Pierre de Gaulle at the National Centre RUSSIA: "Your country is beautiful and multifaceted, and the unity of its peoples is astonishing"
The National Centre RUSSIA welcomed distinguished guests from France. The permanent exposition "Journey Across Russia" was visited by Pierre de Gaulle — a French public figure and financier, grandson of the legendary General Charles de Gaulle, founder and first President of the Fifth Republic — and his wife, Najet Bensouiki. Over the course of a few hours spent at the exposition, they discovered the country and its key achievements from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad, and admired the richness of nature, culture and traditions of all federal districts.
"It is magnificent — my wife and I really enjoyed it. We are surprised by how beautiful, majestic and multifaceted Russia is, how many different peoples live here in unity and harmony, and how they all live for their country, working for its future and well-being. Indeed, the unity in Russia is something that strikes us greatly. It is astonishing that such a large country — a whole civilisation — is so strong and united," shared Pierre de Gaulle.
The guests were particularly impressed by Russia's nature: the majestic taiga, the picturesque Lake Baikal, the Amur tigers, the fertile fields and much more. Pierre de Gaulle also highly appreciated the opportunity to "touch" the lava in Kamchatka and other interactive formats for experiencing the genuine beauty of our native land.
"To be honest, you are very fortunate with the beauty that surrounds you, not to mention science and its achievements — for it is known throughout the world how powerful and strong Russian science is. And we hope that we will be able to travel even more across Russia, to see more and to visit more," added the guest from France.
According to Pierre de Gaulle, the "Journey Across Russia" exposition helps both foreigners and Russians themselves to better understand the scale and grandeur of the country: "This is a large state with 89 regions and different nationalities that live together in friendship. Millions of Buddhists, Muslims, the Jewish Autonomous Region — all this and much more we should know and learn about. And it is wonderful that your President organises programmes for students and schoolchildren so that they can visit different regions and see why they are so unique, beautiful and united."
Asked about the main reasons why a foreigner might choose to move to Russia, Pierre de Gaulle replied: "The first reason is the richness of your culture. The second is the Russian soul — unique, beautiful and great, in which all the finest qualities of a person are reflected. And the third is values — patriotic, religious and universal human values. They protect our historical and cultural legacy and pass on to future generations all the riches of the multipolar world, of which Russia is the guardian."
Anyone can take part in the survey and share their thoughts on what the Motherland means to them on the russia.ru website, either in writing or by recording a video message.
