MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Russia is coming together as a country at this important moment in history, and national pride is on the rise, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

"Yes, Russia is going through difficult times now; things have never been easy, but, still, today we are seeing a moment of our common consolidation, with our national pride being sharpened, when we are striving at all costs to strengthen the foundations of our spirituality, to create the conditions in the economy, manufacturing, and education of our young people in order to ensure the unconditional future of our country," he said at an awards ceremony.

The recipients of the state awards contribute greatly to this work, Putin noted, expressing his gratitude to them.

The head of state pointed out the remarks made by former head of Tatarstan, current head of the region’s state council Mintimer Shaymiyev, awarded with the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called about "the direction the country has been going in recent years."

"We have become much more self-sufficient. Without self-sufficiency, there can be no sovereignty, and self-sufficiency is being achieved in all areas: in art, in science, in industry and, of course, in the military," Putin believes.