The National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra to join the III All-Russian Wedding Festival

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On 8 July, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, the National Centre RUSSIA in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra will join the events of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival in Moscow, where a large-scale ceremony will see more than 100 couples from across the country marry simultaneously. Marriages will also be registered at the National Centre RUSSIA branches in the Krasnoyarsk and Primorye Territories. This is the first year that the festival will extend beyond the capital.

Among the couples taking part in the forthcoming ceremony of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" in Khanty-Mansiysk are Alexander Popov, an employee of the National Centre RUSSIA branch, and his beloved Nadezhda Korepanova. They met online three years ago. They began by exchanging messages, then met in person and realised that they wanted to be together. In their free time, they cycle in summer, skate in winter, attend Yugra Hockey Club matches and watch films. A year and a half ago, they got a dog together.

"The wedding festival seems to us a special and unusual event that we will remember for a long time and that will mark a bright beginning to our official family life," Alexander and Nadezhda shared.

Another couple, Svetlana Gorbacheva and Oleg Antonov from Nizhnevartovsk, met in 2024. Svetlana had felt lonely for many years before deciding to find her soulmate. Although she is blind, she mastered touchscreen technology, began sending messages to dating groups, found Oleg’s profile — he was living in Cheboksary at the time — and sent him a voice message. He replied the following day, and they began communicating online through various apps. Their first video call took place a month and a half later. Oleg initially came to Nizhnevartovsk for a visit and later moved there permanently. The couple are actively working on mutual understanding and have decided to register their marriage.

"Our cherished dream is very simple yet profound. We want to build a calm, peaceful and harmonious life. For us, the wedding festival is not merely a celebration, but a reflection of the connection between generations and cultures," Svetlana and Oleg shared.

The story of Ilya Melyukhin and Daria Kolle began in 2021 at Nizhnevartovsk State University during preparations for a first-year students’ gathering. Daria needed someone to join her team and was advised to approach Ilya. Their love grew gradually through everyday conversations built on trust and walks after classes. They grew up together, supported each other and went through different stages of life side by side. Four years later, Ilya proposed to Daria, and she said yes.

"For us, a wedding is an important step and a symbol of love, family and trust. We dream of marrying at the III All-Russian Wedding Festival because it is a truly unique event that brings couples in love together and makes the moment of starting a family special and unforgettable," Ilya and Daria said.

Yuri Osovin and Viktoria Khmyrova from Nyagan will also become husband and wife at the festival. They met at a choreography studio, began dating three years ago and now jointly lead a dance group, promoting traditional artistic culture. In January 2025, during the "New Year’s Dozen" concert, Yuri proposed to Viktoria in front of the entire audience.

"Family means support, care, the ability to hear and listen, understand each other, enjoy the little things together and overcome difficulties. It is wonderful that the III All-Russian Wedding Festival will become the first step in our family life," Yuri and Viktoria noted.

Roman Allabergenov and Marina Zhuravskaya have also decided to marry at the III All-Russian Wedding Festival. The couple live in Yugorsk and met two years ago on a train, when Marina was travelling with a group of pupils on an excursion to Yekaterinburg and Roman was returning home from rotational work. They began dating and decided to marry, but then unexpectedly learnt that they were expecting a child. They postponed the wedding for a while, and now that their wonderful daughter is around one year old, they are ready to become husband and wife officially.

"The trip to the All-Russian Wedding Festival in Khanty-Mansiysk will be a small honeymoon for us. We are delighted that our formal wedding ceremony will have significance both for the region and for the entire country," Roman and Marina said.

Alexei Ladygin and Irina Pankiv from Nizhnevartovsk met through friends at a car club, and that chance encounter proved fateful for them. The couple consider mutual support and understanding to be the foundation of family life. In their free time, the future spouses go for walks and picnics together, watch films and dream of taking a journey aboard a huge river cruise ship.

"We have been together for three years, and now we have decided to tie the knot. We are different, but we are together, and we will be delighted to take part in the All-Russian Wedding Festival," Alexei and Irina said.

In the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, declared by President Vladimir Putin, the festival’s main theme is "United in Love", celebrating the unity of hearts, cultures, traditions and values.