From Godparents to Spouses: How Artyom and Yelizaveta Zulkarnayev live after the Wedding Festival at the National Centre RUSSIA

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Spouses Artyom and Yelizaveta Zulkarnayev first met during a baptism ceremony. Their story found its continuation at the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts". There, they officially formalised their relationship. The press office of the National Centre RUSSIA asked the couple how they are getting along now — one of 206 families who decided to unite their hearts precisely in this unique space.

Сonstruction engineer Artyom and lawyer Yelizaveta got acquainted in an unusual way — during a baptism ceremony. Yelizaveta was asked to be a godmother for her own aunt's newborn daughter. Her aunt's husband decided to ask his closest friend — Artyom — to be the godfather.

Yelizaveta confessed to the Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA that it all was like in a movie. From the first glance, she understood that the man before her was the one. The godparents immediately made friends, then gradually became a couple, and moved in together. Three years later, they decided to get married and take part in the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts".

The Zulkarnayevs have a lot in common, including their love for travelling across Russia: together, Artyom and Yelizaveta have visited many cities and are always ready for new trips.

The spouses shared that they both are fond of dogs. After the wedding, Artyom and Yelizaveta decided to get a pet — as preparation for an even more responsible and important decision.

"Of course, we want a child, but for now we decided to get a dog; we have a German Spitz from a kennel. And this is, perhaps, the main highlight of the first months of our family life. It took a while to persuade my husband, as he was against large dogs. And I didn't know which breed exactly I wanted. One day I saw a puppy, and we decided to visit a kennel and see it in person. And that's how we got our companion," recalls Yelizaveta Zulkarnayeva.

According to her, a dog is a big responsibility and a multitude of new duties, but with it, the young family is never bored. Every day brings new adventures. She also said that as the newlyweds, they have not yet taken their wedding trip: both are busy with work for now. Each of the spouses strives to make the world better and views their profession as a calling.

"We plan to go on our trip already in winter. It's quite possible we will celebrate the New Year by the sea, under the sun's rays," she added.

The All-Russian Wedding Festival is a tremendous annual event dedicated to love, family values, and the wedding traditions of the peoples of Russia. The first Wedding Festival took place at the International RUSSIA EXPO, helping 221 couples to become spouses. From 8 to 10 July 2025, the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA: 206 couples were married there.