Reasons why the nation’s heroes enter public administration were discussed by participants of the Znanie.State forum
Training a new generation of public servants from among the nation’s heroes became one of the key topics of the second Znanie.State forum organised by the Russian society Znanie. On 23 January, more than 3,000 state and municipal officials gathered at the National Centre RUSSIA. The qualities that modern public servants must possess were discussed by participants of the presidential personnel programme "Time of Heroes", Nikolai Korolev, and Hero of Russia Nikolai Sokolov.
The open dialogue titled "Time of Heroes: Building a Reliable Public Administration Workforce" was opened by the Deputy Head of the Department for the Coordination of Strategic Initiatives of the Presidential Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation, a participant in the "Time of Heroes" programme, recipient of three Orders of Courage, and Hero of Russia, Nikolai Sokolov. He thanked the forum participants for their decision to dedicate themselves to serving the Fatherland and wished them success in their work. Nikolai Sokolov shared his personal reflections on becoming a civil servant after completing military service and participating in the special military operation.
"We carry a great duty and responsibility. We are wholly accountable to the people of the Russian Federation, because enormous trust has been placed in us through the President. We are accountable to our brothers-in-arms who are now fighting on the front line. And, of course, to those who were killed and who now fight in the heavenly host, and to their families. Today we feel that we have room to grow, something to work on, and a clear purpose for that work," said Hero of Russia Nikolai Sokolov.
According to him, the civilian front differs little from the military one. The only difference is that emotions are felt more acutely in the army and knowledge is acquired more quickly. His colleague, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Legality, Law and Order, and Security of the Government of Saint Petersburg and participant in the presidential personnel programme "Time of Heroes", Nikolai Korolev, agreed with this view. He added: "Who we were in military service is who we are in civilian life. For us, service over time has turned — and I am certain of this — into service in the highest sense. Service to our Motherland, our home, and our citizens."
The speakers discussed in detail the qualities that young people and citizens must possess in order to be worthy representatives of the Russian state and society.
"There is one very important quality — the ability to look ahead. Russia is our home: this is where we were born and where we will die, and where our children will live. I like the comparison that we must live and work as if we are planting an apple orchard. When our grandfathers planted apple trees, they knew that most likely it would not be they who enjoyed the fruit, but us. And this is exactly how we must see ourselves as public servants. We must 'plant apple trees' for generations that do not yet exist and look as far ahead as possible," Nikolai Korolev emphasised.
Nikolai Sokolov, in turn, advised young people who have chosen to serve their country not to stop on this path, to work continuously on self-development, and to read as many books as possible.
"A person must be a creator. Creativity is the seed of our Russian national identity, because we have always worked ahead of the curve, laboured collectively, lived in communities, and sought to build a future for our descendants," Nikolai Sokolov concluded.
Znanie.State is a large-scale educational project of the Russian society Znanie for state and municipal officials, enabling them to gain a deeper understanding of the history, culture, economy, and geopolitics of Russia. The project has been implemented since 2022 and includes lectures and federal broadcasts from the multimedia studios of the Russian society Znanie. Over more than two years, more than 30,000 lectures have been delivered across all regions of Russia as part of the Znanie.State project, reaching an audience of over four million people.
On 23 January, on the eve of Civil Servant’s Day, the second Znanie.State forum was held at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation and President of the Russian Olympic Committee, Mikhail Degtyarev, spoke at the Znanie.State.
