The National Centre RUSSIA and the Tambov Region agree on cooperation

---

The National Centre RUSSIA and the Government of the Tambov Region signed a cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. The document formalised the parties' intention to work together on the region's social and economic development and to promote the image of the nevalyashka (a roly-poly toy).

"The nevalyashka has become a symbol of the resilience and openness of the Russian character, which is nurtured from childhood. It is popular in our country and far beyond its borders. This toy was the main character of our trips abroad to Tashkent and Harbin. As part of the agreement, we plan to develop the potential of Kotovsk, because it is the only city where the classic nevalyashka familiar to everyone is produced. We want to connect this well-known image with a specific region and place, and create new tourism and educational opportunities there. I thank the Head of the Tambov Region and his team for their joint work on implementing the project," said the Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova.

The agreement provides for broad cooperation, from information support and joint events to developing the visual concept of the project. The venue will assist in preparing expositions, forums and other events related to promoting the nevalyashka as a symbol of Russian tradition.

"The agreement gives an official start to the new flagship project, 'Nevalyashkino'. Together, we are creating a new and unique point of attraction for family tourism. The complex will include a museum factory, interactive spaces, art objects and other themed infrastructure. As early as 2026, we plan to begin implementing the first stage, which will triple the tourist flow and create 200 new jobs," said the Head of the Tambov Region, Yevgeny Pervyshov.

The key production partner providing the substantive and technological basis for this and other joint initiatives will be Kotovskiye Nevalyashki LLC, the only company in Russia whose production is focused on making such toys. The parties expressed their readiness to discuss and support initiatives to present the image of the nevalyashka at regional and federal venues.

The nevalyashka became a symbol of unity and continuity between generations during the recent winter season at the Department Store of the National Centre RUSSIA. As a sign of friendship, openness and respect for traditions, the toy appeared in a traditional Uzbek costume at the INNOPROM exposition in Tashkent, while at the Russia-China EXPO in Harbin, a special collection of nevalyashkas was presented in the red and yellow colours of the People's Republic of China and in the image of a panda.