"Today, Russia is once again proving that it can face any challenge and solve the most complex of tasks," the president noted.
"The country's movement forward has always rested on the shoulders of those who take responsibility onto themselves, who understand that their personal efforts and the fruits of their labor benefit not just individual enterprises, industries, towns or cities, but the whole country," Putin added.
The president stated that peoples' efforts determine Russia's economic authoritativeness and competitiveness in the world. The president noted that regardless of where a person was born, and wherever he or she may work, they could achieve great things; the main thing, in his view, is to work hard and to love one's work –to set high standards and to achieve them.
Putin awarded five people with the state award of Hero of Labor Monday during the celebration of May 1, the Russian Holiday of Spring and Labor. Putin emphasized the achievements of each of the five award recipients, in the fields of agriculture, sport, education, metallurgy, and engineering.
