VLADIVOSTOK, September 1. / TASS /. The population of Russia, by some estimates, could now reach 500 million people, without the country’s two disintegrations in the 20th century, President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with students from the Russian Children’s Center “Ocean” .
Putin pointed out that in the last century the Russian state has collapsed twice. After the revolution of 1917, the Russian Empire ceased to exist. The country “lost colossal territories, gradually recovered, then there was also the collapse of the Soviet Union”, noted the Russian leader.
“What was the reason? We should carefully analyze the trigger for these dramatic events. If they had not happened, we would have had a different country. Some experts believe our population would now hit around 500 million people. -y, “Putin said.
The Russian president mentioned that currently Russia has around 146 million citizens. “And if these tragedies hadn’t happened, there would be around 500 million people. Is there a difference?” Putin repeated. And this, continued the president, “the total power of the state, which does not cease to arise in geometric progression. <...> An increasingly powerful basis for development, existence, prosperity is being created “.
“We must examine what is behind these tragic events, in order to avoid such problems in the future,” Putin said. This knowledge helps to understand how to strengthen the power of the country and build relationships with its neighbors, according to the Russian leader.
Putin noted that the story was “not just a collection of numbers, names, events, but the basis of humanitarian knowledge itself.” The past helps to understand what is happening now and to determine how to behave in the future, explained the Russian president.