Singer and producer David Manukyan: "The Motherland begins with yourself"

As part of the nationwide project "What Does the Motherland Begin With?", the National Centre RUSSIA continues to collect thoughts and associations that people from different walks of life connect with this important concept. Russian singer, video blogger, actor, producer and TV presenter David Manukyan, widely known as Dava, shared his perspective. He believes the answer to the project's central question lies within each individual.

"The first thing that comes to mind is that the Motherland begins with yourself. It begins with your attitude towards it, with what you radiate, the values you hold and what you think about other people. We can talk about this at length and in many different ways, but I believe we should always start with ourselves: what you personally love, what you bring into the world, whether it is good or evil, what questions you ask yourself and how you answer them," David Manukyan said.

"What Does the Motherland Begin With?" is an original project launched by the National Centre RUSSIA and implemented during the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. The first stage of the project was a survey involving Russian citizens and people from other countries, who answered the question: where does the Motherland begin for them personally?

The project has also hosted a series of meetings entitled "Motherland Is People", focusing on family, healthcare, infrastructure for everyday life, personal fulfilment, sovereignty and traditional values. A new series, "Motherland Is Service", tells the stories of people who have found their calling in a particular profession and become role models for others.

Everyone can share the roots of their love for their homeland as part of the "What Does the Motherland Begin With?" project. Submit your thoughts as a comment or video on russia.ru.