A scientist is a hero of our time: the National Centre RUSSIA launches Russian Science Day

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Russian Science Day was launched at the National Centre RUSSIA on 8 February with an open and meaningful discussion on how today’s scientific ecosystem is structured, where it is heading, and why scientists are the new heroes of our time. The event brought together more than 2,000 scientists, experts, and students from across the country. The start of the celebrations was marked by the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Olga Petrova, and the Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova.

"Science is beautiful, incredible, and ambitious. When a person becomes part of science, their life gains meaning, because scientific creativity turns every stage of development into the beginning of a new journey. Today we see strong interest in science among students. Those who truly live by science grow into researchers and university lecturers and lead our country towards new achievements. The challenges facing our country can be overcome through the development of science and technology. And when we unite our efforts, we succeed," noted Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

She also emphasised that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Government pay great attention to supporting science. In particular, numerous named scholarships have been established, while youth laboratories and student scientific societies are actively supported. She added that the Congress of Young Scientists in Sirius has become a key event of the Decade of Science and Technology. All these initiatives enable those interested in science to unite, find like-minded people, and make discoveries and develop new solutions together.

"The National Centre RUSSIA was established by order of the President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. Recently, he spoke about scientists as pioneers in every sense. And who are pioneers? They are bold, courageous, confident dreamers — and what they dream of usually becomes reality. This is what the National Centre RUSSIA is about as well. For me, as a humanities scholar, science is about extraordinary people who can decipher or at least come closer to understanding what a miracle is. Science is people who understand miracles," said the Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA, Natalia Virtuozova.

Throughout the day, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted thematic sessions and lectures on how scientific discoveries are formed, how modern researchers build their careers, and what opportunities are opening up for scientists today. Experts shared their experience and presented cutting-edge developments, while participants also took part in interactive sessions demonstrating science in action.

Russian Science Day began with the plenary session "A Scientist is a Hero of Our Time".  Young researchers, government representatives, and media experts discussed how support for domestic science is structured and why scientists are becoming modern-day heroes. The session was moderated by artist, blogger, and singer Roman Kagarmanov, co-host of the science and entertainment show "Science for Everyone". Among the speakers were anthropologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and leader of the public science outreach movement "Drobyshevsky’s Projects", Stanislav Drobyshevsky; Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and publisher of the popular science online outlet N+1, Andrei Konyaev; Director General of the VCIOM Analytical Centre, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Valery Fedorov; and Doctor of Political Sciences, coordinator of the VYZOV community Valeria Rodina, and many others.

In 2026, Russian Science Day is being celebrated for the 27th time. On this day, scientific institutions, universities, and laboratories across the country host conferences, seminars, scientific presentations, and award ceremonies honouring outstanding scientists of Russia.

The event was organised by the National Centre RUSSIA with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the VCIOM Analytical Centre, and the Russian society Znanie.

The livestream of Russian Science Day at the National Centre RUSSIA is available on the russia.ru website.