VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Vladimir Putin’s opening remarks:
Ladies and gentlemen, today we are attending a meeting of the committee set up to organise celebrations of Pyotr Stolypin’s 150th birthday anniversary.
Stolypin played a crucial role in Russian history, yet his activities and indisputable achievements were disregarded and overlooked without a reason by both his contemporaries and subsequent generations.
Pyotr Stolypin served his country for a long time and was its prime minister at a very difficult, truly dramatic period in Russia’s history, a time of political and social turmoil. The consequences of the Russian-Japanese war, revolutionary upheavals and economic decline presented a real danger to Russia’s territorial integrity and even sovereignty. Society was searching for answers to questions of fundamental importance to Russia’s development, including the perennial question of land ownership. The prime minister needed not only a will of iron but also personal courage and readiness to assume responsibility for the country at that time. Pyotr Stolypin had all of these qualities in full measure.
A true patriot and a wise politician, he saw that both all kinds of radical sentiment and procrastination, a refusal to launch the necessary reform were dangerous to the country, and that only a strong and effective government relying on business and the civil initiative of millions could ensure progressive development and guarantee tranquillity and stability in a large multinational country and the inviolability of its borders.
Furthermore, he thought that the state and society should not be divided from each other, that the state in the form of government and society in the form of public institutes should be united by a common responsibility for the country. When it served the interests of the state, he always assumed an uncompromising and tough stance and was never afraid of making decisions that were considered unpopular.
Pyotr Stolypin formulated the ideology of reform and also launched large-scale change in nearly all spheres of life in Russia. He believed that the main goal was to remove all obstacles and limitations to the development of productive forces. He thought it was necessary to release the nation’s creative energy and direct it towards creation. He achieved many of the goals he had formulated. He created foundations for social policy in Russia, reformed state institutions and government agencies and ensured the impressive growth of industries and an industrial breakthrough. I’d like to remind you that, at the time, Russia’s economy was growing at the highest pace in the world. It also implemented large development projects in Siberia and the Far East. The last, but not the least of his achievements was agrarian reform, which had a staggering potential. He said, yes, it was Stolypin who said it: “Give Russia 20 years of internal and external peace and quiet and it will change beyond recognition.” These words point to his deep belief in Russia and its people.
We will mark the memorable date of Stolypin’s 150th birthday anniversary in 2012. We must do it in a befitting manner, showing respect for our history and ensuring that the celebration evokes a positive public response. This is why it has been decided to form such a large committee to organise the celebration.
The committee comprises representatives of federal authorities and public organisations, scientists and the cultural intelligentsia.
I sincerely hope that the pooling of these intellectual, administrative and financial resources will help us to implement all of our ideas. We have already drafted a plan of the anniversary events, which we will discuss in detail today.
I am confident that the plan of events to celebrate Stolypin’s birthday anniversary should cover as many aspects of his professional, social and political activities as possible, so that society will learn more about them. This primarily concerns young people, who certainly need positive examples of personal service to the country and the nation.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and I have discussed issues related to the planned monument, including financing. I think that it would be proper and everyone’s duty – I will first address this proposal to government members – to contribute personal funds to this project. This is not an order, but I hope that each member of the government will contribute personal funds to the monument. And later we will open a public campaign to collect donations for this project.
I think it will not cost much and I hope that we will easily collect the necessary funds. If we don’t, the remaining sum will be added from the government’s reserve fund. But I think that we will quickly collect the necessary funds by announcing the bank accounts to which they can be transferred.
Let’s start working.
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Vladimir Putin's closing remarks:
We have discussed the financing of the monument. Let's see... (looks at notes) what remarks have I read here on that score?
I believe that government members should contribute at least one month's salary to the monument. (Reads notes) "The Russian government is responsible for everything – even for what the country does in its own spiritual and economic life. Drinking, mischievousness, idling, and depravity reign almost everywhere. The government is always to blame: it has either driven the country to where it is or it just cannot rein it in and set it on the right path. Should the government take measures to promote work and order, it will hear new howls: 'tyranny', 'abuse of liberties', etc."
Both government members and non-members should contribute at least one month's salary to the monument to Pyotr Stolypin.
Here is a second quotation from Stolypin's speech at the State Duma in 1910: "The bitterness of the trials that Russia has undergone cannot help but make the country feel displeased. It is dissatisfied not only with its government but with the State Duma and the State Council, as well as the parties of both the right and the left. It is displeased because Russia is displeased with itself. This dissatisfaction will pass as soon as Russian national consciousness emerges from the twilight and takes clear shape and strength, as soon as Russia feels like Russia again! And this is only possible if Russia's government and its representative institutions work together in a proper way."
For this reason, I believe that the deputies of the State Duma and the Federation Council should also contribute part of their savings to build the monument to Stolypin in Moscow.
Thank you very much.
