Unity and strength of regions: volunteers from across the country presented their projects at a forum at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The key day of the VI All-Russian Forum of Financial Education Volunteers was held at the National Centre RUSSIA. Participants discussed how financial culture affects the future of the Russian economy, which initiatives are already working in the regions, and how they can be scaled up to the federal level.

The forum, initiated by the Association for the Development of Financial Literacy, was held in Moscow from 27 to 29 May 2026. Over three days, representatives of federal authorities and the Bank of Russia, financial organisations, educational and public institutions, youth associations and volunteer teams exchanged more than one hundred successful practices from the regions. These included audio fairy tales about finance for children with disabilities, lecture halls for participants in the special military operation and members of their families, multimedia projects for older people aimed at improving financial literacy and digital hygiene, and many other initiatives.

"Financial culture is formed primarily on the basis of trust. Volunteers do not merely pass on knowledge; they share personal experience, creating that very atmosphere of trust and answering questions that people may feel embarrassed to ask at a bank or another financial organisation. They help form the right financial habits through personal contact. That is why we support the development of the volunteer movement in financial literacy and believe that the role of volunteers in shaping financial culture will only grow," said Mikhail Mamuta, Member of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Russia and Head of the Service for Consumer Protection and Financial Inclusion at the Bank of Russia.

The expert also added that it is equally important for volunteers themselves to have a sufficient level of knowledge, culture and ethics, and that this is the area where regulators’ efforts are now focused.

The central event of the forum was the plenary session "Financial Culture and the Future of the Economy: Joining Efforts", hosted by the National Centre RUSSIA. The discussion focused on the values underlying citizens’ financial culture, the role of volunteers in shaping them, and the search for effective forms of interaction between the state, business and society.

Director General of the Association for the Development of Financial Literacy, Elman Mekhtiyev, emphasised that today society no longer needs only a set of facts about finance: values and practical skills are coming to the fore.

"The pace of change in financial services, driven by digital technologies, is so high that knowledge as a sum of facts is no longer enough. Society’s demand is shifting towards forming, on the one hand, values and, on the other, practical skills. This means that the overdue transition from financial literacy to financial culture requires coordinated work by all participants in the process: the state, financial market participants, the real sector, educational and infrastructure organisations and, of course, those on whom the effectiveness of this transition will primarily depend — financial education volunteers and consumers of financial services themselves," Elman Mekhtiyev stressed.

According to him, the forum’s key objectives — exchanging the best regional practices, developing volunteers’ competencies, strengthening partnership between the state, society and business, and developing interregional cooperation — were achieved. The proposals voiced over the three days of work will now have to be considered, helped to be implemented and scaled up, including at the federal level.

Several other discussions were devoted to protecting citizens’ financial interests, combating fraud, digital security issues, and adapting financial services for different age groups. Participants emphasised that, in the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, it is important to take into account the cultural, historical and economic features of the regions. These features determine which formats of work with the public prove most effective, from game-based practices for young people to targeted lecture halls for older people.

"Financial literacy is an important skill that directly affects people’s quality of life. In today’s world, full of cyberthreats, it is necessary to treat money responsibly and maintain digital hygiene. These issues are especially relevant for children and older people. The projects presented at the VI All-Russian Forum of Financial Education Volunteers showed that this topic can be discussed with young people in a game-based format, and with our grandmothers and grandfathers in accessible and clear language. The exchange of the best regional volunteer practices will make it possible to replicate positive experience in competent money management across the country," said Tatyana Robina, Deputy Chair of the Board of the Movement of the First.

The participants in the plenary session at the National Centre RUSSIA also included Nikolai Zhuravlev, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation; Leyla Zotova, Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh); German Neglyad, State Secretary and Deputy Director of Rosfinmonitoring; and Arkady Svistunov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation and Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets.

The forum’s symbol, the matryoshka doll, and the choice of venue for the key day were no coincidence. People stood at the heart of the forum programme: their values, attitudes and everyday financial decisions. At the National Centre RUSSIA, the conversation about the future of the economy was held through the lens of real-life situations and regional experience, while the unity of the country, with the uniqueness of each region preserved, became the overarching theme.

The forum showed that financial culture today is not only knowledge of banking products or the ability to use digital applications. It is a system of values, habits and responsible attitudes towards one’s own resources, which can be developed only with the participation of all sides: the state, business, the professional community, volunteers and citizens themselves. The National Centre RUSSIA became a space where this dialogue gained both professional depth and a broad public response.