A holiday of unity and solidarity

Back in school, passing through the ancient Russian "military tale" "The Lay of Igor's Regiment", many of us thought: it is difficult to read, and these are the problems of "bygone days"...

But as one grows up, a person should realize that the most important thing in life is not limited to his personal well-being, freedom and happiness, that there is a deep inner connection between his life and the prosperity of his Motherland, and that, finally, this connection sometimes requires a person to sacrifice personal for the sake of the common, and sometimes give life itself for a common cause. If it were not so, we would not have any Motherland, we would not have ourselves.

National Unity Day is another reminder to all of us about the price of life and prosperity. And long before Minin and Pozharsky, before all subsequent terrible wars and historical catastrophes, Svyatoslav's "golden word" sounded - but it was "mixed with tears." Why with tears? Because "to moan you, dear land", from the princely feuds, because "not together their banners splash, Separately their lances sing and shine." Why "golden"? Because there is something more important than personal success, and selfish detachment from the needs and concerns of the native land, neglect of the Motherland and the state in political disagreements always sooner or later lead to disaster.

This is what we, dear students and colleagues, must always remember, and this is the great historical and symbolic meaning of today's holiday – from Svyatoslav to Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy, from Minin and Pozharsky to Mikhail Kutuzov, from millions of famous and nameless heroes of the Great Patriotic War before you and me. We are all a single chain of generations, and without our active patriotic participation, future generations will not have any Motherland.

Let's remember this. Always.

Happy holiday, National Unity Day – a day of unity and solidarity!

IvSU Rector Alexey Malygin