Meeting with Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar and President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia Alexander Boroda

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I am delighted to see you; we do meet on a regular basis.

These past few days, and specifically yesterday, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed throughout the world to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. I would like to stress that particular importance is attached to this memorial day in Russia, because we remember the woes that Nazism brought to our land. Over a million Soviet and Russian Jews fell victim to those crimes.

I think it is no coincidence that, in accordance with the well-known resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, this memorial day coincides with the anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from the Nazi siege. Because in the latter case, these were crimes too, involving the destruction of an entire vast city, and their victims were primarily civilians of all ethnicities. These people were civilians, not combatants. They were non-combatants, as they say in such cases. The Nazis simply wanted to destroy the city and exterminate its entire population. This was also a crime against humanity, which is absolutely obvious.

I know that the Jewish community in Russia is holding a series of events over these days to pay tribute to the Holocaust victims, with so many people taking part in them. Moreover, these people represent a diverse mix of ethnic backgrounds. What events have you planned for these days?

Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar: We marked this important day yesterday. We were very pleased to see people representing all traditional religions and people of various ethnic backgrounds attending the event. After all, I believe that it is here in Russia today that we truly experience not just dialogue, but mutual respect for everyone around us. It is true that we are holding a series of events throughout the week, including conferences and performances.

We not only want people to keep this memory sacred; we want everyone to learn the lessons of the Holocaust, to remember that people suffered. It was rightly said that these were peaceful civilians, people who were not involved but were made to suffer because of their nationality or religious identity.

Regrettably, we see similar events taking place in many countries today. Therefore, we above all take pride in the fact that we live here, thank God, because we really feel comfortable here, and we appreciate this multiethnic world, which is something special.

When I talk with my colleagues in the West, they ask me, "How can you sit next to a mufti or leaders of other faiths?" I reply, "We not only sit next to each other but also jointly implement various projects. We live in peace."

The current level of antisemitism in the world - I am sure that you have heard about the events in Australia and in Manchester, Britain… Thankfully, we do not see such things here. But trying to understand why people commit such acts, what they think, and why there is so much envy and hatred… I struggle to understand where it comes from or how we can fight it. But you have done it. I remember very well how we lived 30 years ago, in the early 1990s, when synagogues were set on fire, and other terrible things occurred. It was a difficult time. Thank God, we can see that today our young people get along and are returning to our eternal values. Thank God for that. We are grateful to you for what you do every day. I know that this is very important to you.

You mentioned the events we are marking these days. Today is a special day for Hasidic Jews: 75 years ago, the Lubavitcher Rebbe assumed leadership of us, the Jews. He was a remarkable leader who said that love is the most powerful weapon. When people respect each other, this bond is stronger than anything else in this world, and it is something we must always speak about and demonstrate. If we do, we will see the world we are waiting for, God willing, the world that is not only a circus and chaos but also a garden. As He said, the world is a beautiful garden, which we can enter by unlocking the potential within it.

Vladimir Putin: You have just mentioned the peace and harmony that exist among representatives of different faiths in Russia, and I must say that this is, above all, the result of the shared historical and religious culture of the peoples of Russia. This is the foundation of the relationships that have developed between representatives of different confessions.

Each people and each confession makes its own contribution, because all understand that the stability and resilience of Russia depend on cooperation among representatives of different ethnic groups, peoples and faiths. This is the contribution of every people of Russia to that stability and to the creation of conditions for future development and for our successes in all spheres. This is extremely important, and we will certainly continue to support it.

Berel Lazar: I do not want to argue with you, but you are being too modest. This would not have happened without you.

I remember very well how you brought everyone together. It was important to you that we find a way to live in friendship. For that, I would like to sincerely thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Still, you mentioned what you called eternal values - and, by and large, they are universal. I believe that people in many countries are now reflecting on this and realising that while it is easy to destroy, it is difficult to restore and preserve.

We worked on this together, and I want to emphasise this, we are working on it now, and we will continue to do so in the future in the interests of the entire country.

President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia Alexander Boroda: The idea of patriotism, the idea of love for one's country, which all confessions promote and demonstrate by example, is what underpins Russia's unity today. It is what brings us all together: the Russian Orthodox Church, Muslims, ourselves, Buddhists - all confessions present in Russia are united by this shared substance and common meaning.

The fact that the state places emphasis on traditional religious values as the foundation of spiritual and moral education is tremendous support for us and, in fact, a stronghold and basis of the country's shared values.

The Rabbi has just spoken about the West and its complex system of values, as we might put it. In this regard, Russia offers an exceptional example of what family is, what the upbringing of children means, and what respect for parents entails. All people of sound mind - and, by and large, all confessions around the world - should look to Russia as an example of how development should proceed. God grant that this understanding may take hold.

Vladimir Putin: In my view, that is gradually taking shape.

Alexander Boroda: Yes.

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