Winners of the All-Russian "Young Entrepreneur of Russia — 2026" Award are announced at the "Creators" Forum

---

The All-Russian "Creators" Forum, organised by Rosmolodyozh.Undertake and Rosmolodyozh.Profi, was held on 14 November at the National Centre RUSSIA. It brought together young entrepreneurs, professionals, students and company representatives from across the country. Participants presented their projects, shared their experiences and discussed career opportunities and prospects for growing their own businesses with industry experts. The forum concluded with a ceremony honouring the winners of the "Young Entrepreneur of Russia — 2026" Award.

The "Creators" Forum opened with a private screening of Mikhail Grebenyuk's film "The Phenomenon of Youth", part of the "Phenomena" series. It tells the stories of young people who faced difficult circumstances and decided to take action and create opportunities for their own futures. The film will be available to watch from 21 November.

"There are exceptional people who make discoveries, create new things and believe in their city and their region. We call them creators. Russia draws its strength from its people. We know how to come together and tackle the major challenges life sometimes throws at us. Over these past few days, more than 3,000 young creators from across the country have come together, including young entrepreneurs, representatives of youth councils at companies and industrial enterprises, university students and school pupils. What unites them is a desire to move forward, develop and make a contribution. Bringing this community together and presenting the 'Young Entrepreneur of Russia' Award gives us a chance to show the whole country young people who dream and act," noted Grigory Gurov, Head of Rosmolodyozh.

Participants met with figures from culture, sport and business. One of the guests was Konstantin Khabensky, People's Artist of Russia, Artistic Director and Director of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre, and Rector of the Moscow Art Theatre School. He discussed his career, his work in theatre, the creative challenges he faces and his responsibility for developing the theatrical arts.

"A creator is someone who does work that matters to them and that they find interesting. Their enthusiasm for an idea rubs off on the people around them. When they bring that idea to life, it gives those who were alongside them another reason to keep going. They realise that anything is possible. You just have to believe in yourself and your team and stay true to your idea," said Konstantin Khabensky.

The National Centre RUSSIA established a special prize in the "Unity in Action" category. It went to Filipp Sadriev (Chukotka Autonomous Area), founder of the "KitIony" coffee shop chain, the first brand from Chukotka to take its franchise nationwide. Azamat Meremkulov (MERLINI brand), will join the Department Store RUSSIA project as a resident. The partnership with the National Centre RUSSIA gives both winners new opportunities to expand their businesses and promote their brands nationwide.

Alexei Vasilchuk, co-founder of Vasilchuki Restaurant Group, shared his experience of growing a restaurant business and discussed launching new projects and making decisions that help the company grow. Oscar Konyukhov, Head of Fyodor Konyukhov's expedition headquarters, discussed organising expeditions, preparing for tough challenges and the importance of teamwork.

The meetings and sessions with creators also featured Artur Orlov, Hero of Russia, graduate of the presidential programme "Time of Heroes" and Chair of the Board of the Movement of the First, Alexei Nechayev, leader of the "New People" faction in the State Duma and founder of Faberlic, David Henderson-Stewart, Chair of the Board and co-owner of the Raketa Watch Factory, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov, Hero of the Russian Federation and pilot-cosmonaut, and Mikhail Grebenyuk, an entrepreneur and founder of the "ES Clinic" healthcare family office and the "Generation" charitable project. The guests shared stories from their careers and discussed the key decisions, challenges and experiences that helped them succeed.

"When a young entrepreneur creates a product, the impact goes beyond their own life. Their business creates jobs, brings new solutions and opens up opportunities for other people. That is the constructive role of entrepreneurship. As entrepreneurs grow their businesses, they create value for others," noted Dmitry Litvin, Head of Rosmolodyozh.Undertake and Rosmolodyozh.Profi.

As part of the business programme, participants discussed Russia's entrepreneurial traditions, changing attitudes towards young manufacturers, engineers and industrialists, and the role of business, government and society in helping young people's initiatives develop.

One of the key events was "A Conversation with an Investor", where young entrepreneurs presented their projects to experts and explained what support they needed. After the pitches, investors could offer funding, partnerships or other resources to help develop the projects.

Alexei Lokontsev, founder of the TOPGUN barbershop chain and the COLIZEUM esports club network and co-founder of TOPRACING, took an interest in NKSecure, a project by young entrepreneur Ivan Menyaylov. The team is developing smart electronic locks for businesses with bank-grade security. The locks allow businesses to manage access via smartphone, offer contactless check-in and control access for staff and customers. Alexei Lokontsev said he was prepared to buy 20 million roubles' worth of products and take a stake in the project.

"The 'Creators' Forum was a great opportunity to present my project, get feedback from experts and find new ways to develop it. After 'A Conversation with an Investor', two of the experts and I arranged follow-up meetings to discuss pilot projects and possible collaboration. I also got to meet other participants, learn about their projects, exchange contact details and identify ways we might work together. I'm leaving with useful new contacts, concrete agreements and a clear idea of where to go next. It was definitely a valuable experience for me!" said Maxim Kaymakan, a participant in the All-Russian "Creators" Forum.

At the forum, Maxim Kaymakan presented "Media Workshop", an AI service that helps entrepreneurs and bloggers create content and grow their social media accounts.

Throughout the day, participants could get tailored advice on developing their projects in the mentoring lounge. More than 60 experts met with young entrepreneurs for one-to-one consultations and gave them advice on developing their projects and advancing their careers.

The exposition area featured the "Created by the Youth" project. More than 40 producers from 19 regions of the country showcased products ranging from technology solutions and engineering projects to clothing, accessories, cosmetics and homeware.

One of the day's main events was the ceremony honouring the winners of the All-Russian "Young Entrepreneur of Russia — 2026" Award. More than 6,000 applications and recommendations were received this season. Forty-two participants from 31 regions of the country reached the final. Thirteen people won awards across 10 main and three special categories.

Teimuraz Kunizhev from the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic received the special "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" award. He runs the DADE family farm, which makes natural dairy products using traditional recipes. The brand name means "grandfather" in Kabardian and reflects the family's history. Today, DADE offers its own products alongside goods from local artisan producers, helping to preserve the region's culinary traditions and support local suppliers. The award was presented by Pavel Titov, President of "Business Russia" and President of the Abrau-Durso Group.

"For me, taking part in the award is a chance to show that even in a small village you can build a strong brand and grow a successful business. The DADE family farm is about more than making dairy products. It's the story of my family, our respect for our ancestors and our wish to keep our traditions alive by making them part of the modern world. I want our story to give young entrepreneurs the courage to get started. Wherever you're from and whatever resources you have when you start out, what matters is believing in your business, working hard and persevering when things get difficult," said Teimuraz Kunizhev.

The winners will receive expert advice and information support, opportunities to take part in educational programmes and business events, and help promoting their projects and finding partners. Financial support totalled 8 million roubles. The list of winners is available at the website молодой-предприниматель.рф.

The awards ceremony included a formal presentation and a show with musical performances and special acts. Presenter and actor Daniel Vegas hosted the ceremony. Anton Tokarev provided the musical accompaniment for all the acts. NANSI & SIDOROV were the musical guests.

At the forum, participants met representatives of more than 20 partner companies to explore future collaboration. Guests also completed tasks, took part in activities and received prizes.

The forum was organised by Rosmolodyozh.Undertake and Rosmolodyozh.Profi. The All-Russian "Creators" Forum was held as part of the "Personnel" national project.