“In the first place, I would like to emphasize the reality of the address, which was, among other things, manifested in the fact that it was said at the very beginning that the unity and the rise in patriotism that we now see among people absolutely does not mean that there are no problems in our society and that people are happy with everything. The Russian administration, in the opinion of the president, should clearly understand that. It’s a very important contention, which set the tone of the entire address,” Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the Synodal Department for Church, Society and Media Relations.
The next issue he mentioned was “care for people as a central element of the entire address and the problem of justice associated with it,” he said.
“It was present in different parts of the speech. For example, in the education part, which talked about assistance and support to gifted children. It was said that any child is gifted, one just has to find the right approach to him. The idea of care for people was also present in the social and economic parts and the parts dealing with business development,” Legoyda said.
“It is very symbolic and important in terms of content” that the text of the address contained quotes from philosopher Alexey Losev and Academician Dmitry Likhachyov, who are “intellectual and spiritual beacons of Russian culture,” he said.
“The words of Alexey Fyodorovich Losev, which correspond to the idea of reconciliation of history, which His Holiness Patriarch Kirill has repeatedly mentioned in his speeches, are very indicative. It is also very important that the address sets tasks for Russian education, quoting Dmitry Sergeyevich Likhachyov; ‘give knowledge and raise moral people’,” Legoyda said.
He called the president’s position on freedom of creative work, the idea that it should not be restricted by censorship, that vandalism is unacceptable, but, on the other hand, that the responsibility of artists to society is important, “wise and balanced.”
“One cannot help but support the contention that, if representatives of the creative intelligentsia consider themselves advanced people in the spiritual and intellectual sphere, they should have understanding for the feelings and opinion of other people. In this regard, I would like to again mention Yury Lotman, who said that a cultured person is ‘someone who is hurt by a different person’s pain’,” Legoyda said.