At the stadium built in the run-up to the anniversary festivities, the prime minister was greeted by representatives of the ethnically and culturally diverse republic. Two boys, one wearing a Russian national shirt and the other the Buryatian national dress, stepped into the centre of the stadium and, embracing each other, proclaimed, "Hello, my motherland, Buryatia! Hello, my motherland, Russia!"

Vladimir Putin's address at the stadium:

Good afternoon, friends! Please accept my warmest greetings on this major anniversary, marking 350 years since Buryatia voluntarily joined the Russian state.

Over these decades and even centuries, the republic has come a long way forward, towards progress, as has the country as a whole, and it has made a tremendous contribution to Russia's development. Yours is a beautiful and rich region, home to talented, kind, and very hospitable people.

Just as any home or family prepares for a celebration, Buryatia did much to prepare for these celebrations. Dozens of new facilities: hospitals, schools, kindergartens, sports venues, roads, and bridges have been built. I would like to thank you all for your work.

There is still much more that we can and must do for people in Buryatia and across Russia – so that they feel secure and enjoy their careers, so that they start families, have children, and build homes. We must and will do much more. Let me congratulate you all on this momentous event. I hope that we can accomplish every goal we set for ourselves. There is no doubt that each among us will take pride in his own small homeland and that, together, we will be proud of our vast and mighty Russia – the homeland to us all.

Congratulations, and good luck! Thank you very much, and I wish you all the best.