Greetings on the Opening of the 1st St Petersburg International Philology Forum The Russian Language and the Cultural and Educational Sovereignty of Multiethnic Russia

The message reads, in part:

"I would particularly like to note that your meeting marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of Lyudmila Verbitskaya - a distinguished scholar, gifted teacher and mentor, and a vibrant, remarkable, deeply passionate individual. She considered the preservation of the Russian language her true calling, consistently and firmly championed the ideals of Russian culture, made a significant personal contribution to the development of the humanities, and helped advance higher education in our country. She was also one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Council for State Policy on Promoting the Russian Language and Languages of the Peoples of the Russian Federation.

I very much hope that during the forum, Russian philologists and linguists, international experts, school and university teachers, and government representatives will discuss a wide range of issues, including strengthening the position of Russian as a language of interethnic communication and introducing new, progressive teaching methods. These and other topics on your agenda are of exceptional importance. After all, preserving language, culture and historical memory is the bedrock of a confident, sovereign society and state."