"#WEARETOGETHER is a family": the best regions and partners of the year awarded at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The official award ceremony of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER was held on 3 December at the National Centre RUSSIA. The First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia and Co-Chair of the Organising Committee of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER, Sergei Kiriyenko, presented awards to the laureates in the categories "Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation" and the special category "Partnership of the Year".

Sergei Kiriyenko said that today, meeting with young volunteers, he noticed that the words "we are together" are becoming synonymous with the word "family" — a family of people united by compassionate hearts, those who not only want to help but strive to be where the country and its people need them most. He added that these people spread the warmth of their hearts to everyone around them.

"Volunteering in Russia today is major, structured teamwork. It is no longer the work only of individual volunteers or volunteer associations, commercial organisations. It is coordinated work with local authorities, regional governors, regional teams and teams of federal ministries and agencies. And I know that in many projects these teams work not because they are ordered to, nor because it is written in their job descriptions or official duties, but because they are brought together by an inner calling and a response of the heart. Thank you all very much for this," said the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia and Co-Chair of the Organising Committee of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER, Sergei Kiriyenko, addressing the volunteers.

The first-degree laureate in the category "Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation" was the Ulyanovsk region, which demonstrated strong results in developing volunteering and supporting socially significant initiatives.

"I thank everyone for recognising the work of the more than 90,000-strong army of volunteers in the Ulyanovsk region. We are all doing one very important thing together. We are preserving our country, we are helping all those who need help, and together we are bringing our future victory closer," said the Governor of the Ulyanovsk Region, Alexei Russkikh.

The region has built an effective volunteering system bringing together more than 90,000 volunteers. The network includes 13 specialised Dobro.Centres and 100 volunteer organisations. The key achievements include: the restoration of a historical park by 280 volunteers; an annual campaign presenting 10,000 tulips to women veterans; and ongoing support for animals. The region provides comprehensive assistance to NGOs and initiative groups — offering grants, premises, organisational and medical support — thus forming a stable regional ecosystem of volunteering and social projects.

The second-degree laureate was the Krasnoyarsk region, where a broad system for supporting civic initiatives has also been established: it brings together 3,600 NGOs and 80,000 registered volunteers, and includes a network of Dobro.Centres, resource centres and a #WEARETOGETHER headquarters. Financial support covers grants, subsidies, property assistance and unique preferential microloans. The region implements projects for older people, for families of participants in the special military operation, as well as environmental initiatives. Seventeen per cent of the population is engaged in volunteer and civic activities.

The Chelyabinsk region received third place. The region has built a comprehensive infrastructure to support social initiatives, bringing together 8,300 NGOs and 233,000 volunteers. Thirty-three Dobro.Centres and 43 municipal #WEARETOGETHER headquarters operate across the region. In 2025, funding for programmes will exceed 1 billion rubles thanks to grants and tax incentives. Implemented initiatives have helped reduce the number of emergencies, involve more than 1,500 people in sports activities and expand opportunities for young people to develop their potential.

The special category "Partnership of the Year" is awarded for achieving mutually beneficial results with partners in implementing socially significant projects based on the principles of cross-sector cooperation. This year, the laureate was the All-Russian Association for the Development of Local Self-Government (VARMSU), a strategic partner of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize in the "Territory" category.

Together with the Dobro.rf Association, VARMSU launched the project "Territory of Trust" to foster cooperation between municipalities, NGOs and businesses, as well as to support leaders of the volunteer movement. As a result of this partnership, the number of applications from municipalities increased by 40 per cent in the fifth season of the Prize.

The founder of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize is Rosmolodezh. The organiser is Dobro.rf. The general partner of the Prize is Alfa-Bank, and the strategic partner is Rosatom State Corporation.