The winners in the "Code of Mercy" category of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize announced

The award ceremony of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER 2025 was held at the National Centre RUSSIA on 3 December. During the event, the laureates of the "Code of Mercy" category were announced. The winner was the project "Inclusive Centre 'Tylsym'" from the Republic of Tatarstan, implemented by the ANO "Good Kazan". The award was presented to the Head of the organisation, Tatyana Merzlyakova, by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Co-Chair of the Organising Committee of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER, Tatyana Golikova, and People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Khabensky.

"Our prize turns five this year. We could not have imagined that in such a short period the number of people for whom it becomes an integral part of life would be so large. Over these five years, more than 200,000 applications have been submitted. And every year the number grows. The year 2025 is no exception: more than 52,000 applications from 147 countries have been submitted. This is already a global prize, and I sincerely congratulate you on that. And, of course, this became possible because there are so many compassionate people in the world. 'Code of Mercy' is an extraordinary category. It is something we have in our blood, something we live for. I do not know a single person who has never shared a part of themselves with another. Our nominees make our country what it is today. These people have done everything possible to ensure that the elderly, people with disabilities, participants in the special military operation, and those who dedicate themselves to promoting healthy living and donation receive help. Thanks to people like you, our country grows stronger, multiplies good deeds, and, most importantly, inspires even more compassionate people to join this orbit," emphasised the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Co-Chair of the Organising Committee of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER, Tatyana Golikova.

The children's inclusive centre "Tylsym" ("Magic") helps children with different abilities learn, develop and communicate together. The centre operates two main directions — group developmental and rehabilitation sessions, and a training apartment for children with mental disabilities. Classes are conducted with a speech therapist, a neuropsychologist, specialists in adaptive physical education and sensory-motor integration, as well as sessions aimed at preventing dysgraphia. In the training apartment, children with severe impairments learn everyday, hygiene and social skills — how to take care of themselves, cook, use household items, and go shopping.

"Today, our country has a great deal of compassionate people who are ready to lend a helping hand and offer support — sometimes to those they have never met. I hope deeply that thanks to the deeds and actions of such people, many of whom are present in this hall today, the words 'mercy', 'compassion', 'volunteering', 'charity' will firmly enter the consciousness of people living in Russia and become a norm of life, its natural rule," said People’s Artist of the Russian Federation, Konstantin Khabensky.

The second-degree laureate in the "Code of Mercy" category was the project "Path to Health" from the Ulyanovsk region. This is a professional rehabilitation programme for combat veterans who sustained severe injuries while performing their duties, resulting in social, occupational and everyday maladaptation. The award was received by the Head of the ANO "STATUSPRO", Ivan Telegin.

The project helps veterans of the special military operation undergo comprehensive rehabilitation and return to a full life. Individual programmes have been developed for 30 participants, who receive comprehensive support.

Two projects became third-degree laureates. The Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Tatyana Golikova, presented the award to the Head of the Social Projects Department of the Roscongress Foundation, Ilya Gulidin from St Petersburg, for the project "RK-Skills". The programme helps people with disabilities and special needs acquire modern professional competences and enter the labour market. Participants undergo training in corporate culture, financial literacy, English, digital services, and office software. The project is implemented in nine regions of Russia and six regions of the Republic of Belarus. A total of 195 people have taken part in it.

The award was also presented to Yuri Belanovsky, representative of the volunteer movement "Danilovtsy" from Moscow. For 17 years, the movement has been systematically combating social loneliness by organising regular volunteer support in medical and social institutions. The project not only restores the sense of being needed to children and adults who have found themselves in isolation, but also serves as a school of civic maturity: 5,000 volunteers participated in it, learning empathy and social responsibility in practice. Over the years, the movement has created a sustainable ecosystem of support: 400 permanent volunteers in 40 groups hold more than 2,000 events annually in 29 institutions across 10 regions of Russia. Thanks to their work, regular support is provided to 5,300 beneficiaries, and the total number of people they have helped over the years exceeds 30,000.

In the international "Human Assistance" category, initiatives aimed at supporting health, education, psychological assistance, and social integration of vulnerable groups around the world were selected. Joining the award ceremony in this track was Zhang Lin, Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia.

"It is a great honour for me to take part in the award ceremony of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize. This is my third year here, and each time I am convinced that volunteering is not just a word. It is a quiet revolution of humanity. I believe that thanks to the large number of good people and good deeds, the world will indeed change for the better. The most important values at the heart of volunteering — trust and dialogue — fully correspond to the spirit and ideas of our organisation. It unites 28 member states, including Russia. The development of volunteer movements is possible only through joint efforts of many countries. We thank the Russian Federation for its contribution: it was at the initiative of the Russian side that volunteering was included in the catalogue of confidence-building measures of CICA," said the Deputy Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, Zhang Lin.

The victory was shared by three projects. The organisation Gwiji for Women, represented by Elizabeth Mwangi from Kenya, works to enhance the economic and social empowerment of women in Kenya’s urban informal settlements by teaching skills and providing access to decent and safe employment opportunities. More than 3,800 women have completed the training programme, 2,600 gained decent employment through the Gwiji for Women app, and 340 started their own businesses with start-up grants. The economic outcome for participants: their average daily income increased from $1.50 to $8.20. An important achievement was a 63% reduction in reports of workers' rights violations after more than 1,800 women received training in labour rights and self-defence.

Another laureate is Gulnisa Kulumzhanova from Kazakhstan, a representative of the volunteer movement "Threads of Kindness", which brings people together to help premature babies by sewing woollen items and therapeutic toys for newborns. Over eight years, volunteers have donated 17,000 sets and 11,000 therapeutic toys to perinatal centres and maternity hospitals. Each year, the movement’s support helps warm more than 3,500 infants.

The third laureate was Gina Vesic from Serbia, representing the project "Serbian-Russian School of Media Literacy: The War of Narratives and the Culture of Memory". This is a five-day interdisciplinary programme designed for young journalists, historians, social science students, cultural workers and activists from Serbia, Russia and other countries. The project aims to promote critical thinking, media responsibility, and international dialogue through the analysis of how the media shape truth, collective memory and geopolitical awareness. More than 2,000 people have already completed the training.

The #WEARETOGETHER Prize is established by Rosmolodezh. The organiser is Dobro.rf. The general partner of the Prize is Alfa-Bank, and the strategic partner is Rosatom State Corporation.