Moscow, December 5, 2014
In His address to the Federal Assembly, President Putin cited the Orthodox philosopher and national thinker Ivan Ilyin:
“The more actively citizens participate in the construction and ordering of their lives, the more independent they are both economically and politically, and the greater potential there is for Russia,” the President said. “I will cite here one quote (Ivan Ilyin): ‘Whoever loves Russia should desire freedom for it; first of all freedom for Russia itself, its international independence; freedom for Russia—as the unity of Russian and all other national cultures; and finally, freedom for Russian people, freedom for all of us; freedom of religion, the search for justice, creativity, labor, and property.’ There is great significance in this and a good commandment to all of us today.”
