Russian Presidents' New Year Addresses

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver his traditional New Year address later on Monday, just minutes before the clock strikes midnight

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to deliver his traditional New Year address later on Monday, just minutes before the clock strikes midnight.

The New Year address from the Russian president is the most watched New Year's Eve television broadcast in the country.

The address begins on December 31 at 11:55 p.m. Moscow time (20:55 GMT). Immediately afterward, the television broadcasts the Kremlin Clock chiming a final countdown before midnight and then the national anthem.

In his address, the president briefly sums up the results of the outgoing year, sets priorities for the future and wishes the citizens a Happy New Year.

The first New Year's greetings were broadcast on radio across the Soviet Union on December 31, 1941, by then-chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Mikhail Kalinin. The greeting was followed by a broadcast of the first rendition of the Soviet Union's new national anthem.

The tradition of televised addresses was launched by Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on the eve of 1971, just 10 minutes before the midnight chimes of the bells.

Since the late 1970s, it was Igor Kirillov, a news anchor for the Central Television of the USSR, who read out New Year greetings of Soviet leaders.

In 1985, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev resumed the tradition of the speech being read out by leadership.

On December 31, 1991, the Russians heard New Year greetings from the first Russian president, Boris Yeltsin, who spoke about the transition to a market economy and price deregulation, which was due to start from the second day of the new year.

Yeltsin's greetings differed from those of previous leaders. He was the first leader to appear before the Russians with a glass of champagne and speak in plain language.

Yeltsin treated every New Year address as an opportunity to talk about personal and family issues and rarely spoke about politics in his greetings. For instance, he did not mention the default that rocked Russia in 1998 in his New Year address at the end of that year.

"It was not an easy year for the country, but New Year's Eve always brings new hopes. I believe that the lights of the New Year's tree will warm up even the most frozen hearts. Cheer up everyone around you who is tired and desperate," the president said.

On December 31, 1999, the country saw two New Year addresses by outgoing leader Yeltsin and his successor, Putin. Both speeches were broadcast 10 minutes before midnight.

"I am leaving, I have done everything I could ... A new generation is coming to replace me, a generation of those who can do more and better," Yeltsin, who announced his resignation at noon earlier that day, said.

He apologized for the mistakes he had made and wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Then, Putin, who was acting president at the time, delivered his address from his office at the Kremlin. He stressed that Yeltsin's great achievement was that "Russia followed the path of democracy and reform, did not abandon this path and managed to establish itself as a strong independent state."

Putin suggested raising glasses to a new century, love and peace in every home, and the health of parents and children.

From 2000 to 2007, Putin recorded his New Year addresses from Ivanovskaya Square of the Moscow Kremlin.

On December 31, 2000, Putin said that the country had seen "notable elements of stability" in the outgoing year. He admitted that far from everyone had a bountiful table, nor was there happiness and success in every home on that festive night, and stressed that the country had a lot of work to do, which could be done only by a joint effort.

In his next New Year address, Putin noted that important groundwork for the future had been established in the outgoing year, both in terms of legislation and socioeconomic policy. He added that the world had started treating Russia with greater confidence and respect.

In 2002, the president stressed that Russia, a country with a thousand-year-old history, met the onset of the third millennium with dignity.

The 2003 address focused on obvious social and economic achievements, as well as a birth rate increase in the country.

A year later, Putin said that the country had increased its economic and defense potential. He also underlined that more funds had been invested in education and science, with the government working on programs to build affordable housing and improve healthcare.

On December 31, 2005, Putin noted that the outgoing year was positive in many respects, thereby proving that Russian people had great potential.

"We have already become more confident about the future. We are significantly expanding the horizons of our plans. This has become possible thanks to the common efforts to revive and strengthen the country in recent years," Putin said in his 2006 New Year address.

At the end of 2007, Putin thanked the people for everything that had been done over the past eight years of his two presidential terms.

He noted that all these years "we worked together to preserve the country, and turn it into a modern, free, strong state, [which would be also] convenient and comfortable for the life of its citizens."

The New Year addresses by the third Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, were recorded from the Patriarshy Bridge with the Kremlin in the background.

On December 31, 2008, for the first time, the presidential address was posted on the internet several hours before the New Year. In his address, Medvedev stressed that in the outgoing year, Russia had gone through dramatic trials with confidence and dignity thanks to its citizens.

"I am sure that whatever challenges may face us in the future, we will be able to cope with them, and the state will do its best for this," Medvedev said.

In 2009, Medvedev stressed that the upcoming year was a new chance, adding that its success depended on what everyone would do for their family and country.

In his New Year address the following year, Medvedev noted that, despite the fact that Russia had a rich and ancient history, the Russian Federation was a young country that would celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2011. He wished Russians love and happiness in the new year.

In 2011, Medvedev reminded the Russian people that "our duty is to preserve Russia, build an advanced state, where all of us will have a comfortable life and an interesting job."

With Putin's re-election in 2012, Ivanovskaya Square again became the place where New Year addresses were filmed.

On December 31, 2012, Putin thanked the people for their trust and support and urged them to become "more empathetic and compassionate, generous and caring for their loved ones, their children and parents, friends, colleagues, everyone who needs our involvement."

In 2013, Putin broke a years-long tradition of broadcasting the same New Year message across the country. That year he prepared two speeches for Russian people, the first of which was recorded and broadcast to the residents of the Kamchatka Territory, Chukotka Autonomous Area and the Magadan Region, the regions greeting New Year earlier than the rest of Russia � nine hours earlier than Moscow. The second address, which was broadcast to the rest of the country, was recorded in Khabarovsk, where Putin suddenly arrived for a visit on December 31 to support the residents of the Far East that were affected by severe floods in the fall of that year.

The president noted that in the outgoing year, Russia had faced problems and serious challenges, such as inhumane terrorist attacks in Volgograd and unprecedented natural disasters in the Far East. Putin stressed that during such difficult periods Russia had always been unified and consolidated.

On December 31, 2014, Putin thanked the Russians for their solidarity and readiness to defend the interests of the country.

In 2015, which marked the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, Putin said that "our history, the experience of our fathers and grandfathers, their unity in difficult times and their fortitude are a great example for us, they helped and will help us to face challenges with dignity." The president wished everyone success, joy and happiness and raised a toast to "Russia's prosperity and well-being."

In his next New Year address, Putin said that the outgoing year was not easy, but that the difficulties that Russia had faced brought the country together and unlocked a great potential to move forward. Putin thanked the Russians for their "victories and achievements, for their understanding and trust, for their real, heartfelt concerns about Russia."

The president wished peace and prosperity "to our common, great Motherland � Russia," as well as happiness, health and well-being to his citizens.

In 2017, for the first time in many years, the president's New Year address did not touch upon any social, economic or political issues. The president did not share with the nation any assessments of the outgoing year either. Instead, the address was focused entirely on topics that are usually thought of as personal.

Putin noted that New Year's Day was a traditional family holiday.

"We celebrate it just as we did when we were children, with presents and pleasant surprises, as well as with a special warmth and expectation for change," he said.

The president noted that all positive changes would come true if everyone took care of their loved ones, remembered their parents and better understood their children. Putin encouraged Russians to be more empathetic and do good things.

Putin paid special tribute to those working at the moment, fulfilling their military or professional duty.

He said that "unity, friendship and selfless love for Russia multiply the strength we need for worthy deeds and high achievements."

The president sincerely thanked everyone for believing in him and the country, for their work and its results.