International Eurasia Award presented at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The International Eurasia Award ceremony was held on 15 October at the National Centre RUSSIA. Awards recognised efforts to promote the Russian language, preserve traditional values, support culture, education and volunteering, and develop cooperation across the Eurasian continent. Held for the second time, the award received 5,512 applications from 73 countries, including Russia and the CIS countries, China, India, Iran, the UAE, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, the USA and Australia. The total prize fund amounted to 17 million roubles.

"The International Eurasia Award recognises achievements in culture, education, volunteering, people-to-people diplomacy and the promotion of the Russian language. This significant event brings together people who are working to strengthen cooperation in our shared region and care about its future. Today, we honour those whose work, talent and sincere dedication make a major contribution to developing cooperation between states and cultural ties, and preserving traditional values and historical memory. It is important that interest in the award is growing. This demonstrates that integration based on trust, mutual respect and working together towards shared goals is finding more and more supporters, while Eurasia is becoming one of the centres of a multipolar world. It has considerable industrial and political potential, key transport routes run through it, and it is experiencing sustained economic growth. All your projects and initiatives prove that true friendship knows no borders," said the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, in his address to the award's participants and laureates. The message was read out by the Head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation, Igor Chaika.

The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia and Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, noted the growing interest in the Eurasia Award, which brings together people from different countries.

"The award is evolving, just as Eurasia itself is evolving. The number of people involved in this process speaks for itself. Last year, we were talking about 120,000 participants from different countries; now, that figure exceeds 300,000. Like-minded people are coming together in growing numbers, sharing common goals and a common vision of our present and our future. And this sense of community extends beyond national borders," Dmitry Peskov emphasised.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov, also welcomed the guests: "Eurasia is our home, the largest and richest continent in the world, home to several of the greatest civilisations with histories stretching back thousands of years. It is encouraging that the award bearing its name, bringing more and more people together around the ideals of friendship and constructive endeavour, contributes to expanding international humanitarian cooperation and preserving our shared cultural, historical and spiritual legacy."

The Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, Mikhail Shvydkoy, noted that such projects help build relationships between people from different countries and establish horizontal ties.

"Projects within the Eurasia Award have brought together tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people. Every project involves cooperation. Together, we make films and stage performances, create expositions and organise volunteering initiatives. All of this brings people closer together in one way or another. There is a view that nations communicate through their leading figures: outstanding writers, philosophers and politicians. There is some truth in this. But for nations to communicate through their leading figures, there must be a living network of human interaction at every level of society. This is why the Eurasia Award is so important and unique: it creates horizontal ties. Institutions communicate with institutions, people with people, and joint teams are formed," Mikhail Shvydkoy stressed.

The Chair of the Coordinating Council of ANO "Eurasia" and State Duma member, Alyona Arshinova, noted that the International Eurasia Award had become a platform for cooperation between the creators of humanitarian and educational projects from different countries. She said that, in only its second year, the award had already reached beyond the Eurasian continent, bringing together participants from 73 countries. It helps the creators of initiatives find like-minded people, exchange experience and secure support to develop their projects.

"A wide variety of projects bring people together here. This year, we asked last year's winners to join the jury and assess this year's entries: this is how we bring communities together and make projects intercontinental. The quality of the projects is improving, partly thanks to the Eurasia Award: participants get to know one another and expand their opportunities. The award also provides resources to develop projects, including grant funding. It is a great gift when civil society is active both within a country and beyond its borders. Whatever may be happening at government level in different countries today, civil society is achieving very good results through teamwork. People from different countries are carrying out projects to support Russian as a language of international communication, traditional values and historical truth. We are only too happy to support such initiatives," Alyona Arshinova emphasised.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees of ANO "Eurasia" and Chairman of PSB Bank, Pyotr Fradkov, also addressed the participants: "Since it began its work, ANO 'Eurasia' has brought together more than 300,000 like-minded people. This year, the award's geographical reach has almost doubled. This response shows that there is demand for our programmes and that international cooperation delivers tangible results. Eurasian Russian Language Centres have opened in Kyrgyzstan, while a network of Russian language learning centres operates in Armenia. The 'Eurasian Teachers' Council' brings together around 3,000 teachers, for whom we are developing professional and educational programmes. This year, we opened Russia's first free amusement park, while our 'Eurasia' park in Bishkek has already welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors. With financial support from ANO 'Eurasia', we are developing a network of free running centres across Russia. It matters to us that cooperation between countries translates into practical projects that meet people's needs, helping them learn Russian, develop their professional skills, take part in sport and access cultural and educational opportunities."

Awards were presented in ten categories covering educational, cultural, humanitarian and civic initiatives. Anna Kostyukovskaya won the "Global Language" category with her project "Russian Word" ("Russkiy Glagol "), an international literary contest for authors writing in Russian. The laureates were congratulated by the Editor-in-Chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and RT television channel and a member of the Board of Trustees of ANO "Eurasia", Margarita Simonyan.

"Language is the greatest unifying force. Language makes us human; language distinguishes humans from animals. Promoting the Russian language abroad today is nothing short of a feat. We know the difficulties faced by people who try to speak Russian, take an interest in Russia or engage with our language in one way or another. As our great poet Anna Akhmatova wrote: 'And we shall preserve you, Russian speech, the great Russian word,'" Margarita Simonyan emphasised.

Elina Yankova from Kyrgyzstan received the award in the "Call of the Heart" category for her project "Route of Care". The programme provides free individual transport for children with cancer and blood disorders.

The winner in the "Voice of Eurasia" category was Kokul Aripova, representing the "Karavan-Info" news agency in Kyrgyzstan. Her mission is to bring people together through human stories and media content, preserve historical memory and showcase different aspects of their shared cultural and historical legacy.

The laureates in the "Memory of Generations" category were congratulated by Great Patriotic War veteran Antonina Korobova, who holds the medals "For the Defence of the Caucasus", "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945" and "For the Defence of Moscow". The winning entry was Erkinboy Mamanazarov's Russian project "Shared Victory", which commemorates the Great Patriotic War and encourages people to learn Russian and explore history through wartime songs.

The winner in the "Eurasia Leader" category was Ivan Chaika from Russia, a public figure, creator of the "Crystal Compass" award, chair of a Russian Geographical Society commission and creator of international cultural, scientific and tourism projects.

Farhod Juraev from Uzbekistan won the "Cultural Code" category with the "League of Student Theatres of Uzbekistan", a long-term cultural and educational project run by the State Youth Theatre of Uzbekistan and Rossotrudnichestvo.

Daniel Omara from Uganda took first place in the "Art of Teaching" category with his interactive Russian language school for children in Africa, CHUNGA CHANGA. Alisa Filippova from Russia won the "Bridges of Friendship" category with her Siberian School of Friendship Between Peoples. Milos Tanaskovic from Serbia won the main prize in Rossotrudnichestvo's special "Friend of Russia" category with his football project "International Friendship Cup". Aliya Sultamuratova from Kyrgyzstan received the "Bright Start" award for her educational project STEM Kyz Kyrgyzstan.

"All categories of the International Eurasia Award are very important. But I would single out the 'Global Language' award. Russian is a language that unites generations, nationalities and continents. It is a language with a great future. Today, ANO 'Eurasia' is working to develop Russian culture in different countries around the world through film and cartoon screenings and training in various professions. It is very important to us that Russian develops as a language of intercontinental communication. Our shared goal is to make it possible, in time, to travel to any country in the world and speak Russian, our native language, which we love," said Ilan Shor, a member of the Board of Trustees of ANO "Eurasia", Chair of the Eurasian Association for the Support of the Russian Language, philanthropist and Director General of A7.

The award ceremony featured a multimedia opening, musical performances and dance acts. The evening concluded with a performance entitled "Stars".