We have been uniting society in dialogue with the government for 20 years: The Forum "Community" to be held at the National Centre RUSSIA

In 2025, the Russian Civic Chamber celebrates its 20th anniversary: in 2005, the Federal Law "On the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation" came into force, and the Chamber's first composition was formed. Over the two decades of its work, the Civic Chamber has become an authoritative and sought-after institution of civil society, which unites society in dialogue with the authorities to achieve systemic changes and fair solutions for all. The Forum “Community” ("Soobschestvo" in Russian) of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation will be held on the eve of National Unity Day, 31 October — 1 November, at the National Centre RUSSIA (Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya emb., 14, bld. 18).

It is going to be the key event of the Chamber’s anniversary year. More than five thousand civil society activists from all over the country work at the event every year. Traditionally, the participants are addressed by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.

The theme of this year's Forum is "Civil Society Institutions: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow." Participation in the Forum is free of charge; to take part in person, it is necessary to register before 27 October.

Nowadays, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation has become the main institution of organized civil society. Its 20-year history is not just evidence of the maturation of civil society, but also a chronicle of positive social changes in Russia as a whole. The Report on the state of civil society, which will be presented at the Forum, is aimed to comprehend this period. This is a document of the era of our country's great victories and achievements, which became possible due to the interaction of society and government.

The establishment of a public control system; the creation of public councils under government bodies, as well as regional public chambers and public commissions; the support of socially-oriented NGOs and volunteerism; the public expertise of draft laws; the emergence of the non-profit sector development institutions; the independent election monitoring; the sectoral public projects; the work on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation –  all these are only a small part of the initiatives that have influenced the achievement of national unity. The discussion platforms of the Forum will become a point of fixation of the current state of these and other areas, a tool for planning their further development.

"We invite opinion leaders, non-profit sector activists, volunteers, government officials, socially oriented businesses and the media, as well as all those concerned Russians who have been with us for 20 years, to participate in the Forum," says Lidya Mikheyeva, Secretary of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. "Over these years, the Civic Chamber has managed to become a significant platform for dialogue between society and the authorities, and we hope that important social decisions will be achieved at this Forum."

The Forum will be attended by Alexander Galushka, economist and author of the book "Growth Crystal: To the Russian Economic Miracle"; Alexander Shkolnik, Director General of the Victory Museum; Irina Viner, Honored Coach of Russia; Leo Bokeria, President of the League of the Nation's Health, world-famous cardiac surgeon; Diana Gurtskaya, People's Artist of Russia; Yelena Topoleva-Soldunova, Director of the Agency for Social Infomation; journalist Armen Gasparyan; blogger Dmitry Puchkov; violinist Pyotr Lundstrem; entrepreneur Oleg Sirota; writer Sergei Lukyanenko; presenter with the TV channel "Spas" Natalya Moskvitina; presenters Alexander Oleshko and Svetlana Zeynalova, and other leaders of public opinion.

The programme of the Forum, the description of the events, and the list of speakers will be published on the official website of the Forum "Community".

For media accreditation, please send an application to the e-mail address of the Press Office of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation: press@oprf-media.ru .

The Forum "Community" has been held annually by the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation since 2015. It is an open workplace for civil society activists, NGO representatives, and simply caring people who are ready to engage in socially-oriented work.