Valdai: a Russian Wedding

Valdai is the most important discussion platform of the Russian Federation. The town of Valdai is located in the Novgorod Oblast between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
 
This place is sanctified as the land that gave birth to Russia. The Iversky Monastery in Valdai, which hosts small lakes and forests, is also important for Orthodox history. Valdai was the place where church bells were made in the Russian Empire era.
 
As Valdai celebrates its decennial, 200 politicians, academics, journalists and analysts gathered there to discuss the issues of the world and Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the discussions for seven hours, showing the importance he attaches to Valdai. With a confident speech, Putin exhibited first-class leadership. He masterfully ignored or avoided questions he found unpleasant. He acted comfortably in terms of his body language. He displayed strength, intelligence and dynamism. Putin's popularity is greater than that of his party. He receives 60 percent support. For this reason, he implied he would run for the presidency against in 2018. Putin has served as president for two terms in the past, between 1999 and 2008, and became president again in 2012. He will have spent 24 years as president if he wins again. This would repeat the record of Joseph Stalin, who ruled the country for 24 years between 1929 and his death in 1953.
 
This is a time when the Russian identity is being redefined. Despite the fact that Putin himself stressed in Valdai that Russia is a multiethnic, multi-religious country, the place of Orthodoxy in the Russian state and Russian identity that was built in the aftermath of the Soviet Union is exclusive. Moscow has begun to pay attention to Orthodox people outside of Russia. It also extends its support to Russians in the West to ensure they preserve their identity. It was also evident in Valdai that Russia is in search of making peace with those Russians who had to leave the country during the Soviet period.
 
I liked the statement by Putin in Valdai that “Russia is fate, not a project like the EU.” Putin and Russian intellectuals believe that there should be differences between Western democracies and Russia. They describe European Union democracy as a model of government that recognizes the rights of homosexuals, stressing that there are so many nations and peoples in the world who would not be able to live by the criteria of Europe.
 
As far as I could see in Valdai, the years when Westerners saw Russia as a rival or enemy have been left behind. Even though Russia is not yet considered family, it is seen as a potential partner. The West and NATO have left the destinies and control of the Asian republics to Russia. On the other hand, they are trying to include the European (Western) republics of the former Soviet Union within the boundaries of the EU.
 
We should recall that the St. Petersburg school of thought says that Russia has supported alignment with the West since the time of the Russian Empire. On this basis, EU countries state that restrictions to travel should be removed and ask for the lifting of visa requirements with Russia. The main goal of Eurasianism as promoted by the Central Asian delegates in Valdai is to ensure that Central Asia becomes closer with Russia but has better relations with the EU and the West than with Russia.
 
Russian singer Irina Allegrova says, “Wedding flowers are whiter than snow.” Valdai was actually a wedding at which Russians hosted intellectuals from around the world. I would like to thank all who contributed to it.