The Valdai Club’s 10-year History

The 10th anniversary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club will be held on September 16-19, 2013. The theme of the discussion will be “Russia's Diversity for the Modern World”. Photo: The 9th annual session of the Valdai International Discus

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The anniversary session will be held at the same place as the club’s founding meeting, which took place near Lake Valdai in the Novgorod Region, from which the club got its name. Participants will visit the Iversky Monastery, where a discussion panel will

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The first conference was held in September 2004 by the Russian News & Information Agency RIA Novosti and the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy. About 80 experts from Russia, the U.S. and Western Europe participated in the discussion on Russia at the

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The club’s first three-day session overlapped with the Beslan school hostage crisis, which sent shockwaves across the country. A number of officials expected to participate in the Novgorod conference were unable to attend, while those who came were torn b

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Despite the Beslan tragedy, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the participants of the Valdai Club conference. This final meeting became a recurrent event and has been held annually since then. Photo: September 6, 2004. Russian President Vladimir P

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Vladimir Putin remained involved with the Valdai Club in 2008-2011 when he left the Kremlin to become Prime Minister. Photo: September 11, 2008. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a meeting with members of the Valdai International Discussion Club. ©

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Every year, Valdai Club experts are given the opportunity to engage in dialogue with high-profile political and economic leaders. The conference theme sets the tone for the club's meetings. Since Russia’s foreign policy has always stirred interest among e

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Bringing together experts and newsmakers, the Valdai Club is a platform for exchanging views, not just a press conference. Political scientists are given the opportunity to present their views, as well as to hear what officials have to say. Photo: Preside

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The Valdai Club is constantly innovating, offering new formats of communication for its participants. For instance, in 2012, when the club was focusing on economic development scenarios for Russia, a business breakfast was co-hosted with Russia’s Sberbank

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Russia is more than Moscow and St. Petersburg. Seeking to show various Russian regions to foreign experts, Valdai Club organizers decided to choose a new location for every conference. Photo: Members of the fifth annual meeting of the Valdai Club are gree

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In the ten years since its establishment, the Valdai Club has reached out beyond Moscow to various other Russian cities: Veliky Novgorod, Tver, Khanty-Mansiysk, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Grozny, Sochi, Yakutsk, St. Petersburg and Kaluga. The region is chosen

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Sergei Karaganov, Chairman of the Presidium, Council for Foreign and Defense Policy (CFDP), left, and Dmitry Kosyrev, Political Columnist, Deputy Head of RIA Novosti’s Socio-Political Department, during a visit by participants of the Valdai International

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Valdai Club members agree that such trips provide an insight into Russia, since visiting the country’s regions gives an opportunity to meet with heads of republics, territories and regions, representatives of regional establishments, civil society and bus

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The Valdai Club’s primary purpose is to strengthen and promote dialogue between Russian and foreign scientists, politicians and journalists in order to offer an independent, unbiased perspective on political, economic and social processes in Russia and ar

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The club offers a platform for open discussions for experts from across the political spectrum, representing various countries and generations. Photo: Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor–in–Chief, Russia in Global Affairs journal, left, and Volker Rühe, former German

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In their reports and publications on the club’s meetings, participants repeatedly emphasized that discussions are held in a free and open spirit, which is further enhanced by the Chatham House Rule. Photo: Vladimir Ryzhkov, Co-Chairman of Republican Party

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Discussions during Valdai Club meetings often spill over into session breaks. Photo: Sergei Dubinin, former head of the Central Bank of Russia, and Toby Gati, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, at the 8th session of the Valdai International Discuss

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Discussions on the sidelines of the forum are an integral part of the club’s meetings, right alongside the official program. Photo: Participants of the 7th session of the Valdai Discussion Club Timothy J. Colton, Professor and Chairman, Department of Gove

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Building on its success over the last decade, the Valdai Club has become a unique and unparalleled platform for discussions on Russia. The club currently has extensive opportunities for carrying out fundamental research and hosting far-reaching discussion

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The Valdai Club’s 10-year History

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Valdai Discussion Club was co-organized in 2004 by RIA Novosti news agency and Russian Council on Foreign and Defence Policy. It was co-sponsored by Russia Profile.org internet magazine, Russia in Global Affairs journal and The Moscow News weekly. The experts from around the world gather for several small thematic meetings on specific issues of international policy and one big annual conference in one of Russia’s regions, which is usually capped by a meeting with Putin.

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