifying the exchange of information between organizations of compatriots with those Russians who have returned to Russia under this Program; simplify the administrative requirements for obtaining Russian citizenship;

16. continue to improve the organizational structure of the coordinating councils of organizations of Russian compatriots living abroad in order to involve as many members of the Russian community abroad as possible, primarily young people, in their activities;

17. recommend that the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad prepare proposals on the content of the VI World Congress of Compatriots and send them in writing to the country coordinating councils of compatriots for further development by early December 2017;

18. express their gratitude to the state authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation for the development and implementation of programs of work with compatriots abroad: in the first place, Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Leningrad Region, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Altai Territory, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District;

19. note the great contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional Russian religious denominations to the consolidation of Russian communities in various countries of the world, to strengthening the ties of compatriots with their historical homeland;

20. Express their gratitude to the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad (PCDSR) for active interaction with organizations of compatriots;

21. Recommend, when planning the activities of Russian centers of science and culture in foreign countries, to be more oriented towards the cultural and educational demands and needs of compatriots, to pay attention to the development of creative potential in the youth environment of the Russian community;

22. apply to the PCDSR for assistance in implementing this decision, and the chairman of the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad is invited to report on the implementation of the decisions of the World Thematic Conferences of 2016 and 2017 at the VI World Congress of Compatriots;

October 31, 2017 in Moscow in the conference hall of the hotel " Azimuth» the grand opening of the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad took place « Centenary of the Russian Revolution: unity for the sake of the future". More than 150 delegates from 90 countries of the world, as well as heads of state authorities of the Russian Federation, experts and public figures.

The presidium of the conference included: Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad S.V. Lavrov; Rector of MGIMO(U), Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of events related to 100 anniversary of the 1917 revolution in Russia A.V. Torkunov; Metropolitan Volokolamsky, Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Hilarion; Deputy Foreign Minister G.B. Karasin; Director of the Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia for work with compatriots abroad O.S. Malginov; Chairman of the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad M.V. Drozdov. Among those who attended the opening of the conference were the Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia ROCOR (Titov), ​​the Archbishop of Berlin and German ROCOR Mark Hierodeacon, employee of the DECR Secretariat for Far Abroad Affairs Novel(Kiselev).

The hall was also attended by: Commissioner for Human Rights in the Russian Federation T.N. Moskalkova, President of the Historical Perspective Foundation ON THE. Narochnitskaya, prince D.M. Shakhovskaya, prince A.A. Trubetskoy, President of the Russian State Humanitarian University and Chairman of the Expert Council of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation on Theology E.I. Brewer. Addressing the forum participants, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.V. Lavrov, in particular, noted that the 1917 revolution was a turning point in the history of not only our state, but also humanity as a whole. In his opinion, turning to the lessons of the events of a hundred years ago is necessary, first of all, to strengthen the reconciliation and civil accord achieved in society. One of the consequences of the tragic year of 1917 was the emergence of numerous Russian communities abroad, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

Once outside the homeland, our compatriots in the vast majority not only became worthy members of the societies of the states that adopted them, but also made a significant, very important contribution to their development. At the same time, they managed to preserve their national identity, language, culture, values ​​and faith. At the call of their hearts, they united, opened schools, built churches, published newspapers and magazines, created museums, thereby maintaining a close spiritual connection with their historical homeland, enriching the treasury of national and world culture, - S.V. Lavrov.

Then A.V. Torkunov, who spoke about the significance of the 1917 revolution for the history of Russia and the world, about scientific approaches to the study of revolutionary events, about the contribution of the Russian diaspora to world culture.

Metropolitan Kornily, in his speech on the topic of the conference, referred to the works A.I. Solzhenitsyn, who wrote that the 17th century gave birth to the 17th year, and that in Russia an Old Believer revolution would be impossible. Vladyka Korniliy urged to remember the lessons of history so that the sad events of 1717 would never happen again. The Metropolitan also shared his impressions of visiting Far East and meetings with Old Believer migrants who moved there from South America. Vladyka Kornily spoke about the positive shifts in the implementation of the state program for the resettlement of Old Believers to the Far East, which occurred largely due to the attention to this topic of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin.

The participants of the solemn meeting also heard the word of Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk. The Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate conveyed to those present the greetings of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia of the Russian Orthodox Church Kirill. Referring to the topic of the forum, Metropolitan Hilarion recalled that the revolution of 1917 was preceded by more than two centuries in the history of the country, which was characterized by the rejection of the foundations of the way of life of the Russian people.

The gradual departure of the intelligentsia from the Church in the 19th century, the infatuation of the educated classes with nihilism and atheism inexorably dragged Russia into the abyss. By the beginning of the 20th century, there was no force left to keep Russia from collapse. According to the words of Christ the Savior, “every kingdom divided against itself will become empty; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Mark 12:25). This is what happened to our Fatherland, which was divided into conservatives and liberals, and then into reds and whites,” Metropolitan Hilarion emphasized.

He also recalled that one of the most important tasks of the new Bolshevik government was the fight against religion: immediately after the victory of the October Revolution, severe persecution of the Church, arrests and murders of clergymen began.

Conference participant, representative of the Fund for Support and Protection of Compatriots Living Abroad S.I. Nikolaev noted:

It is this assessment that should win in the minds of people who will calmly and soberly understand this.andthey will learn the lessons of history so that those events of a hundred years ago cannot be repeated even by an episode. The souls of those who died in the fire of those events must find peace. Calm should be found by those living in their assessments of history, not allowing confrontations in society. If that is what reconciliation means, then so be it.

The program of the forum included several panel discussions on the topics “ Revolution and the Russian world" and " Compatriots in the modern world", as well as sections" The Russian Revolution and the Russian Community Abroad”,“ The contribution of the young generation of compatriots to the preservation of the Russian language, Russian culture and historical heritage of Russia abroad ”,“ Media of compatriots in the world of modern technologies».

World thematic conference of compatriots "Centenary of the Russian Revolution: unity for the sake of the future"

On October 31, 2017, the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots “Centenary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future” opened in Moscow.

The conference is timed to coincide with the centenary of the events of 1917, which led to the emergence of the phenomenon of the Russian diaspora. The focus of the conference is not only historical aspects, but also issues of a common future. Among the topics for discussion are, for example, the Russian foreign community in a historical perspective, the preservation of Russian identity as a condition for the existence of the Russian foreign community, foreign compatriots and the modern world, the importance of consolidating and strengthening the Russian foreign community. The forum was attended by 155 compatriots from 92 countries, including leaders of compatriot organizations, well-known representatives of diasporas, representatives of youth and Russian-language media.

The participants of the conference were greeted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Chairman of the Government Commission for the Affairs of Compatriots Abroad SV Lavrov. At the opening speeches were made by the Rector of MGIMO(U), Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of events related to the centenary of the revolution of 1917 in Russia, A.V. Torkunov and Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk.

The work of the forum continued with two panel discussions "Revolution and the Russian World" and "Compatriots in the Modern World", the meeting of which was opened by the speech of the director of the House of Russian Abroad named after V. A. Solzhenitsyn V. A. Moskvin. Until now, the events of 1917 do not have an unambiguous interpretation - Viktor Aleksandrovich emphasized the need for their truthful coverage in order to strengthen reconciliation and civil consent. In his speech, he spoke about the completion of the building of the Museum of Russian Diaspora. The beginning of its creation was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2015 at the V World Congress of Compatriots. This work was completed in two years. The next stage is the creation of an exposition of the future museum. The House of Russian Abroad faces a difficult task - to make a museum for the entire "second" Russia, for all 35 million compatriots. Viktor Aleksandrovich spoke about the concept underlying the exposition, new publishing and film projects dedicated to the contribution of Russian emigration to world science and culture.

Member of the European Parliament T.A. Zhdanok (Latvia), President of the Franco-Russian Alliance Association A.A. Trubetskoy (France), Chairman of the Coordinating Council of Compatriots in Germany L.G. Yurchenko, a representative of the young generation of compatriots took part in the panel discussion living in Great Britain OA Sotnichenko.

In the afternoon, the work of the conference was continued by the sessions of the sections "The Russian Revolution and the Russian community abroad", "The contribution of the young generation of compatriots to the preservation of the Russian language, Russian culture and historical heritage of Russia abroad", "Media of compatriots in the world of modern technologies".

The conference was also attended by Deputy Director V.S.Ugarov and Head of the Department of International and Interregional Cooperation E.V.Krivova.



In the first row, third from the left, Prince Dmitry Shakhovskoy, then Princes Alexander Trubetskoy, Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky, Pyotr Sheremetev. Photo by E. Studneva

Moscow hosted the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots Living Abroad on the theme “Centenary of the Russian Revolution: Unity for the Future”. For the first time, the conference, which took place from October 31 to November 1, was broadcast live on the Internet.

The leitmotif of the forum, which gathered in these autumn days, when the October Revolution broke out in Russia a hundred years ago, was the thought of the hard-won need for unity of compatriots of all generations - those who knew the bitterness of the loss of their homeland, and those who live in the country of the 21st century. The World Thematic Conference was held under the auspices of the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad (PCDSR) and the World Coordinating Council of Russian Compatriots with the support of Rossotrudnichestvo within the structure of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The forum brought together 155 leaders and activists of public organizations of compatriots from more than 90 countries. Chairman of the World Council of Russian Compatriots, head of the Russian Club in Shanghai Mikhail Drozdov, opening the forum, focused on the fact that the Russian diaspora as a phenomenon arose as a result of tragic events for the country and people a hundred years ago, but today it is important to address issues that concern compatriots who think about the future of Russia.

The inexhaustibility of the topic of events related to the revolution of 1917 was noted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Chairman of the PKDSR Sergei Lavrov, who greeted the participants of the forum. “The Russian Revolution is a turning point in the history of not only our state, but humanity as a whole,” said the Minister. “Returning to the lessons of the events of a hundred years ago is necessary, first of all, to strengthen the reconciliation and civil accord achieved in society.” Speaking about the tragedy of the events of 1917 in the fate of representatives of the Russian diaspora, Sergey Lavrov emphasized that “having found themselves outside the Motherland, the vast majority of our compatriots not only became worthy members of the societies that adopted them, but also made a significant, very important contribution to their development. ". "At the same time, they managed to preserve their national identity, language, culture, values ​​and faith," the Russian Foreign Minister stressed. The minister believes that "the Russian world has a truly inexhaustible creative potential." Taking into account the “fruits” of the information war unleashed in the world media against Russia, Sergey Lavrov highly appreciated the role and contribution of compatriots “in promoting an objective image of Russia, in upholding historical truth.” In this regard, the Minister noted the initiatives of compatriots on the memorial theme, the holding of large-scale actions "St. George's Ribbon" and "Immortal Regiment" abroad. Addressing the participants of the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots, Sergey Lavrov said: "You can always count on our help and support."

The Minister especially noted the efforts of compatriots to preserve the positions of the Russian language in the countries of the Russian diaspora. The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry also recalled the upcoming event in March next year in Russia - the presidential election. “We are counting on the energetic involvement of the country coordinating councils of compatriots' organizations in the information support of the process of preparing and holding the vote,” Sergei Lavrov noted. In conclusion, the head of the Foreign Ministry recalled the words from the December (2016) message of the President of Russia V.V. Putin to the Federal Assembly, which said: “Let's remember: we are one people, we are one people, and we have one Russia!”.

Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of MGIMO, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of events related to the 100th anniversary of the 1917 Revolution in Russia, in his speech presented a wide panorama of events dedicated to this anniversary. This event will also be dedicated to the cultural forum, which will be held in November in St. Petersburg. The work of the World Conference of Compatriots was blessed by Metropolitan Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church. Then there were two broad discussions on the topics "Revolution and the Russian world" and "Compatriots in the modern world." Work continued in sections that worked until 20:00. At the same time, no one was in a hurry to disperse, since the topics touched on acute issues that concern the Russian abroad and compatriots in Russia. Here are just some of the topics of the sections: "The Russian Revolution and the Russian community abroad", "The contribution of the young generation of compatriots to the preservation of the Russian language, Russian culture and the historical heritage of Russia abroad" and "The media of compatriots in the world of modern technologies".

The second day of the forum - November 1 - was calmer, though no less eventful. At the plenary session, the compatriots summed up the work of the sections and discussed the final resolution of the conference. Its text was read out by Mikhail Drozdov and received wide discussion, as a result of which significant proposals were received. In particular, Nikita Dmitrievich Lobanov-Rostovsky proposed not to use the word "volunteer", but to replace it with the Russian word "volunteer". On the issue of filling the future museum of the Russian Diaspora in Moscow with personal gifts from compatriots, it was proposed to enlist the support of the Russian Foreign Ministry, in particular, an order for embassies and consulates to provide assistance in order to avoid unnecessary procedures for screening and transporting relics. The hall actively supported this proposal with thunderous applause. Artem Kozhin, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, addressed the audience. He noted that the sections on the media at such forums always stand apart. “Whatever you call it (the media section), you always know in advance what the speakers will say,” admitted Artem Kozhin. According to him, this section is specific in that its topics always touch upon the discussion of media technologies. A. Kozhin noted that the request for assistance in professional training for journalists and media working in the Russian diaspora is obvious. In this regard, the DIP of the Russian Foreign Ministry came up with an initiative to provide methodological support to those compatriots who want to learn how to use the Internet professionally and are ready to do this even remotely. The audience positively accepted this proposal, responding with friendly applause. Then, according to the program, the compatriots were awarded the “Compatriot Badge of Honor” and the “Honorary Diploma of the Government Commission for Compatriots Abroad”. The conference participants were presented with the collection "The Great Russian Revolution in the Destinies of Russian Compatriots", prepared by the publishing house of St. Petersburg. As part of the cultural program, there was an excursion to the State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia with a visit to the exhibition “1917. Revolution code.

Concluding the report on the two days of the World Thematic Conference of Compatriots, let us turn to the impressions of one of the most active and permanent participants in all forums of compatriots - Dmitry Mikhailovich Shakhovsky, an employee of the St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris. In a conversation with a columnist for Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn, Dmitry Mikhailovich, summing up the discussions at the forum, said: “I think that the most important word that determined the essence of our conference is unity. Each of us needs an attempt at mutual understanding, but we achieve it with special work, special efforts, because we need objective information. If everyone tries to think, as A.I. Solzhenitsyn did, and “pass through” everything that happened 100 years ago, I think that he will come to the right conclusions, and these conclusions will unite us much better than any statements. Until it "passes" through everyone's mind and heart, it will have no effective force."

The potential of the chosen topic - the centenary of the revolution of 1917 - is so great that its comprehension will occupy the minds of more than one generation of compatriots both in the country and abroad, because, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in his address to the forum participants: “The Russian Revolution - a turning point in the history of not only our state, but also of humanity as a whole.

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