Residents of the Far East were the first to celebrate the New Year in Russia. They were the first to see the New Year's address from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In his congratulations, he thanked all Russians for “victories and achievements, for understanding and trust, for real, heartfelt concern for Russia.” The head of state admitted that the past year has not been easy, but its difficulties “brought us together and encouraged us to open up the enormous reserves of our capabilities to move forward.”
Vladimir Putin noted that the main thing is to believe in yourself and your country. He also thanked everyone for their successful work, especially noting those “who are now fulfilling their labor and military duty” on New Year’s Eve.
The President of Russia called on everyone to become “a little wizard” on the night of December 31 to January 1, to be attentive to loved ones and others: take care of parents and children, respect colleagues, and provide support to those in need.
“Peace and prosperity to our common, great Motherland - Russia, happiness to you and health, prosperity,” concluded Vladimir Putin.
The Parliamentary Gazette provides the full text of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New Year’s address to Russian citizens:
Dear citizens of Russia! Dear friends!
2016 is leaving. It was not easy, but the difficulties we faced united us and prompted us to discover the enormous reserves of our capabilities to move forward.
The main thing is that we believe in ourselves, in our strengths, in our country. We work, we work successfully, and we achieve a lot. I would like to sincerely thank you for your victories and achievements, for your understanding and trust, for your real, heartfelt concern for Russia.
We have a huge, unique and beautiful country! We are united by common concerns and common joys; we are united by a long, good tradition of celebrating the New Year with our family, with hope for the best.
But not everyone is at the festive table today. Many of our citizens, including those far from their homes, ensure the security of Russia, work in enterprises and are on duty in hospitals, pilot trains and planes. To everyone who is now fulfilling their labor and military duty, my best wishes for the coming year.
Dear friends!
Now we are excitedly awaiting the striking of the Moscow Kremlin chimes and, more clearly than ever, we hear the passage of time and feel how the future is approaching. This happens only in these moments, on this wonderful, beloved holiday.
And he also has his own secrets. For example, each of us can become a little wizard on New Year's Eve. To do this, you just need to treat your parents with love and gratitude, surround your children and your family with attention and care, respect your work colleagues, cherish friendships, defend truth and justice, be merciful, and help those who are waiting for support. That's the whole secret.
May all our dreams, pure thoughts and good intentions come true. Let joy and love reign in every home. Let the streets, cities and towns dear to our hearts become more beautiful and attractive.
Peace and prosperity to our common, great Motherland - Russia. I wish you happiness, health and prosperity.
Happy holiday! Happy New Year 2017!
The President's message on New Year's Eve is the main program of the festive evening, which “opens” the new year. No matter how people feel about the president, traditions are traditions, so the president’s address to citizens is heard from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad. The president’s congratulations, as has become the custom, are not idle speeches about abstract things divorced from Russia, this is not a New Year’s greeting from greeting cards, suitable in its wording for everyone. These are special words in which the president traditionally sums up the results of the year, not for journalists, as during his press conference, not for officials, as during his address to the Federal Assembly, but for the people - the Russians, who were the driving force behind the country's development in the past year .
Russians also expect to hear what 2017 has in store and what prospects await the country in the new year. In other words, Russians are not waiting for the usual Happy New Year greetings in the style of a table toast; they are waiting for a “strategic vision” from the leader of the country, who sits higher, and should see further, and can understand the underlying processes better. The President's address should be devoted to their analysis.
And it seems that according to tradition, up to a certain point, everything was like this. But this year, as in the previous few, the format of the appeal has changed dramatically. Now it is impossible to “calculate” the year of congratulations from the president’s words; his video message has become universal.
WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT?
Firstly, there was not a single mention of what happened in 2016. The Russians heard rather lengthy formulations that in 2016 “the difficulties we faced united us and prompted us to open up the enormous reserves of our capabilities to move forward. The main thing is that we believe in ourselves, in our strengths, in our country. We work, we work successfully, and we achieve a lot. I would like to sincerely thank you for your victories and achievements, for your understanding and trust, for your real, heartfelt concern for Russia.”
But in reality, how did we work this year? What exploits the country had - all this turned out to be unworthy of the president’s attention. He did not mention the military feat in Syria, which he spoke about last year, nor the challenges facing the country, nor the elections to the State Duma, nor the socio-economic problems of Russia, nor the construction of the Kerch Bridge. At the same time, in the post-Soviet space, the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan, on the contrary, were talking about the results of the past year. Nazarbayev mentioned that in 2016 the republic celebrated a quarter century of its independence. Lukashenko, summing up the results of the year, talked about the challenges the country faced and the responses to them - “the country has become a hostage to the economic situation of its partners, we managed to preserve Belarus as an island of stability, there will never be aggression or threats from Belarusian soil. Belarus is strengthening its authority in international cooperation... the political campaigns of the past year have shown the civic maturity and political culture of our people.” He also said that the government, together with the people, had determined “the priorities and directions for the country’s development.”
It is striking that Lukashenko is talking about the development of the country, Putin does not even mention this word, the Belarusian leader started talking about development as a kind of process of moving towards something through setting priorities and directions. Putin does not have a single word about this. However, not only is there no word “development” in the New Year’s address, there is also no such target setting, it has been replaced by “we will endure and tighten our belts”; there was no development itself either in 2016 or earlier.
Secondly, the president did not mention a single project in the future, as if the president does not see the future of the country, and as if the people do not need a target to which they should strive. The president did not promise the people anything, apparently believing that without further ado, he was guaranteed a new term, if not by the will of the people, then by the entire electoral system, in which public sector employees would have to vote as they were strongly recommended.
Regnum news agency, addressing Belarusians, provided them with the opportunity to hear the address of the Russian president, who has not broadcast to the territory of Belarus since 2014. However, what Belarusians heard clearly contrasted with the message of their president. There was nothing in Putin’s speech that the Russian leader would be proud of; there was not a single goal in the future that the country should work toward all year. Lukashenko, on the contrary, said that Belarus “is creating new production, building roads, power plants, important social facilities and residential buildings.”
Putin could not say any of this: no new production is being created in the country, only new deposits are being developed. Lukashenko announced to Belarusians that “the year should be a turning point and give a new impetus to the development of the country. We will focus on the creation of industries and the development of jobs, the activation of business, we will assign an important role to domestic science... the standard of living of the people should be much higher than today... we will significantly increase the incomes of citizens... no matter how difficult it is, we will maintain the support of families.” Did the Russians want to hear something similar? Yes, of course they wanted to, especially in the context of the closure of production and the increase in non-payment of wages. But the Kremlin has no such need to improve the lives of ordinary citizens.
The leader of Kazakhstan also did not ignore plans for the coming year: “Our country will be the focus of major events - the Winter Universiade in Almaty, Astana will welcome guests from all over the planet at the Expo exhibition, Kazakhstan will begin to serve as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. All this demonstrates serious confidence in our country and a new incentive for its development... New measures to promote employment will be introduced, a new program of agro-industrial development will begin to operate, the production of high-quality food will increase, the incomes of villagers will seriously increase, increases in pensions and other social payments will affect about 3 million people. " Another leader spoke on New Year's Eve about the welfare of his citizens.
Even the head of the young unrecognized state of the DPR, Zakharchenko, announced in his address that “this will allow us to improve the financial situation of our citizens in the coming year.” And only Putin did not have a hint of concern about the financial situation of his citizens.
After the messages of Lukashenko and Nazarbayev, there is a feeling that their country occupies a place on the map for a reason, that the leadership understands what important tasks they face in the coming year, and the authorities themselves have not distanced themselves so much from the people, since in their messages they also talk about citizens, about that it is necessary to increase the standard of living and their material well-being. The congratulation becomes a programming short document that instills faith in citizens in a bright future, to the construction of which the country's leadership will not remain indifferent. But there was nothing of this in the Russian leader’s congratulations. Putin wished only “happiness and health, well-being,” thereby expressing the postulate that Russians will have all this only if they make an effort for it themselves. Perhaps, the president’s address sounded quite in the spirit of Medvedev’s communication with pensioners: “There is no money... You hang in here, all the best to you, good mood and health.”
WHAT DID THE PRESIDENT SAY?
Absolutely nothing. His New Year's greeting would be equally suitable for any large country, for any past year and any year in the future. But it is completely unsuitable for the Russia of the current moment, which is awaiting reforms, reforms and transformations, requiring solutions to economic problems, and not a passive wait-and-see approach that everything will work itself out.
There were also good words about the need to treat relatives with love and gratitude, but while listening to the president, other associations were involuntarily caught. While he talked about the need to “surround your children with attention and care,” thoughts came to mind of his daughter’s foundation, which receives multimillion-dollar grants from government corporations. While he was talking about the need to “take care of friendship,” the Kerch Bridge, being built by the companies of his friends, came to mind. I remembered all the largest mega projects in the country - South Stream, Turkish Stream, the entire oil and gas infrastructure of the country, behind which are Timchenko and the Rotenbergs. While he was saying that it was necessary to “defend truth and justice, help those who are waiting for support,” I remembered pictures of destroyed houses and dead civilians of Donbass who rose up for their truth - the sovereignty of their country, reunification with their historical Motherland Russia. They never received the help they were counting on.
What looked at Russian citizens from TV screens was not Putin’s tired face, but a mask behind which hid the entire system built during the Yeltsin-Putin period of history. As a person, Putin has long been tired; another New Year’s greeting is a kind of formality that, for the sake of decency, he must observe. Any Caucasian toast would be more rich and sincere in congratulations than the short, empty, meaningless words of the president, uttered by him on New Year's Eve.
As president, Putin has nothing more to give to his country. Everything he could take, he has already taken, now it’s time to give back, to revive Russia. But this stage of history will probably no longer take place under the leadership of the permanent Putin. As a man of the system, Putin maintains the course of Yeltsin, whose shameful monument is now proudly exalted in Yekaterinburg with budget funds. But the system has outlived its usefulness, its entire mechanism is failing, and it’s time to change it.
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In the last minutes of 2007, Vladimir Putin will speak for the last, ninth time during his presidential reign on the most rated program on Russian television - the President's New Year's Address. And with the chiming of the chimes, the countdown will begin not only of the new year, but also of Putin’s term in office.
The genre of the President's New Year's address in general, and in Russia in particular, is extremely conservative: as in the previous 7 years, Putin will most likely sum up the results of the past year and wish good luck to citizens in the coming year. And given that the president is not leaving politics, it is quite possible that he will once again outline the range of tasks for the future.
In total, Vladimir Putin congratulated his people on the New Year eight times, one of them as acting President. president in 1999 after Yeltsin left. A closer look at Putin’s speeches reveals that he is trying to move away from information content as much as possible, appealing to understandable emotions, which he seeks to “close” to himself.
In the USSR, the tradition of New Year's television addresses from the country's top officials goes back 37 years: for the first time, the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev congratulated his people on the New Year 1971. In 1976, the infirm general secretaries were replaced by an announcer. This was the case with minimal variations until perestroika, when Mikhail Gorbachev experimented with television.
The most radical innovations were introduced by Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. The first president of Russia, for example, decided that he would raise a glass of champagne at the end of his speech. And in 1997, it was Yeltsin who proposed to reinforce the words about family values by the presence of his entire large family in the frame.
Vladimir Putin, having become President of Russia, introduced his own tradition into his New Year's address to his people. He became the first leader of the country to congratulate Russians on the New Year not from his office, but standing on the street, against the backdrop of the winter Kremlin. Only once - in that same 1999, when he had to urgently replace Yeltsin - Putin congratulated his fellow citizens from the Kremlin office.
This appeal stands apart in many ways: firstly, then acting. The president addressed not only the people, but also those from whom he felt threatened. And secondly, at the same time, for the first and last time, Putin promised to “resolutely suppress any attempts to go beyond the framework of Russian laws, beyond the framework of the Constitution of Russia”: “Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the media, property rights - these are the fundamental elements of a civilized society will be reliably protected by the state."
The first congratulations of Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev were more reminiscent of a report at the next plenum of the Central Committee, but it was they that determined the further tradition. In 1971, Brezhnev told people how “spaceships roam the expanses of the Bolshoi Theater,” i.e. that throughout the country “hundreds of enterprises have come into operation, new highways have been laid, new cities have risen.” And at the end he wished him “success in your work for the benefit of the socialist homeland.”
Mikhail Gorbachev, despite the apparent outward democracy, flatly refused to diversify the interior of the studio with a decorated Christmas tree or even a spruce branch. And they filmed it not in the Ostankino studio, but in their own office in the Kremlin, reports Komsomolskaya Pravda. The openness of the first president of the USSR to experiments led to the fact that since 1987, US President Ronald Reagan congratulated the Soviet people, and Gorbachev, respectively, congratulated the Americans.
The ritual tradition was broken in the 1990s: in the coming 1991, satirist Mikhail Zadornov addressed the people, receiving his 5 minutes of fame, and in 1998, NTV went even further - a Boris Yeltsin doll congratulated Russians on the holiday. Instead of the president, the people of Russia on the same NTV channel congratulated Alla Pugacheva and Nikolai Fomenko on the New Year. However, the tradition of congratulations from people other than the president did not last long.
Features of congratulations to Putin
President Putin both restored the conservative tradition and reformed it by introducing congratulations on the street. This has made life difficult for television crews, since they have to bring in mobile power stations to illuminate the Kremlin building. A special plan is drawn up, which is coordinated with the Federal Security Service and the Kremlin Commandant’s Office.
The President arrives when the lights, sound and everything else are finally checked. The weather is not specially predicted. An hour before the start of filming, as their participants say, falcons are released to disperse the crows, of which there are a lot in the Kremlin park (teams of falconers are constantly working in the Kremlin). Champagne disappeared from the frame with the arrival of Putin.
The president writes the text of the New Year's greetings a few days before the New Year; he does not burden it with numbers and political theses, so the president's televised address is more personal, family-oriented. As a rule, it is written from the first take, without any editing or gluing. Therefore, a television recording, like a broadcast, lasts no more than 5 minutes, reports Rossia.su
A closer look at Putin’s congratulations reveals that he chooses the most neutral words possible, refuses specifics (more and more as time goes on), limiting himself to a general vague positive assessment of the outgoing year. Some facts cited by President Putin are the anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War (in 2005) and the fight against global terrorism (2001).
Also noteworthy in Putin’s congratulations to his people is the contrast I/we as a realization of the opposition own/someone else's. In his speeches, the president identifies himself with the Russian people, avoiding using the word I(the president only wishes and congratulates on his own behalf) and constantly using pronouns we, our, all of us, each of us.
The only constant meaningful component of his congratulations is an appeal to family values, which have long been understood and demanded by the bearer of Russian culture: respect for people of the older generation, love for children, care for loved ones. Considering this, as well as the fact that Putin declared next year the Year of the Family, it can be assumed that the congratulations will devote significant space to the ideals of the traditional family.
Putin's New Year's addresses are characterized by short, succinct phrases: they increase the chances of reaching the emotions of everyone who listens to him at the New Year's table. The imagery of the text in Putin’s speeches is minimal; phrases of a generalized meaning dominate. (Based on the article New Year's address as a ritual genre of political discourse: macrostructural components and means of their expression).
New Year's address Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 1999
"Dear friends!
Today, on New Year's Eve, I, like you and my family and friends, was going to listen to the words of greeting from Russian President Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin. But it turned out differently. Today, December 31, 1999, the first president of Russia decided to resign. He asked me to address the country. Dear Russians, dear compatriots! Today I am entrusted with the responsibility of the head of state. In three months there will be presidential elections in Russia.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that there will not be a power vacuum in the country for a minute. It never was and never will be. I want to warn that any attempts to go beyond the framework of Russian laws, beyond the framework of the Russian Constitution will be resolutely suppressed. Freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the media, property rights - these fundamental elements of a civilized society will be reliably protected by the state.
The Armed Forces, the Federal Border Service, and law enforcement agencies carry out their work as usual, as before. The state has stood and will stand guard over the safety of each of our people. In making his decision to transfer power, the president acted in full accordance with the Constitution of the country.
It is possible to truly appreciate how much this man has done for Russia only after some time. Although it is already clear today that Russia has followed the path of democracy and reform, has not deviated from this path, and has been able to declare itself as a strong independent state; this is a great merit.
I want to wish the first President of Russia, Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, health and happiness!
New Year is the brightest, kindest, most beloved holiday in Rus'. As you know, dreams come true on New Year's Day. And even more so on such an extraordinary New Year. All the good and all the good things you have planned will definitely come true. Dear friends!
There are only a few seconds left until the year 2000 begins. Let's smile at our family and friends. Let's wish each other warmth, happiness, love. And let us raise our glasses to the new century of Russia, to love and peace in each of our homes, to the health of our parents and children.
Happy New Year to you, happy new century!"
New Year's message Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 2000
"Dear friends!
Dear citizens of Russia!
At these moments we not only compare our watches, we compare our thoughts and feelings, we compare our expectations - our expectations with what we actually have. Another year remains behind, a year of joyful and tragic events, a year of difficult decisions. But still, what just recently seemed almost impossible is becoming a fact of our lives.
Noticeable elements of stability have appeared in the country, and this is worth a lot for politics, for the economy, and for each of us. We have finally come together and are uniting Russia. We realized how dearly the dignity of a country is given and how highly valued it is.
You and I know: on this festive night, not everyone has a rich table, not every home has happiness and success. We must remember this, not forget that we still have a lot of work to do, but only everyone can do it together. And then the time will definitely come when we will be calm for both our elderly and our children. Dear friends, I know that you are all already looking at your watches. Indeed, in a few seconds we will simultaneously enter a new year, a new century, and a new millennium. This happens infrequently and will only happen again with our descendants, whose life it is even difficult for us to imagine today. It is to them that we will leave both our successes and our mistakes as a legacy.
But in these moments, each of us thinks about our loved ones and loved ones. I would like to wish you what they usually wish for their relatives and friends - health, peace, prosperity. And, of course, good luck.
Good luck to you! Happy New Year!"
New Year's message Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 2001
"Citizens of Russia! Dear friends!
In just a few minutes, another year of our lives will become the year of the past. It quickly fades into history, and we remember the most important events. There were many of them - both good and dramatic.
For Russia, in general, this year was successful both in internal affairs and in foreign policy. And each day moved us further away from the difficult time of economic and social upheaval. To achieve this, we did a lot together, we worked together to make our lives more predictable. We have achieved, albeit small, but visible results. The year 2001 was noticeably different from previous ones. It was possible not only to maintain the trend of economic growth, but to improve people’s lives, albeit slightly. We managed to prove that the good results of the previous year were not accidental, that they were not just an episode of our lives.
In the past year, important groundwork was made for the future. A legislative framework has been created for new and serious steps in economic and social policy. Decisions have been made that should affect the business climate in the country in the long term, for several years to come.
Russia began to be treated with greater trust and respect in the world, we began to be better understood. It turned out to be obvious that Russia's consistent fight against terror is dictated not only by our national interests, but also by its global danger. The world community responded to the latest challenge from terrorists with unprecedentedly intense international cooperation. The states rallied and, together with Russia, stood up to defend peace, tranquility and life itself.
Dear friends! Not everything we planned has already been done. There are still more unresolved issues than achievements. In the past year, unfortunately, not all citizens of our country began to live better. And not everyone can achieve this on their own, without the support of society and the state. We must remember this both when we sum up the results and when we make plans for the future.
Now that there is very little time left before the New Year, I wish all citizens of Russia, first of all, well-being. In these last seconds of 2001, let's wish each other happiness, say kind words to our loved ones, and say goodbye to our children. We wish us all health and good luck!
Good luck, love and faith! Believe in yourself and in our Fatherland!
Happy New Year to you, dear friends! Happy New Year 2002!"
New Year's address by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens December 31, 2002
“Dear friends! Another year has passed. And at these moments we all remember what we consider the most important for ourselves. One way or another, we are summing up the symbolic result of our past. The whole country is summing up the results of the year.
On this New Year's Eve, I thank you for everything. For everything that we have achieved in the past year. After all, what awaits us ahead depends on what has already been done.
This year has turned out differently for each of us. But now, without forgetting about the past, we are, of course, thinking about the future. And therefore, first of all, I want to wish you fulfillment of your desires. So that everything you have planned, wished, conceived will come true and work out. May all your good undertakings, plans and plans come true.
May everyone be successful in business in the New Year. After all, it is from them that our common life is formed. The fate of the country is taking shape. The fate of Russia.
May our parents and children be healthy. May there be peace and prosperity in every home.
I wish you all a Happy New Year. Those who meet him with family and friends. And those who are away from home on New Year's Eve.
We are on the threshold of the third year of the third millennium. And Russia, a country with a thousand-year history, meets its future with dignity.
We have an old, good tradition - to give each other gifts on New Year's holiday. Let's give our loved ones today the most valuable, most precious things - warmth, attention and love.
Happy New Year to you, dear friends!
With new happiness!"
New Year's message Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 2003
"Dear citizens of Russia!
Dear friends!
We are saying goodbye to 2003. Of course, he was different.
There were difficulties and mistakes, and many unresolved problems remained. However, together we searched and found the necessary solutions. And everything that we have achieved is not just a gift of fate, because we worked hard all year. They worked for themselves and for the well-being of their families. And all this contributed to our common success.
At these moments, each of us remembers our main - personal and family - events. It is especially gratifying that in the past year we have had more new Russian citizens born than in the past.
This is a good sign. This means that people in our country look to the future with more confidence. And I wish both children and parents to bring each other only joy. Understand and take care of each other. Live in peace, love and harmony. Dear friends!
New Year is a holiday that has been and will remain a symbol of goodness and hope. And we, with good reason, believe in the best. And we hope to do everything that we haven’t done yet or haven’t been able to do yet.
In just a few seconds the new year 2004 will begin. I wish you that everything you planned will work out. And what was planned came true.
Let your homes be filled with comfort. May peace of mind, warmth and prosperity accompany you not only on New Year's Eve, but throughout your life. Good luck to you, dear compatriots!
Happy New Year!"
New Year's message Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 2004
“Dear citizens of Russia! Dear friends! In a few minutes, the striking of the Kremlin chimes will herald the beginning of a new year, 2005. And the passing year will become part of Russian history. It, without a doubt, reflected the fate of each of us. The achievements of the entire Russian people were reflected. New ones have arisen projects, approaches to solving pressing national problems.
We have taken serious steps aimed at increasing the efficiency of government, its openness to society and its responsibility to it. The economic and defense potential has strengthened, and the capabilities of our country have increased. We began to invest more in education and science. Programs have been developed to build affordable housing and improve the quality of healthcare.
All our priorities are related to the intellectual and spiritual development of a person. Unlocking everyone's potential and improving people's lives is the main task, the main internal force for Russia's development.
I must say that the past year was marked by dramatic events for our people. And even today, on New Year’s Eve, we must remember this. The coming year 2005 is a special year for all of us - the year of the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. This is a great holiday for us. For all the peoples with whom we are connected by a common destiny. I would say historical kinship.
Dear friends! Starting with the new year 2005, we are returning to a long-standing Russian tradition - the tradition of big New Year holidays. Let them be bright and memorable. Let them be filled with warmth and cordiality. On New Year's Eve we always try to be together with people close and dear to us. We are especially attentive to parents, willingly share joy with friends, and wish happiness to children. And, of course, we think about the future. And no matter what personal plans we make, each of us knows: they are directly related to the well-being and success of our Russia.
Let your homes be filled with celebration! Happiness to you, peace, kindness and love! Happy new year dear friends! Happy New Year 2005!"
New Year's message Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens on December 31, 2005
"Dear citizens of Russia! Dear friends!
In a few minutes we will welcome the new year, 2006.
These moments always unite the people of our huge country, because each of us now remembers the past, thinks about the future and hopes, of course, for the best.
When assessing the events of the past year, we think first of all about our loved ones, about our family, about how we ourselves lived this year.
And the fate of the country is, in fact, formed from the life of each of us.
We can safely say that the year 2005, which goes down in history, was generally positive for us in almost all areas and convincingly proved that we are capable of a lot. We, of course, still have enough problems, and we know that we can only solve them ourselves.
We have big, very serious plans in the economic and social sphere. We will strengthen Russia's defense capability and, in the broadest sense of the word, protect the interests of our citizens. And we will do it.
New Year is one of our favorite holidays. He is kind and, despite the winter weather, a truly warm holiday. It unites us around our main values: love for children, for parents, for our loved ones, for our home, for our country.
There are many bright holiday days ahead.
Good luck to you!
Happy New Year!!"
New Year's address by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Russian citizens December 31, 2006
“Dear citizens of Russia! Dear friends! In a few minutes, the most beloved, warm, traditionally family holiday for us will come - New Year. For each of us this is a special celebration, this is a dream holiday.
And all of us - so different - are now united by hopes for good changes, united by a sense of belonging to one big family, whose name is Russia.
Today we celebrate the new year 2007. We are already looking more confidently into the future. We are significantly expanding the horizons of our plans. This became possible thanks to the common efforts to revive and strengthen the country in recent years.
I would like, and we will do everything possible, to ensure that the results we have achieved in the economy lead to serious positive changes in the life of each individual person.
So that there are fewer poor people. So that life is connected not only with solving everyday problems, but is filled with love and care for each other. So that there are more children and that they are happy.
Our task is to ensure that young people receive a modern education, find worthy use of their talents and abilities, and be healthy. We create conditions for the development of spirituality and culture, education and science. Those values that will truly determine the development of Russia in the future. Respect for the older generation is a sign of the maturity of any society and its sustainability.
The state is obliged and will support and help older people, but this will not replace the warmth of their loved ones.
I ask you not to forget about those who made our future possible - about our mothers and fathers, about grandfathers and grandmothers. Now at the festive table there are friends, closest and dearest people.
I wish you a Happy New Year!
May all your wishes come true. Let there be health and prosperity in every family of our big country.
Good luck to you! Good luck! Happy New Year 2007!"
A short course of New Year's greetings
Chairman of the USSR Central Executive Committee Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin congratulated the drifting polar explorers on long-distance communication waves.
December 31, 1941. First general radio congratulations. The same Kalinin addressed all citizens and spoke about the results of the first year of the war. Congratulations continued until 1944, then they were canceled until 1953. But it was not the leader personally who addressed the country, but the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers.
December 31, 1970. The first televised greeting in the USSR. Leonid Brezhnev addressed the Soviet people ten minutes before the New Year.
Since 1976 (often due to the poor health of the general secretaries - Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko), instead of the top officials, Igor Kirillov congratulated the country.
December 31, 1985. The first televised greeting of the new era. Mikhail Gorbachev resumed the tradition and went on air himself a few minutes before midnight.
December 31, 1991. The country's first televised greeting from a satirist. Writer Mikhail Zadornov, instead of the resigned president, congratulated the people on the New Year on Channel One. But it didn’t meet the timing, which is why the broadcast of the chimes had to be delayed. The New Year arrived in the country a minute later.
December 31, 1992. The first televised greeting from the President of Russia. Boris Yeltsin introduced the tradition of addressing people against the background of a decorated Christmas tree with a glass of champagne in hand.
December 31, 1999. The famous double telecongratulation. At noon, Boris Yeltsin congratulated the people and said that he was tired and was leaving. At midnight, Vladimir Putin said that he was going to celebrate the holiday at home, like everyone else, listening to the president, but was now forced to congratulate the country himself.
Only a few countries in the world have a tradition of the President's New Year's address to the people. It is recorded in advance and broadcast on TV on the night of January 1, when the chimes strike. But most heads of state limit themselves to text congratulations on official websites or even tweets. We looked at how world leaders congratulated their citizens on the New Year 2018.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus: optimistic congratulations
"In the past year, we have taken decisive measures to improve the economy, which will inevitably lead to changes in our society. We dared to look beyond the horizon and set tomorrow's goals for the country. Achieving them will take many years!..
Now every day is precious for creative work. We have many important things ahead in all spheres of the country's life. And next year is the eve of great sporting events on an international scale. Thousands of guests will come to us. And as true owners of the Belarusian land, we will unite and put our common house in proper order.
After all, Belarus has always been famous for its cleanliness, comfortable cities and villages, and the hospitality of its people. But now we need to outdo ourselves. We need to make the country an exemplary one. So that every guest will retain warm memories of her in their souls for a long time. So that we can be even more proud of our Motherland - well-groomed, comfortable to live in, friendly and respected in the world".
Lukashenko called Belarus a country looking to the future, and its main asset is smart, talented and educated people.
Donald Trump, US President: sarcastic congratulations
The American leader limited himself to three messages in Twitter. In the first, he addressed “friends, supporters, enemies, haters and even the most dishonest lying media,” and in the next two he once again promised to make America great again.
"As our country quickly becomes stronger and smarter, I want to wish all my friends, supporters, enemies, haters and even the most dishonest lying media a happy and healthy New Year. 2018 will be a great year for America!.
Happy New Year! We will make America great again, and much faster than anyone thought possible!
What a year it’s been, and we’re just getting started. Together we will make America great again! Happy New Year!".
Emmanuel Macron, President of France: strategic congratulations
The new president’s New Year’s address was unusually long: Macron delivered a celebratory speech for 17 and a half minutes. He almost repeated the historical record set by President Charles de Gaulle in 1961: then the head of state congratulated the French on December 31 for 18 minutes.
Macron said France cannot achieve prosperity without Europe, and 2018 will be decisive in the fight for a European future.
"For Europe, 2018 will be a decisive year. You know that I am completely immersed in this battle because I deeply believe that Europe is good for France, that France cannot succeed without a strong Europe that becomes stronger itself. 2018 will be special. And I need you to make this European leap, and I need us all together to give nothing away to the nationalists or the naysayers.".
Macron noted that France will continue to accept refugees and help them, but it is not able to accept everyone and must do so according to general rules. In the area of domestic policy, Macron promised continued reforms and called for unity among citizens.
Macron's video congratulation was broadcast on TV.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: neutral congratulations
The Russian President said nothing about the events of the past year or plans for the future. He talked about the need to take care of parents, help others, be sensitive, give kindness, fill life with human meaning.
"Wherever we are: at the family table, in a cheerful company, on the festive streets, we are united by an elevated New Year’s mood, and modern technologies allow us to share our feelings with dear people who may be hundreds, thousands of kilometers away.
There are literally seconds left until the onset of 2018. The time has come to say the most cherished words to each other, forgive mistakes, insults, hug, confess love, warm with care and attention.
May the new year bring changes for the better in the life of every person, every family, may everyone be healthy, may children be born and may they make us happy".
Kim Jong-un, President of the DPRK: threatening congratulations
In his New Year's address, the North Korean leader said that the United States will not start a war because the nuclear button is constantly on his desk.
"The nuclear button is on my desktop. The entire US territory will be in the affected area if Pyongyang decides to launch a nuclear strike. We have completed the creation of our country's national nuclear forces".
Kim Jong-un also said he is ready to send a delegation to the upcoming Winter Olympics, which will be held in South Korea in 2018.
North Korean media broadcast Kim Jong-un's New Year's greetings.
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WHAT IS IT ABOUT US?
Ada Rogovtseva appeared in Poroshenko's New Year's greetings 2018
Among the achievements of 2017, they noted the receipt of visa-free travel, the return of “Yanukovych’s billions,” and the lifting of immunity from a number of deputies.
The New Year is not only a decorated Christmas tree, gifts, a bowl of Olivier, tangerines and fireworks, but also the traditional address of the president to the people. On the eve of Vladimir Putin's congratulations, The Village spoke about the emergence of the tradition of New Year's congratulations from the top officials of the state and analyzed how the speeches of the current head of state changed from year to year.
How did the tradition of New Year's addresses from the country's top officials come about?
First radio and television congratulations
For the first time in 1941, Chairman of the USSR Central Executive Committee Mikhail Kalinin addressed the Soviet people with New Year's greetings. His address summarizing the war was broadcast on the radio.
After Kalinin's death, the practice of congratulating the country's residents on the upcoming holiday was interrupted until 1953. Since 1956, New Year's addresses became impersonal and came from the person of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers of the USSR, since the new party leader Nikita Khrushchev led an active “fight against the cult of personality” of the head of state.
Leonid Brezhnev was the first who, in 1970, congratulated the country not only on the radio, but also on TV screens. At the end of the decade, due to Brezhnev’s illness, personal addresses of the first person of the state to the people were replaced with congratulations, which were read out by the central television announcer Igor Kirillov.
Experiments
The tradition of personal congratulations from the first person of the state was resumed by Mikhail Gorbachev. Unlike Brezhnev, he did this not from the television studio in Ostankino, but from the Kremlin office. A friendly policy towards the United States was also evident here: the Soviet leader congratulated American citizens on the upcoming 1986, and US President Ronald Reagan congratulated the Soviet citizens.
The day before the onset of 1992, the first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, who at that time had not yet fully assumed office, addressed the residents of the country. Therefore, on New Year's Eve on Channel One broadcast congratulations to the satirist Mikhail Zadornov.
Along with congratulations from Boris Yeltsin, who always finished his speech with a glass of champagne in his hand, some channels broadcast New Year's addresses from famous people. So, at the end of 1993, with congratulations to TV viewers appealed President of the MMM association Sergei Mavrodi. His message was brief and contained news about the establishment of the MMM-Migration service, a quote from John Kennedy, as well as wishes of good luck and happiness. Singer Alla Pugacheva congratulated Russians on the arrival of 1995. Unlike previous congratulatory speeches, Pugacheva’s address was quite pessimistic, but at the same time very personal and warm.
The experiments with holiday addresses to the people did not end there. On New Year's Eve 1997, congratulations to President Yeltsin have joined members of his family. The following year, the NTV channel, instead of broadcasting the address of the head of state, put congratulation from his puppet version from the program “Dolls”. In 1999, Yeltsin decided to leave his post early with the words: “I’m tired, I’m leaving,” and therefore to the people applied not only him, but also his successor - Vladimir Putin.
Congratulatory speeches by Vladimir Putin
First New Year's speech as president
Year: 2000/2001
duration: 4 minutes 7 seconds
Place:
each of us
“In 2000, Vladimir Putin made a radical transition: unlike Soviet leaders, he addressed the people not from his office, but standing on the street against the backdrop of the Kremlin, dark sky and real snow. This step made it possible to make the president’s congratulations more vigorous and cheerful, as well as to demonstrate some closeness to reality and non-isolation from the outside world,” says political scientist and associate professor at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Ekaterina Shulman.
Compared to Putin's very first speech in 1999, when he was not yet elected president, this address, according to Shulman, looks more prepared. In his speech, the Russian leader gives a spatial assessment of the outgoing year: “Noticeable elements of stability have appeared in the country.” It touches on the topic of poverty, but at the same time predicts a bright future after the joint work of all residents of the country. The main message was an appeal to the theme of family, which is quite natural, since the New Year in Russia is positioned as a family holiday.
In the president's speech, the pronoun “I” is practically absent, instead of which “we” or “each of us” is used. Putin speaks in short and succinct sentences, with long pauses between them.
According to Shulman, the New Year's addresses of the top officials of the state to the people are of a ritual nature: “The meaning of this ritual is not novelty, but repetition, which gives people a sense of stability and security. The human brain tends to perceive what is familiar as safe, even if it is objectively not.”
Last New Year's speech of the second term
Year: 2007/2008
duration: 3 minutes 3 seconds
Place: Ivanovskaya Square of the Moscow Kremlin
5
integrity
Putin begins the last congratulatory speech of the second term of his presidency with words of gratitude to the Russians for their joint work, support, trust and participation in the revival of the country. Summing up the results of eight years, the head of state speaks not only about achievements, for example, about restoring the territorial integrity of the country, but also about what was not achieved.
“But I am sure: the path chosen by the people of Russia is the right one, and it will lead us to success,” Putin says. At the end of the speech, he again turns to the theme of family, which is present in all his New Year's greetings.
The 2007 speech is not much different from previous ones: the same calm, soft tone creates an atmosphere of intimacy. But changes are noticeable in Putin’s behavior: now he is much more confident in front of the camera.
New Year's greetings from Khabarovsk
Year: 2013/2014
duration: 5 minutes 27 seconds
Place: Khabarovsk
4
tests
Far East
Putin spent New Year's Eve from 2013 to 2014 in Khabarovsk together with families affected by floods. His congratulatory speech was recorded a few days before his departure. However, due to the terrorist attacks in Volgograd on December 29 and 30, the appeal had to be rewritten directly from Khabarovsk. In addition to Putin, there are victims of the natural disaster in the frame.
This time, the president addresses not only the traditional themes of family and a bright future, but also talks about specific events: flooding in the Far East, terrorist attacks in Volgograd, the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games. As Shulman notes, the events of the past year are minimally reflected in the text: “In general, the speech remains the same from year to year - with appeals to family values, wishes for peace, health and happiness.”
Compared to previous speeches, Putin's tone has become significantly harsher. The same can be said about the general rhetoric of conversion. In addition, a new topic emerged that would later become an integral part of presidential speeches - the fight against terrorism.
Congratulatory speech after the annexation of Crimea
Year: 2014/2015
duration: 3 minutes 9 seconds
Place: against the backdrop of the city center and the Grand Kremlin Palace
The location of the recording of the president's address to the people has changed again: due to the reconstruction of the Spasskaya Tower, Putin speaks against the backdrop of the historical center of the city. His speech contains all the same themes: family values, the interests of the country, a bright future that can only be achieved through joint efforts and hard work. The leader of the country again turns to the events of the past year and talks about the historical importance of the annexation of Crimea, as well as the victory of our team at the Olympic Games, which were held in Sochi.
“If you follow Putin’s appearance during New Year’s addresses to the people, you will notice that every year his chest becomes more and more open. So, in 2000, a dark tie barely peeks out from under a coat, and in 2014 it is already almost half visible,” says Shulman.
The political scientist also notes that fortune-telling by the color of the head of state’s ties is pointless for the reason that no one has a plan for the future and cannot have one: “Only one thing is known for sure about our political system: it is not capable of strategic planning. She works in a reactive mode, that is, she reacts only to what she perceives as a threat or challenge. So neither Putin’s blue nor red ties mean anything.”
military personnel
Compared to the president’s first New Year’s addresses to the people, congratulations on the night from 2015 to 2016 sound much more confident and tougher. “For almost 16 years now, one can trace a trend of decreasing intimacy in messages and the appearance of more and more elements of statist aesthetics in them,” says Shulman.
In her opinion, the family still remains the main theme of New Year's addresses, but there are much more references to our military, military duty and those who celebrate the New Year away from their families due to official duties. In the same context, Putin refers to the country’s military past and recalls the anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, which was celebrated in the past year.
“If in 2000 the phrase “our successes and our mistakes” could still be heard, then later there could be no more mistakes - only our victories, the threats to which we respond, and the difficulties that we overcome. This indicates the maturation of the regime and the transition to the Empire style, that is, a more solemn statehood,” says Shulman.
However, the frequent mention of the army, according to Shulman, does not mean that the people are being prepared for the upcoming war. The political scientist explains this by saying that it is quite difficult to continuously project intimacy and humanism for so many years. In addition, “the traumas of the Afghan and Chechen wars have become somewhat of a thing of the past. People began to be less afraid of the words “army” and “war”, they stopped associating them with something that should definitely be scared and avoided.”
“The change in rhetoric was also facilitated by foreign policy events, which most Russians perceive as pictures on TV. Until recently, these pictures aroused pride and enthusiasm in people, but gradually, due to economically based despondency, the militaristic foreign policy agenda began to irritate and frighten many,” Shulman adds.
What will Putin's next address to the people be?
“It would be reasonable to expect a continuation of the established tradition from Putin’s next congratulations. There is nothing wrong with this: the ritual has a calming function that should not be underestimated,” says Shulman.
In her opinion, one of the functions of supreme power is precisely to project calm and confidence outward. And to go out and tell people that “what the hell is happening in the country, and no one understands what will happen next is not the best message.”
“Therefore, not only the President’s New Year’s greetings, but also his messages to the Federal Assembly, direct line, large annual conferences with journalists serve the purpose of reassuring both the elite and citizens,” says the political scientist.
photos: inner cover – Alex Nikolsky/TASS, outer cover – fragment of V.V. Putin’s New Year’s address 2015/2016
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