"Time of Unity": history, culture and future of historical regions discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA
On 29 September, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted the "Time of Unity" educational forum organised by the Russian society Znanie. The event brought together around 300 participants, including students from Moscow universities and colleges, working young people and members of the expert community. The forum was held ahead of the Day of Reunification of the Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions with the Russian Federation, observed on 30 September.
The forum featured a series of open dialogues dedicated to preserving historical memory and cultural legacy, continuity between generations, shaping ideas about the future and projects for the development of historical territories.
The first section, "Heroes of Our Time", focused on the personal stories of Russian heroes, the theme of service and the role of education in fostering civic responsibility among young people. As part of the "History as the Foundation of the Future" track, participants discussed historical continuity and the importance of past experience for the country's future development. Maria Ponomareva, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor and Deputy Head for Research at the National Centre for Historical Memory under the President of the Russian Federation, stressed that there can be no future without the past and that historical memory is shaped to a great extent by personal stories. She spoke about the National Centre for Historical Memory's research and educational project "Archive Landing", dedicated to locating and digitising archival documents in order to counter the falsification of history, as well as the National Memory Portal, which helps people learn more about the history of their region and possibly find information about their relatives.
"History is the science of the past, present and future. It doesn't matter whether you are a professional historian or someone who has no intention of studying history at all. You still need to understand your past so that you don't feel alone and can understand your role in the life of the country," Maria Ponomareva said.
The central theme of the "Culture Unites Generations" section was the role of culture in preserving memory. Actor, director and co-founder of the "Ya Yest!" ("I Am!") charitable foundation supporting people with developmental differences Yegor Beroyev, drawing on his personal experience of travelling to Donbas, spoke about the role of art in shaping a shared national identity. He recalled meeting secondary school students from the Donetsk People's Republic and noted the young people's depth of knowledge, sincerity and engagement.
"Art can show what is happening faster than the longest reports, through stories about people with different views, positions and social backgrounds who come together around love, friendship, their profession and the creation of something good. And that gives us great hope," Yegor Beroyev said.
The programme concluded with the discussion "People Who Are Changing Regions". Experts discussed the key conditions needed for the development of territories. Yevgeny Minchenko, Candidate of Political Science, Director of the Centre for Political Elites Studies at MGIMO's Institute for International Studies and President of Minchenko Consulting communications holding company, and Dmitry Zhuravlev, Academic Director of the Institute of Regional Problems, discussed with the audience the role of management teams, human capital, education and professional mobility among young people.
"The three main factors in the long-term development of a region are people, the economy and education. It is important to develop industry and high-tech production, but without an education system that trains people who know their region and understand its needs, sustainable development cannot be achieved," Dmitry Zhuravlev said.
The role of management teams, human capital and professional mobility among young people was also an important topic of discussion.
The Day of Reunification of the Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions with the Russian Federation is observed in Russia on 30 September as an official commemorative date, established by federal law signed by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on 28 September 2023.
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