OREANDA-NEWS  During the first evening of the educational project "Literary Lounge: Ambassadors of Russian Culture", Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov quoted the words of poet and diplomat Fyodor Tyutchev about the fight between Russia and Europe, written in 1854, TASS reports.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs read the poet's words written in French to his wife, in a letter Tyutchev, after the outbreak of the Crimean War of 1853-1856, talked about the present and future of Russia.

"It has long been possible to predict that this rabid hatred, which has been kindled in the West against Russia for 30 years, stronger and stronger every year, will break loose someday. This moment has come," Lavrov quoted.

He drew attention to the words of Tyutchev in this letter that Russia was "offered to renounce the very basis of its existence," after which it had to enter into a fight with the whole of Europe.

Lavrov stressed that, abstracting from dates and anniversaries, this is quite applicable to what the West is doing today in relation to our homeland.

The Foreign Minister added that everything that Russia, President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army and society are doing is aimed at ensuring that such plans described by the poet almost two centuries ago will never materialize.

Earlier, Lavrov pointed to the "shame" of the United States in light of the fact that representatives of the state authorities "travel around the world and persuade not to meet with Russian diplomats and representatives."