Olympic champions take part in educational lecture hall at opening of the National Centre RUSSIA in Ryazan

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The speakers were outstanding athletes from across the country — three-time Olympic champion Maria Kiseleva, the first Olympic taekwondo champion in the history of Russian sport, Maxim Khramtsov, and six-time world champion, European champion and canoeist Zakhar Petrov.

Maria Kiseleva stressed that the most important thing is to love what you do and have an inner drive that keeps you moving forward despite difficulties. She congratulated those present on Teacher's Day and extended warm wishes to the new branch, noting that it would become a popular destination for residents of the region and its visitors.

"Thank you for the invitation. I am very pleased to be here today, and I would like to congratulate everyone on the opening of this wonderful National Centre RUSSIA here in Ryazan. This is a grand event, and it will become a place that brings together absolutely everyone — residents of the region and its visitors. And, of course, I would like to wish everyone a happy Teacher's Day. A teacher, mentor or coach — these are the people who guide us through life, open up knowledge to us, help us believe in ourselves and achieve our dreams," Maria Kiseleva said.

The lecture hall focused on how character is forged, which qualities have the greatest impact on long-term success, and how to cope with defeats both in sport and in life. Maxim Khramtsov recalled that as early as the age of 12 he had told his friends that he wanted to become an Olympic champion, even though there were no taekwondo classes in his hometown. He admitted that this made him the subject of ridicule more than once, but he continued training and never gave up on his dream.

"I never had the desire to quit. After setbacks, I would return to the gym and work even harder — defeats revealed my weaknesses. Later, when I reached elite sport and competed at world and European championships, defeats were, of course, much harder to take, but they often gave me much more. After them, I wanted to get back to the gym faster, train even harder and prove that it wasn't that my opponent had beaten me, but that I had lost to him and could put the situation right," Maxim Khramtsov shared.

Canoeist Zakhar Petrov, a six-time world champion, European champion, World Cup winner and medallist, and a participant in the 2024 Summer Olympics, Honoured Master of Sport of Russia, confirmed that character is forged from childhood — from the very first training sessions, victories and defeats.

"Your journey in sport begins when your parents enrol you in a sports school or club. Morning exercises, daily training, victories and defeats — all of this forges you over the years. And, of course, coaches, family and loved ones are an integral part of the preparation: thanks to them, you become better, develop your character and become a champion," Zakhar Petrov said.

After the talks, the audience had an opportunity to ask the speakers questions. The renowned athletes shared their advice on staying calm in stressful situations and answered more personal and thought-provoking questions: who influenced their development, whether they had ever had to make sacrifices for someone else's success, what an athlete feels when facing an opponent, and what the most important lesson they took away from elite sport was.

The new National Centre RUSSIA branch in Ryazan is the first in the Central Federal District and the fourth in the country. It is located near the Ryazan Kremlin and Ryazan VDNH (Exposition Centre) and will form part of a major pedestrian route connecting the city's historical landmarks and public spaces.

The branch's main attraction is its permanent exposition, which takes visitors through different historical periods — from the origins of traditional culture to contemporary projects and development prospects. In addition to the exposition, the branch will feature zones dedicated to GTO ("Ready for Labour and Defence") and the Russian language, as well as the Department Store RUSSIA, offering goods, souvenirs and products made by traditional handicraft and folk art producers from different regions of the country.