Day of Russia: Putin speaks about Russian soul

As government-backed youth groups staged music, dance performances and marches around the country, Putin presented medals to scientists, writers, religious leaders and artists at a lavish Kremlin reception, and called for greater efforts to promote patriotism.

"Each of the awardees, each of them, spoke of the most important thing: of his love for the fatherland," Putin said in comments broadcast nationally by state-run television. "And this is the main foundation for the soul of any true citizen of Russia. This is the backbone which unites our country, which makes it great, which makes it reliable, which definitely will make it prosperous."

The June 12 holiday, formerly called Independence Day, initially marked the Russian parliament's 1990 declaration of sovereignty from the Soviet Union. But Russia's independence meant the breakup of the Soviet Union,which Putin has called the "greatest catastrophe of the 20th century",  and in 2002 the holiday was renamed the Day of Russia, according to the AP.

Since Putin came to power in 2000, the Kremlin has pushed a campaign promoting nationalism and patriotism for Russians, whose pride was battered in the years after the Soviet breakup and the ensuing economic hardship. Putin has allowed the reintroduction of Soviet-era symbols, such as the music to the Soviet anthem and use of the red star by the country's armed forces.