Putin hails Russia’s ‘unconquerable spirit of unity’ (PHOTOS)

Harmony and mutual respect among the country’s peoples are the foundation of Russia’s sovereignty, the president said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the “unconquerable spirit of unity” of Russia’s peoples as the country marks National Unity Day.

“Harmony and mutual respect among the peoples of Russia – their unity – form the very foundation upon which our country’s sovereignty and independence rest,” Putin said at the “Peoples of Russia” event on Wednesday in Moscow. “The powerful, unconquerable spirit of unity among the peoples of Russia is passed down from generation to generation.”

National Unity Day, celebrated on November 4, commemorates the liberation of Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian forces in 1612 by a volunteer army led by merchant Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The victory helped end the Time of Troubles and paved the way for the restoration of Russian statehood and the establishment of the Romanov dynasty in 1613.

Putin also described the Russian language and the Russian people as “the foundational pillars of Russian statehood,” which serve as a unifying force for its many ethnic groups.

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Earlier in the day, Putin laid flowers at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Moscow’s Red Square.

He shook hands with members of youth movements and civic organizations, military veterans, and representatives of Russia’s religious communities, including Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist leaders.

Russia comprises a wealth of ethnically and religiously diverse communities spread across its 89 federal subjects. It is home to around 190 ethnic groups, including Tatars, Chechens, Bashkirs, and Ukrainians. Many inhabit national republics and autonomous regions such as Tatarstan, Chechnya, Dagestan, and Bashkortostan.