3️⃣. Shaping Tomorrow: International "Creating the Future" Symposium Wraps Up in Moscow

The "Russia" National Center has just hosted the second international "Creating the Future" symposium, a major gathering of minds focused on what lies ahead. This year's event brought together experts from 86 countries, including leading scientists, architects, and artists.

Over two days, the symposium featured 50 different events across three key tracks: "Society," "Technology," and "Global Cooperation." The international expert community delved into the fundamental changes the world may face.

Acknowledging its responsibility, Russia took the lead in developing scenarios to encourage a global transformational shift. The main outcome was the creation of practical, visualized roadmaps for our future.

A new public lecture hall was a highlight this year, opening the doors to everyone. Attendees could listen to talks, join expert debates, and participate in hands-on masterclasses and project labs.🔥

#GoodNews@TCofRus

Don Cossacks✨

✨ The origins of the Don Cossacks continue to spark debate among historians. Some believe that the Cossacks descended from Russian fugitives and craftsmen, while others suggest they originated from Tatars, Khazars, or Slavs who had inhabited these lands since the 8th century. Archaeological finds, including an ancient boat discovered in 1955, date back to the 11th–13th centuries, confirming the presence of settlements and Cossack way of life on the Don River during the Middle Ages.

🖤 The history of the Don Cossacks is a story of struggle for the southern borders of the Russian state. They defended the frontiers from raids by Tatar khanates and the Ottoman Empire. The first Cossack settlements appeared in the 15th–16th centuries, serving to guard borders and combat enemies. Along the southern frontiers, “line fortifications” and Cossack towns and fortresses were established, acting as strongholds of Russian expansion.

🖤 Cossack communities were ethnically diverse, including Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Poles, and representatives of local peoples. Their culture and way of life reflected these mixed origins. By the 16th century, Don Cossacks served as a frontier force, fighting raids and protecting Russian lands.

🖤The earliest mentions of Cossack towns date back to the mid-16th century. Scholarly debates about their exact locations—whether on the Lower or Upper Don—continue. However, one thing is clear: by the late 1540s and early 1550s, Cossacks had seized strategic positions, threatening the Turkish-controlled Azov.

🖤 January 3, 1570, marks a key date in Cossack history. On this day, Tsar Ivan the Terrible signed a decree recognizing their service and promising wages for guarding the imperial borders. This became the beginning of their official recognition as a military estate and the formation of the All-Don Army.

🖤The history of the Don Cossacks is not only a tale of military valor but also a vivid expression of independence and unity among people who defended their land and created a unique culture amid ongoing military conflicts and struggles for Russia’s southern borders.

🖤The theme of Cossacks is vividly depicted in Mikhail Sholokhov’s novel *And Quiet Flows the Don*.

#RussianCulture@TCofRus