"Who, if not us": winners of the XXIII season of the "My Country — My Russia" contest honoured at the National Centre RUSSIA
On 23 September, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted an awards ceremony for the winners and prize-winners of the XXIII season of the All-Russian "My Country — My Russia" contest, one of the key projects of the Presidential Platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity". This year, the contest received 80,257 applications from all 89 regions of the country and 10 foreign countries under the central theme "Unity of the Peoples of My Country".
Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov sent a message of greetings to the event participants. He noted that genuine love for one's homeland is measured by concrete actions and the ability to take responsibility for their results, and that it is especially valuable when young people become involved in this work.
"Behind every project are people who care about the future of their home region. You see what can be changed for the better, propose solutions and are ready to take responsibility — this is where change begins. It is especially important to us that young people become involved in this work. When a young person studies their home region, works alongside mentors, creates something useful for their city or village and learns to take responsibility for the result, this is how an active love for one's homeland is fostered. I congratulate the winners and wish you strength and perseverance in bringing your plans to fruition. May your projects benefit people and become a source of pride for your home region," the message said.
Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, addressed the ceremony participants on behalf of Minister Valery Falkov. She noted that over 23 years, the "My Country — My Russia" contest has grown into a large-scale ecosystem of opportunities.
"It is a great honour for me to attend this ceremony and convey words of gratitude on behalf of Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov. I would also like to thank you very much, dear participants, for being part of a major project, a vast ecosystem that over its 23 years of existence has grown into a true universe of opportunities. I would also like to thank the esteemed jury members, who certainly faced a difficult task in selecting the best projects from 80,000 ideas. Of course, every great journey begins with one's small homeland, so I wish you, dear friends, every success in turning all your initiatives into reality. And we will create opportunities to help you achieve that," said Olga Petrova.
Andrei Betin, Director General of the Presidential Platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" and Rector of the Senezh Management Workshop, noted that for many years the contest has remained a space where young people's initiatives are transformed into real projects, and that this year it has reached a particularly impressive scale.
"What sets contest participants apart from everyone else? First of all, you do not wait for a better moment — you act here and now. Second, you not only see a problem but also propose a solution. And third, and most importantly, you feel a connection to your small homeland with your heart and take responsibility for it, and that is incredibly valuable. In addition, this season we have participants from 10 countries around the world who regard Russia as a true and great friend, take part in our projects and even look to us as an example. I feel an incredible sense of pride in what we are doing together. I wish everyone tremendous success. And remember: Russia is a land of opportunity," said Andrei Betin.
In 2026, cooperation between the "My Country — My Russia" contest and the federal Rosmolodyozh.Grants programme gave finalists an additional opportunity to receive financial and methodological support for their initiatives. Eight contest finalists became winners in the special Rosmolodyozh.Grants category. They received a total of 3,075,000 roubles in support.
"I would like to applaud the finalists and thank you sincerely for caring about the history and development of your region, municipality, city and the country as a whole. For us at Rosmolodyozh, it is very important that the initiatives and social projects you come up with are able to continue developing. All these very important areas — whether health, inclusion or projects aimed at improving the urban environment — strengthen the unity of our country. We are ready to develop together with you, make the contest even better and support your projects on an ongoing basis," promised Denis Ashirov, State Secretary — Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh).
In the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, a new category, "Unity of the Peoples of My Country", was added to the contest. Almost 10,000 applications submitted in this category confirmed that the shared historical journey and respect for the cultures and traditions of different peoples are becoming a personal concern for everyone today.
"This season, we have seen particularly clearly that participants come to the contest not simply with ideas, but with a personal answer to the question: what exactly can I change where I live? More than 80,000 applications form an enormous map of the country, where behind every point are real people, their home cities and villages, the problems they want to solve and the responsibility they are prepared to take. It is essential to us that strong projects do not end with a diploma and an awards ceremony, but receive further support and continue to develop in the regions. Because the true result of the contest is not the number of applications or even the number of winners, but the changes that begin with one person's initiative and become a common cause," noted Dmitry Turlakov, Head of the Directorate of the All-Russian "My Country — My Russia" contest.
A special award was also presented as part of the contest — the Prize named after Lyudmila Verbitskaya, an outstanding Russian language scholar, educator and organiser of higher education. The Prize is awarded for a significant contribution to the development, support and promotion of the Russian language, as well as to strengthening humanitarian dialogue internationally.
"I was born in my region, I have lived there all my life, and it is the place dearest to me. So who, if not us, will develop our small homeland?" asked Natalia Vykhtar from the Altai Territory, who won first place in the "Unity of the Peoples of My Country" category.
The ceremony honoured winners in 11 categories: "Unity of the Peoples of My Country", "My Family: Continuity, Values and Meanings", "My Pedagogical Initiative", "My Health", "Intellectual Property of My Country", "Scientific and Technological Leadership of My Country", "My Entrepreneurial Initiative", "My Small Homeland. My City, My Village", "My Hospitable Russia", "Ecology of My Country" and "Digital Environment for Improving the Quality of Life of Citizens in the Regions". The winners represented a wide range of regions across the country, from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Sevastopol to the Altai and Primorye Territories, the Vologda, Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk Regions, the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Chuvash Republic.
The All-Russian contest of youth original projects and educational projects "My Country — My Russia", aimed at the socio-economic development of Russian territories, has been held since 2003 and, since 2019, has been implemented as a project of the Presidential Platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity". The central theme of the XXIII season, held in the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, is "Unity of the Peoples of My Country": participants' projects focus on preserving cultural and historical legacy, strengthening ties between generations and developing territories.
The contest is held with the support of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh), the Federal Service for Intellectual Property, the Presidential Grants Foundation, the Russian Academy of Education, the Russian national public and state movement of children and youth Movement of the First, the Sistema Charitable Foundation and partners of the contest's thematic categories.
The talk was held in Yekaterinburg as part of the International Festival of Youth — 2026.
