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Wednesday 12 June 2019

Vitaliy Naumkin, the President of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Was Awarded the State Prize of Russian Federation

 
The State Prizes of Russian Federation were awarded for prominent advances in science and technology, literature and art, and humanitarian fields in the year 2018. The ceremony was held on the Day of Russia, in the Georgievsky Hall at the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russian Federation, presented Vitaly Naumkin, Doctor of History, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, President of the Institute of Oriental Studies, the State Prize of Russian Federation and awarded the honorary title of the laureate of the Russian State Prize in science and technology for his outstanding contribution to Oriental studies (Arabic and Islamic studies).

V.Putin: ... Dear colleagues!

Vitaly Naumkin, a leading orientalist and the largest specialist in the Arab and Islamic world, became the State Prize Winner in the field of science and technology.

He studied history, languages, philosophy of the Middle East thoroughly. He always combined his academic research with numerous missions, where accumulation of unique facts took place.

The laureate had strong scientific foundation that predetermined the depth of his understanding of the modern global processes. I have to note as well the significant expert role of Vitaly Naumkin in the Russian diplomacy ...

V.Naumkin: Dear Mr. President! Dear guests!

It is difficult to put into words my feelings when you so highly appreciate my modest contribution to Russian oriental studies. By the way, our institute, that has celebrated recently the 200th anniversary, had been led by prominent politician Yevgeny Primakov for eight years; he sovled global problems successfully. From him my colleagues and I learned a lot.

I hope that your attention to science and its support will continue to develop. It is a huge incentive for a large workshop of Russian orientalists, who in many areas, both classical and modern, seek-after research practices of the East and manage to outpace foreign scientists.

One of the reasons for this is probably the fact that we, as a special unique civilization, combine the East and the West and therefore understand the East better. Even in the 19th century, Peter Chaadaev wrote that we, the Russians, should unite our civilization and the history of the entire globe, leaning with one elbow on China, and the other elbow on Germany, stretching between two great divisions of the world.

Those of us who are engaged professionally in the study of the Islamic World and the Middle East, and the problems of rebel movements, extremism and terrorism, had to reflect on many wars, revolutions, coups, cruelty, and violence. Russia brings peace and stability to this region, respect for the sovereignty and the independence of states, and the peoples rights.

We are proud that our country, under your leadership, has become one of the key partners of the Middle Eastern states, and played a crucial role in preserving Syrian statehood and defeating the bastions of terrorists that threaten humanity.

Allow me once again to thank you for the great honor shown to me to become the laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

Happy holiday to all!

Source: kremlin.ru