On 13th December, the Catherine Forum dedicated to the anniversary of the Empress’s manifesto inviting foreigners to Russia took place. “Vechernyaya Moskva” spoke with the participants.
The finalist of the international competition “People’s Diplomacy Leader” Tais Karelina is enthusiastically examining the exhibits at the “Journey through time with Catherine the Great” exhibition at the Digital Business Space venue. Foreign guests are looking with admiration at the girl in a dress of Russian folk style. Its upper part is adorned with patterns characteristic of the Pavlovo Posad headscarf — red and peach-coloured roses amidst bright green leaves.
The red puff sleeves and a full skirt of the same colour also define the style of the outfit. It is complemented by traditional headdress (kokoshnik) and earrings.
“My project, “The semantics of the national costume”, promotes the distinctive features of Russian culture among foreigners”, Tais Karelina tells the “Vechernyaya Moskva” correspondent. “During lectures at schools, colleges, and universities with foreign students, I talk about our traditions through the lens of the national costume”.
Tais advocates for the traditional values of the Russian people. These are human rights and freedoms, patriotism, service to the homeland and responsibility for its fate, a strong family, the priority of the spiritual over the material, justice, historical memory, and the unity of peoples.
She shares: “I conduct masterclasses on sewing clothing in the Russian folk style, which helps foreigners quickly understand our mentality”. As a result, my students become more at ease when communicating with Russians because they recognise the traits of their character: mutual aid and respect. They begin to think in a “Russian way” because they become familiar with the authentic history of Russia. For example, they understand who saved the world from German fascists — the Soviet people”.
The Chairman of the Union of Cossack Youth from Adygea, Catherine Zagorulko, also took part in the event.
Zagorulko notes: “Our state has always promoted the friendship of peoples”. This is exactly what we should talk about with foreigners, as the unity of different nationalities of the USSR brought Victory in the Great Patriotic War closer”.
Forum experts discussed the issue of attracting foreigners to work in our country, shaping a positive image of Russians abroad, and analysed successful practices of Russian regions in receiving migrants. Marking the 240th anniversary of Catherine II’s manifesto “On the Acceptance of the Crimean Peninsula, the Island of Taman, and the Entire Kuban Side under the Russian State”, forum participants discussed the integration of new subjects into the unified space of Russia. And in honour of the 260th anniversary of Catherine II’s manifesto inviting foreigners to settle in Russia, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, emphasised the historical peculiarity of our state.
Maria Zakharova stated: “Russia has never historically been a coloniser or a colony. This is an amazing quality because, one way or another, very many young countries or states with ancient history fell into one of these groups: either they were colonisers themselves, colonies, or semi-colonies”. We invited foreigners and gave them the opportunity to use our resources. They are listed in the document: forests, rivers, lakes…”
The international-level Catherine Forum concluded with an awards ceremony for the winners of the “People’s Diplomacy Leader” competition.
HISTORY
On 22nd July 1763, Catherine II issued the manifesto “Allowing all foreigners entering Russia to settle in whichever provinces they wish and on the rights granted to them”. This document marked the beginning of the mass migration of Germans to the territory of our state. From 1763 to 1772, 30,623 people came to Russia at the Empress’s invitation. By occupation: up to 57 percent were peasants, and the rest were craftspeople: weavers, shoemakers, millers.
DIRECT SPEECH
Andrey Belyaninov, General Secretary of the Assembly of the Peoples of Eurasia:
“The state issues raised 260 years ago under Catherine II are still relevant today. It is gratifying that diplomats are actively discussing the features of consolidating the world community under modern conditions of an emerging multipolar world. This plays a significant role in ensuring trust and mutual understanding between countries and peoples. It is pleasing that representatives of Russian and foreign agencies shared their experience and practice in implementing projects aimed at strengthening cooperation”.
