Putin: Russia’s Unity Is the Foundation of National Sovereignty

By Staff, Agencies

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the "unconquerable spirit of unity" among the country's diverse peoples as Russia marked National Unity Day on November 4, describing mutual respect and harmony as foundations of national sovereignty and independence.

Speaking at the "Peoples of Russia" event in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said the country's unity had been preserved across generations. 

He also described the Russian language and the Russian people as fundamental pillars of Russian statehood and a unifying force among its diverse ethnic communities.

National Unity Day commemorates the liberation of Moscow from Polish-Lithuanian forces in 1612 by a volunteer army led by Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, an event that helped end the Time of Troubles and paved the way for the restoration of Russian statehood.

Earlier, Putin laid flowers at the monument to Minin and Pozharsky in Moscow's Red Square before meeting representatives of youth organizations, civic groups, military veterans and Russia's religious communities.

Russia is home to approximately 190 ethnic groups across its 89 federal subjects, including Tatars, Chechens, Bashkirs and Ukrainians, with many communities living in republics and autonomous regions.