Regional solutions for supporting servicemen of the special military operation and their families discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA

---

On 10 September, as part of the thematic week of the Voronezh region, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted a panel discussion "Support and Rehabilitation of Participants of the Special Military Operation: Regional Solutions". Speakers from the region shared their experience in rehabilitating servicemen of the special military operation and spoke about new projects aimed at supporting them and improving the quality of life of their families.

The event was open and heartfelt, largely because many of the speakers, including Yulia Belekhovа, Head of the Committee of Families of Warriors of the Fatherland, are mothers of servicemen taking part in the special military operation.

"Behind every request we receive, behind every visit from a family, there is a human life. And, you know, at such moments I think: ‘If someone has come, if someone has written, it means they trust us’. And it is very important not to betray this trust. That is why we stand shoulder to shoulder and protect in the same way. Our servicemen will be at peace when they know for certain that their families are safe here and will be helped," Yulia Belekhovа told those present.

Olga Sergeyeva, Minister of Social Protection of the Voronezh region, spoke about the system of interdepartmental cooperation for assistance, support and rehabilitation of servicemen established in the region. She stressed that one of the most important elements of effective work is feedback.

"People’s requests show us what is missing, what needs to be added or improved. That is why we have created an additional support system for our social coordinators and their work, to reduce failures in the system. We now regularly bring together social coordinators from across the Voronezh region, set them situational tasks based on incoming requests, and actively promote professional development for our employees through mentoring," said Olga Sergeyeva. 

Irina Grineva, Director of the Seven Steps Centre for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Disabled People, shared her centre’s experience in supporting servicemen of the special military operation.

"To date, more than 700 servicemen have undergone comprehensive rehabilitation at our centre. I would like to stress that the staff providing this service are career military with combat experience, as well as former servicemen who previously underwent rehabilitation here and have since joined our team. These are people who are not only with our men around the clock but also identify problems that need prompt solutions. We measure our effectiveness by the success stories of our heroes. These stories are the strongest incentive for our continued work," said Irina Grineva.

Another successful rehabilitation facility in the region is the Voronezh Regional Centre for Social Rehabilitation of Veterans and Disabled Combatants. Its director, Anna Zvezdinskaya, spoke about the work of the centre, the launch of the pilot project "We Will Live", and its first results. She highlighted the leading role of social partnership in achieving common goals.

"Our project was launched on 1 August, and I believe it has great potential, because today our partners already include the Committee of Families of Warriors of the Fatherland of the Voronezh region and the Foundation for Assistance to Disabled People and Combat Veterans ‘We Don’t Abandon Our Own’. The regional ministries of health and social protection, as well as rehabilitation centres, immediately joined the team effort. I am confident that the project’s potential will only grow," said Anna Zvezdinskaya. 

Margarita Maslennikova, Head of the autonomous non-profit organisation Committee of Families of Warriors of the Fatherland of the Voronezh Region, spoke about the project "Easy!", which has already received many positive responses from servicemen of the special military operation and their families.

"As the non-profit sector, we close a very important gap. When servicemen have already been treated in hospital, stayed at a sanatorium, undergone rehabilitation at our state centres — when they return home, so they do not shut themselves off and suffer setbacks, that is the moment when we step in with follow-up rehabilitation," said Margarita Maslennikova.

The presentation of the Voronezh region’s experience in social rehabilitation of servicemen of the special military operation and their families was accompanied by videos illustrating the rehabilitation measures carried out. The panel discussion at the National Centre RUSSIA became an important step in strengthening the system of support for these citizens.

The Days of Regions are part of the exposition "Region-2030. Platform of the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA, running for two months. From 9 to 14 September, visitors are discovering the Voronezh region. The extensive programme of the thematic week includes lectures and workshops, presentations, performances by artists and ensembles, distribution of souvenirs and much more.