2004: “Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality”

In September 2004, the Valdai Discussion Club convened for its first meeting. The club’s first discussion, entitled “Russia at the Turn of the Century: Hopes and Reality”, was held in Veliky Novgorod, near the picturesque lake of Valdai (hence the club’s name) and earned positive assessments from expert and journalist communities. It was then that the participants decided to meet annually.