Cosmonaut Alexei Zubritsky: the Motherland begins with family and home

To mark the start of All-Russian Space Week, which begins on 4 October, the National Centre RUSSIA shares the stories of people involved in space exploration. Pilot-cosmonaut, ISS expedition flight engineer and Hero of Russia Alexei Zubritsky shared his thoughts on the Motherland as part of the All-Russian Survey "What Does the Motherland Begin With?". He explained how a personal sense of the Motherland is connected with upbringing and attitudes towards the world around us.

"For me, the Motherland begins first and foremost with family and home, but it is much broader than that: it is a love for your country and the world around you. It is within the family that children first learn and come to understand what the Motherland and patriotism mean," said Alexei Zubritsky.

According to the cosmonaut, many families in our country share this understanding of the Motherland. In 2025, Alexei Zubritsky joined Expedition 73 to the International Space Station as a flight engineer aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. Over 244 days, the crew carried out more than 40 scientific experiments and completed two spacewalks.

World Space Week in 2026 runs from 4 to 9 October. As part of the week, Russian museums, planetariums and educational institutions are hosting lectures, guided tours, film screenings, quests and other events dedicated to space exploration.

The "What Does the Motherland Begin With?" project is run by the National Centre RUSSIA with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. Anyone can take part by sharing their thoughts in a comment or video on the russia.ru website.