It is well known that Steven Seagal has obtained accolades from Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and they reportedly share a great relationship.
The Russian international gathering since the country’s isolation over its invasion of Ukraine was held in Moscow. The congress meeting of the International Russophile Movement, organized by conservative activists, took place in March in a hall with glass walls at the Pushkin State Museum.
The ‘International Russophile Movement’ in Moscow has been said to have drawn attendees from 40 different nations in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in addition to the United States.
Controversial US actor, Steven Seagal, Charles de Gaulle’s grandson, and an Italian princess and scholar well-known for her Tolkien translations were also present.
The list of keynote speakers also included Konstantin Malofeyev and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov.
Steven Seagal is ‘100% Russophile and 1 million % Russian’
Russia and Steven Seagal have had a long and interesting relationship. He transitioned from portraying stereotypical Russian thugs in his films to actually becoming friends with Vladimir Putin. It seems like a story that sounds like coming straight out of Seagal’s films. Putin even gave the action star his Russian citizenship in 2016.
The 71-year-old American-born actor expressed some strong opinions about his home country when he spoke at the International Movement of Russophiles. On March 14 in Moscow, an international Russophile movement was held, as an initiative by Nikolay Malinov, leader of the Bulgarian National Movement Russophiles.
Steven Seagal, who has been designated as a special representative for cultural ties between the US and Russia, was on stage dressed in all black. He said during a press conference:
“I am 100% Russophile and 1 million % Russian.”
Sergey Lavrov, the minister of foreign affairs for Russia, was also present and supported the initiative.
The event on March 14 was also attended by Konstantin Malofeev, the chairman of the board of directors of the media organization, Tsargrad.
The Aim Of The International Russophiles Movement
According to sources from Konstantin Malofeev’s publications, the International Russophiles Movement aims to unite “true patriots” from various nations, who share a love for Russia and its culture. The movement was intended to work toward a multipolar world based on the customs of the people.
The presence of Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, gave official approval to the event. He read a letter from Vladimir Putin during his keynote:
“We are not just seeing neo-nazism, we are seeing direct nazism, which is covering more and more European countries. We see how history is being destroyed before our eyes, holy monuments are being destroyed.”
Princess Vittoria Alliata di Villafranca stood out among those present; she was a woman in her 70s with bright red hair.
According to her, she attended the conference to promote a “message of peace”.
She further claimed that her purpose for visiting Russia was to demonstrate that,
“There are other people in the world that share your opinion and view on the world… and that makes it easier for a village lady in Sicily who looks at some dismay at her son who wants to get married a cow.”
Also, note that throughout the event, screens showed images of Vladimir Putin’s supporters, who seemingly wore ‘Putin is our president’ t-shirts.
Source- The Guardian
