A family without borders: Russian volunteers to strengthen the export of Russian values abroad

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The closing ceremony of the Final Forum of the International Volunteer Corps marking the 80th anniversary of Victory was held on 8 November at the National Centre RUSSIA. The three-day event, combined with the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers", brought together more than 1,500 volunteers from 89 regions of Russia and 35 countries.

The ceremony included an awards presentation for volunteers of the International Volunteer Corps of the 80th Anniversary of Victory. Throughout the year, members of the movement helped organise patriotic campaigns, remembrance lessons, and historical quests, and cared for the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War. The closing event also honoured the winners of the All-Russian campaign "Red Carnation" – a charitable initiative supporting veterans of the Great Patriotic War. 

"You are doing a vital and meaningful job – safeguarding the history of our great country. Whenever I meet you at events, I always thank you sincerely for this. There are many young people here today who are still in school or university. You are our future, and the preservation of our country’s history rests on your shoulders. How well you know and pass it on to the younger generation will determine whether we continue to live together in this wonderful country," said Aide to the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects and Hero of Russia Alexei Romanov, addressing the volunteers.

Victory Volunteers plan to expand their activities and strengthen their status as an international humanitarian organisation. Speaking at the ceremony, Chair of the Central Headquarters of the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers" and Deputy Chair of the State Duma Committee on the Development of Civil Society, Public and Religious Associations Olga Zanko outlined the new priorities. 

"Ten years have passed, but I am sure that our story is only beginning, and it will certainly continue. I believe that in the future we should focus on several important areas. The first is support for participants in the special military operation and their families. The second – look, today volunteers even came to the forum with babies, so let’s develop the family volunteering movement, because it is the future. And the third: our values are important not only for Russia but also for other countries, so we must expand our work abroad. I thank every one of our foreign teams for their compassion, support, and assistance. We are proud to have such a large international family," said Olga Zanko.

The activities of the International Corps began in October 2024, and today members of the international team of "Victory Volunteers" represent more than 60 countries. During the ceremony, the winners of the International Award "Ready for Victories" were honoured. The initiative is aimed at identifying the best practices and volunteers of the movement who have been actively working across Russia and abroad throughout the year. 

"Today the hall could accommodate only 1,500 people, but there are eight million people in our country who share the values of Victory Volunteers. And even that is not all, because ‘Victory Volunteers’ have long gone beyond the borders of the Russian Federation. I am filled with pride that this major Russian movement, which preserves the vital values of our country, knows no boundaries. This year has shown that we can do more – and we will do more to honour memory and preserve history. I believe the most precious thing about the Victory Volunteers movement is the connection between generations," said State Secretary and Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Denis Ashirov.

Words of gratitude to the volunteers were also expressed by Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo) Dmitry Polikanov; Deputy Head of the Personnel Management Service of the Moscow Railway, a branch of Russian Railways (RZD), Sergei Kovalenko; Project Manager of the Memory of Generations Charity Foundation Natalia Vyatkina; Head of Target Programme Implementation at the Memory of Generations Charity Foundation Elnora Lysova; and Executive Director of the Victory Volunteers movement Anastasia Ryabova. 

As a gift to the audience, the popular duo Nansi & Sidorov performed several musical numbers for the event participants. The celebrity couple also presented awards to the winners of the "Ready for Victories" prize in the "Family of the Year" category.

The highlight of the ceremony and a vivid symbol of generational continuity were video greetings from veterans of the Great Patriotic War addressed to the volunteers. 

"’Victory Volunteers’ are our soaring, multi-child, multimillion-strong family. Tears well up as we look out at this hall and see your passionate, caring eyes. You can be sure that in every corner of our vast homeland and all around the world, your family members are waiting for you, happy to see you anytime, anywhere. It’s enough just to say that you are Victory Volunteers," concluded Acting Executive Director of the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers" Artemy Kiselyov.

The final forum of the International Volunteer Corps marking the 80th anniversary of Victory was held at the National Centre RUSSIA from 6 to 8 November. Participants included members of the Corps, activists of the All-Russian Public Movement "Victory Volunteers", as well as Russian-speaking and international youth associations from France, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Panama, Tajikistan, Abkhazia, and other countries, along with leaders and volunteers of non-profit organisations involved in patriotic education and historical awareness. 

The forum programme featured strategic and educational sessions on civic and patriotic volunteering, exchanges of regional and international practices, meetings with heroes, experts, and mentors, guided tours, and other activities.

The event was organised by the All-Russian Public Movement Victory Volunteers with the support of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the Moscow Committee for Public Relations and Youth Policy, "More Than a Trip", the Presidential Grants Foundation, and other partner organisations.