PRESIDENT
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
27 November 1991 No. PR-1722
Moscow
To the workforce at the N.F. Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology
My Esteemed Friends,
Please accept my heart congratulations on the 100th anniversary of your institute. It is famous throughout the world not only for its revolutionary technological developments, but for the tremendous contribution it has made to creating efficacious drugs to help diagnose and prevent infectious diseases. Your institute has earned the right to be considered on a par with scientific institutes in Europe, such as the Pasteur Institute in Paris, or the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin.
The absence of any large-scale epidemic outbreaks in Russia for many years now that could have claimed millions of lives, inflict untold suffering on entire groups of people, and undermine the potential held by major regions, or even for the country as a whole – is all chiefly attributable to the institute’s employees, their high level of professionalism, and devotion to a noble, if often hazardous, line of work.
As President, I believe that it is my duty to do everything possible to preserve Russia’s scientific potential, especially during these extremely tough times, when reforms are being instituted. It is important that we go through this period with minimal losses to then use economic rejuvenation to ensure the incremental development of the Russian Federation’s scientific institutions.
I know that your institute’s employees have never lacked courage, a sense of realism, and vitality. I am convinced that we will overcome the deep-seated crisis that our country is in now, if we do that together.
I wish you health, my dear friends, as well as creative success and prosperity.
B. Yeltsin