Sergei Shoigu: it is important to preserve the historical truth and the memory of the heroic deeds of our people

Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, President of the Russian Geographical Society, took part in the events that were held at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the "Peoples of Russia and the CIS Countries" festival on 3 November. The event is dedicated to Russian culture and national symbols. It is running from 31 October 31 to 5 November.

The Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation had a busy schedule during the visit. Thus, he attended the screening of "The Blood Type" film and a meeting with the film creators. This Russian war drama is directed by Maxim Brius and tells a story of a children's death camp in the Leningrad region during the Great Patriotic War. The film is based on real events.

"What you are doing today in the field of cinema is a real feat. This is a huge effort to restore historical memory, to preserve the great deeds of our people, of the peoples of Russia, and it is also a giant step forward – compared to what it was 20-25 years ago. I really hope that this all will move on further, and we will have new films such as "Liberation", "They Fought for Their Country", and many others," Sergei Shoigu thanked the filmmakers. 

According to the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, many military-themed films have yet to be made. For example, an important part of Viktor Astafyev's work remains almost untouched.

"The books by this amazing writer, with whom I had a good, close relationship, constitute a huge material about the war, about human memory, about morality," Sergei Shoigu noted. "I would like very much that, in the stream of foreign films and works that often distort our past and present, we could keep on defending our positions — the positions of truth, true history, and heroic deeds."

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

After the discussion, the head of the Security Council toured the Russian Geographical Society’s exposition and the VR cinema. With the help of VR glasses, he watched several films about the nature of Russia. After the session, Sergei Shoigu asked the organisers about how long it takes, and whether it is difficult, to make VR films.

Besides that, Sergei Shoigu attended a meeting with the creative team and a screening of the "Planet Tuva. In the footsteps of Sergei Mintslov's secret expedition" film. He welcomed all the participants, and shared his experience in archaeological research.

"Archaeology is a really interesting matter. As a schoolboy, right after my 5th grade, I took part in archaeological expeditions every summer. At that time, a lot of excavation work was carried out in the area of the Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant’s water reservoir. The senior comrades from Leningrad University and the Academy of Sciences taught us a lot," Sergei Shoigu said.

The President of the Russian Geographical Society said that the eighth season of expeditions to Tuva has ended this year.

"An idea to start exploring the Tuva territory came up when one of our foreign colleagues said: "I have a feeling that this burial ground is the burial ground of the tsars. It is located in permafrost, which means that organic matter could have been preserved there.” Of course, we took up this work with enthusiasm," he added.

Continuing the cultural programme, Sergei Shoigu attended "The Flag, the Coat of Arms, and Anthem of Russia: The History of Great Symbols" plenary session. The history and significance of the state symbols of the Russian Federation, their role in the formation of national identity, and the preservation of historical memory, were discussed here.

In addition, Sergei Shoigu took part in a workshop in the Gastronomic Rows, and then got acquainted with the "Znanie. Russia — the Peoples of Russia" photo exposition situated at the Walk of Fame of the National Centre RUSSIA.

The "Peoples of Russia and the CIS Countries" international festival runs from 31 October to 5 November at the National Centre RUSSIA, the World Trade Centre, and the MosKino Film Park. Educational and cultural programmes, expositions and workshops have been arranged for the participants. The events are aimed to bring together representatives of government authorities and the expert community.

The festival is organised by the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs (FADN of Russia), in coordination with the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, with the participation of the Ministry of Culture of Russia, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Government of Moscow, MosKino, Gazprom-Media Holding, RUTUBE, the Russian society Znanie, the Russian Geographical Society, ROSKINO JSC, the Regional Film Support Foundation, and the Internet Development Institute.