The task of the artist is to sense more keenly than others the harmony of the world, the beauty and the outrage of what man has done to it, and poignantly to let people know.

As for Europe, its claims towards Russia are fairly transparently based on fears about energy, unjustified fears at that.

Any fool can bomb a train, but just try sorting out the mess.

I think the gap between rich and poor is an extremely dangerous phenomenon and needs the immediate attention of the state.

One can build the Empire State Building, discipline the Prussian army, make a state hierarchy mightier than God, yet fail to overcome the unaccountable superiority of certain human beings.

To his and everybody else's way of thinking, you should build a house with your own hands before you start talking about being an engineer.

I think the gap between the rich and the poor is a dangerous phenomenon in Russia and it needs the attention of the state. The only reasonable way to correct the situation today is not to go after big businesses, but to give breathing room to medium and small businesses. That means protecting citizens and small entrepreneurs from arbitrary rule and from corruption. It means investing the revenues from the national natural resources into the national infrastructure, education and health care. And we must learn to do so without shameful theft and embezzlement.