From the rescue corps to the altar: the story of Wedding Festival participants Khetag and Anastasia

On July 8, the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity, the National Centre RUSSIA will host the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts," where more than 200 couples from across the country will tie the knot. Among them are two lovebirds from Vladikavkaz — junior sergeant of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Khetag Gozoyev and graduate of the North Ossetian Medical College, volunteer Anastasia Deyneka.

The couple-to-be are a true example of devotion to their homeland and service to others. Khetag was awarded a medal from Vladimir Putin for his selfless contribution to the mutual aid campaign "We Are Together," while Anastasia is a professional rescuer who, along with other volunteers, provides assistance to the front line and to the wounded in Vladikavkaz.

The love story of Khetag and Anastasia began with a shared desire to help people. In 2020, they met while working with the All-Russian Student Rescue Corps, but it took the young man a whole year to find the courage to message his future bride and admit that he had been thinking about her all that time.

A period of separation only strengthened their bond: when Khetag left for military service in 2023, Anastasia patiently waited for him. In January 2025, high in the mountains of North Ossetia, the most important "yes" was spoken — Khetag proposed to Anastasia.

The couple decided not to have a lavish wedding celebration: seeing the wounded in military hospitals, they felt that now is not the time for banquets and toasts.

"I’m a medical worker, and I know very well what things are like on the other side, so I told Khetag right away that, given what is happening in the country, we could go without it. But at the same time, we wanted something special — not just to sign some papers at the registry office, but to have our family begin with something truly beautiful. So when we heard about the Wedding Festival, we took it as a sign from above — and managed to apply on the very last day, literally half an hour before the registration closed," said Anastasia Deyneka.

The couple have a deep respect for the love story of Saints Peter and Fevronia of Murom, the patron saints of Christian marriage, so it is symbolic that the birth of their new family will take place on the first day of the All-Russian Wedding Festival — the Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity.

The II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" will mark the beginning of married life for more than 200 couples from across the country. Guests and participants will enjoy a rich three-day programme: in addition to official wedding ceremonies, the National Centre RUSSIA will host lectures on family values, tastings of traditional festive dishes, and other events showcasing the beauty of wedding traditions from different regions of Russia.

The National Centre RUSSIA has already witnessed the birth of 282 families during the first Wedding Festival, and some of those families now have children. The All-Russian Wedding Festival will become an annual event at the National Centre RUSSIA.

To attend the celebration, registration is required — follow the latest updates on russia.ru and on the social media pages of the National Centre RUSSIA.