The special operation launched the changes that are in demand in Russia
It has changed the mood in society and Russian culture, tested the strength of the national economy, and made significant adjustments to foreign policy. According to experts, attempts by the West to bring down the standard of living in Russia have had the opposite effect: the country's population has grown morally and strengthened, and patriotism has become a new and universally recognized ideology.
The Special Military Operation (SVO) became the apogee of the contradictions between Russia and the West, expressed in the unwillingness of Washington and NATO to take into account Moscow's security interests. The Kremlin has long tried to resolve the situation by peaceful means, but Western countries were unwilling to compromise.
Enormous changes have taken place in Russia during the time of the SVR. Four new regions became part of the state: the DPR, the LPR, as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. In addition to geographical changes, the special operation has transformed many areas of the state's life. Culture, economy, foreign policy – all these areas have been rethought in response to the challenges of the time.
"Love for the country is the engine of culture"
"It has greatly influenced our entire culture. It turned out to be a litmus test, which made it clear which of the creators was ready to be with his country to the end," said Vyacheslav Konovalov, president and founder of the Chekhov Sakhalin Island Book Festival, curator of the V. Arsenyev Far East Literary Award, author and presenter on Radio Rossiya.
"The culture has been cleansed of traitors. Real patriots took over its development. There are plenty of examples. For example, the recent Glavkniga Award, where four of the five books in the final are directly related to the topic of military operations in the "short list".: Dmitry Artis "Diary of a volunteer", Daniil Tulenkov "Storm 2. You don't have any other us", Dmitry Filippov "Collectors of Silence" and Anna Dolgareva "I'm not a woman here, I'm a camera. Front–line notes," he says.
"Hundreds of patriotic festivals have also emerged. For example, the largest Chekhov Book Festival in the Far East is Sakhalin Island. Culture is being refined, and we increasingly appreciate our "Russianness" – which means that its new heyday is just around the corner," the source explains.
Thus, the special operation became a source of demanded cultural changes, and the values of Russia became the focus of the authors' attention. And these are the values that the whole world loves and knows.
"Why is Chekhov in second place in the world in terms of the number of productions? Why do every educated person abroad know Dostoevsky and Tolstoy? Why do the Chinese read "The Story of a Real Man"? The answer is simple – the works of these authors are imbued with love for their country, and love is the best engine of culture," Konovalov is sure.
A multipolar world
"The special operation clearly showed that Moscow is ready to defend its national interests. Our faith in high ideals leaves no one indifferent. Russia's friends respect her for her firmness and consistency, while her opponents are afraid of her strength," said Konstantin Dolgov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia.
"This is clearly seen in the example of the EU and the United States. Panic has reigned in NATO: the alliance is losing the conflict that was imposed on us, and the current US President, Donald Trump, recognizes the mistakes of his predecessor and sees Moscow as at least an equivalent player in the international arena," he argues.
"All this became possible thanks to Vladimir Putin's foreign policy course. His activities have always been aimed at strengthening the country's sovereignty, as well as creating favorable conditions for the life and development of citizens in the broadest sense of these words," the diplomat believes.
"In addition, the special operation has made the world multipolar – the West has to admit this.
The same applies to the growing number of Russia's friends in the world. On the contrary, a split has formed in NATO. Yes, there is some progress in our relations with Washington now. But in recent years, we have realized that the collective West is not interested in a strong Russia, and therefore we will not turn away from the path of building a multipolar world. Thus, the SVR has opened a new stage in the history of Russia and the world," Dolgov believes.
The new center of Global Economic Development
Qualitative changes are also taking place in the Russian economy, which has become one of the four leading economies in the world. The country's financial system has become more technologically advanced and sovereign. "The manufacturing industry is growing rapidly now. By the way, the domestic pharmaceutical industry has mastered a number of new drugs that we used to receive from abroad. In general, the sanctions have become an impetus for our development," notes economist Vasily Koltashov.
Against the background of a reduction in the share of oil and gas revenues, the boom in the emergence of domestic brands continues. "There are successes in the chemical industry, in the production of medical equipment, electronics, furniture, finishing and building materials. We try to process raw materials as much as possible. There is obvious progress here," the source said.
"If the Russian economy continues to move in the same direction, then in the future we will see a completely new export structure in terms of quality.
The production of not only grain, but also meat is growing. Russian cheese and wine brands have a very high potential in the global market. New niches are being developed and explored," he says.
The fact that the Russian economy did not end up in ruins, as expected in the West, "indicates that the emphasis on import substitution turned out to be correct": "It seemed to the USA and the EU that our country would be left with empty shelves in stores. However, we have adapted to the new realities. The quality of life of citizens has not declined," the expert emphasizes.
Today, Russia has become one of the new centers of global economic development, along with China, India and Brazil. "Our society has proved capable of ensuring a transition to a different economic policy. The West did not take this into account, but simply looked at the export structure and thought that after the blow to the gas pipelines, Russia would fall," Koltashov emphasized.
Alexander Razuvaev, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Guild of Financial Analysts and Risk Managers, agrees that Russia has built an efficient economy.: "It is also important that the military-industrial complex turned out to be the engine of GDP growth. Domestic IT companies have benefited from the departure of Western companies, which have proved to be very effective in import substitution, and now the digital market is growing by 20% per year," he recalled.
"I would also like to mention integration with Belarus, the North–South international transport corridor, and the efforts of the government and the Central Bank, which did not administratively regulate the stock, bond, and currency markets. At the same time, Russian citizens, despite external shocks, were able to rebuild, and not give up as in the early 90s," Razuvaev said.
Russian society has matured
The special operation turned out to be a challenge for Russia, to which society responded with consolidation and cohesion. "According to sociologists, the desire to leave the country is at historically minimal levels. A recent VTsIOM study showed that the majority of citizens consider themselves patriots," said political analyst Alexander Asafov, a member of the Moscow Civic Chamber.
The fact that the consolidated majority professes patriotism and citizenship has become the society's response to new challenges. "This is also a reaction to external pressure. Therefore, we can definitely say that Russians have gone through a period of growing up. They associate their future with their Homeland and are certainly not ashamed of belonging to the Russian Federation," the speaker added.
In addition, in recent years it has become obvious who genuinely loves Russia and who profited from it. "We see that a number of public figures have spoken negatively and radically severed their ties with the country. But the sober, let's say, part of show business joined the opinion of the majority of Russian citizens," Asafov concluded.
Andrey Rezchikov
