Reflection on an event like no other

RT's 20th Anniversary Gala wasn't just a celebration of truth. It was an incubator of intellectual reflection on the world we live in

The Bolshoi Theater lit up in RT’s colors

I’m sitting in Vnukova airport waiting to board the flight that begins my journey home from what has been the most mind-blowing five days imaginable.

When I accepted RT’s invitation to attend their 20th anniversary gala, I accepted because I respect the organization and its people, and believed they were owed that courtesy.

But I had the roles reversed—RT extended me every courtesy in facilitating what was a magical event populated by the most internationally diverse collection of leading intellectuals and subject matter experts ever gathered in one place.

For anyone who ever thought of RT as an up and coming organization, think again—the RT I experienced this weekend was a fully matured, confident and competent international news organization whose time had obviously come.

Maligned and sanctioned by the collective West—including my country, the United States, RT has emerged from the maelstrom of controversy and chaos stronger than ever, its message of fact-based truth resonating among a global audience, including a not-so-insignificant group inside the very nations who sought to isolate RT to begin with.

The Gala was a masterpiece in every way, highlighting RT’s global reach and attention to detail. Walking the reception hall, one could not help but be impressed by the quality and quantity of global leaders in their respective fields. It was like being amongst the extended family you never knew you had, and I was humbled to be counted in their presence.

Any doubt of RT’s reach and importance was immediately erased when the evening’s keynote speaker took to the stage. Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the world’s busiest men, and the present situations confronting him demand more of his time than any other in recent memory. And yet there he was, side by side with the resilient and radiant Editor in Chief of RT, Margarita Simonyan, declaring to all present the critical importance of telling the truth in an age where lies and distortions have become common currency among international news organizations. President Putin made it clear to all: the complicated situations that have emerged on the global scene demand the attention of a news organization whose ethos is grounded in integrity and fidelity to telling the truth—nothing less.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and RT Editor in Chief Magarita Simonyan address the Gala attendees

And RT, President Putin announced to all present, was such an organization.

The Bolshoi Theater played host to RT’s 20th Gala, and RT could not have picked a better venue. The facility exuded not just class, but class infused with the Russian soul. This was driven home by a wonderful performance of the ballet “The Queen of Spades”, based upon Alexander Pushkin’s novella of the same name. The perfection of the Bolshoi Theater’s performance was the perfect punctuation for what was, in every way, a perfect evening celebrating 20 years of operation by a media company that has set the standard of professionalism and ethics when it comes to international journalism.

The Bolshoi dancers perform the “Queen of Spades”

I would be remiss if I didn’t add the following comment: the quality of RT’s international guest list generated its own magic in the lead-up to and aftermath of the Gala. The countless conversations that transpired over coffee in the hotel lounge, or a meal in one of Moscow’s many world-class restaurants, generated ideas which, if followed up on, will have a global impact in their own right.

RT isn’t just a world-class news organization.

It is a global incubator of the kind of intellectual innovation that can only be achieved when like minded people, grounded in similar values, come together in a common cause.

So congratulations, RT, on 20 years of excellence.

Here’s to 20 more.