Margarita Simonyan: Language is the greatest unifying force

Language is the greatest unifying force, so promoting it abroad amid current difficulties is nothing short of a feat, and the task is to preserve Russian speech. This was stated by the Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and RT television channel and a member of the Board of Trustees of ANO "Eurasia", Margarita Simonyan. During the International Eurasia Award ceremony, she thanked all participants and presented awards in the "Global Language" category.

"Language is the greatest unifying force. Language makes us human; language distinguishes humans from animals. Promoting the Russian language abroad today is nothing short of a feat. We know the difficulties faced by people who try to speak Russian, take an interest in Russia or engage with our language in one way or another. As our great poet Anna Akhmatova wrote: 'And we shall preserve you, Russian speech, the great Russian word,'" emphasised Margarita Simonyan.

The International Eurasia Award ceremony was held on 15 October at the National Centre RUSSIA, recognising efforts to promote the Russian language, preserve traditional values and support culture, education and volunteering. It is the first international award in history to recognise organisations and outstanding individuals who make a significant contribution to the development of the Eurasian continent. The ceremony brought together more than 1,000 guests, including representatives of different countries, experts, partners and media personalities.