Winners of the "Tell the World About Your Motherland" contest awarded at the National Centre RUSSIA
The award ceremony for the winners of the VIII International Contest "Tell the World About Your Motherland" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA, bringing together talented schoolchildren and students from different regions of Russia and foreign countries. The contest gave young talents an opportunity to share interesting facts from the history and culture of their small homeland. The event was attended by state and public figures, senators and ministers, diplomats, heads of leading Russian universities, representatives of organisations involved in patriotic education for young people, members of the cultural intelligentsia and many others.
"The language used by the participants when speaking about their small and great Motherland is truly understandable to everyone and needs no translation. A kind attitude towards one’s own and foreign cultures, and equal, engaged dialogue are precisely the approaches that Russia promotes in the global humanitarian space. At all times, culture has served as a way to resolve contradictions, including irreconcilable ones. As a country, we will continue to defend these positions and, if necessary, remind others that they should be followed for the benefit of all humanity," said Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Ties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Yelena Galaktionova.
In their contest works, participants from Russia spoke about our Motherland, while foreign participants spoke about their native countries, their close ties and friendship with Russia, as well as shared historical, spiritual, cultural, technological, scientific and other values. When preparing their works, the young contestants chose events, traditions and memorable places that interested them and told their compatriots and peers abroad about them in Russian, which was compulsory for all participants, and in any other language of their choice.
Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Anastasia Zvyagina presented the award in the special nomination "Good Deeds for the Motherland". The winner was the "Ray of Kindness" team from Nizhny Novgorod.
"The National Centre RUSSIA and the 'Tell the World About Your Motherland' contest share common goals. Together, we all declare our love for it, take pride in its past and present, and look confidently to the future. This is possible because children around the world speak sincerely about their Motherland. Although they are still young, they are already true people’s diplomats. The winners of our special nomination have done a very important thing: they collected two tonnes of waste paper, saved trees and used the funds raised to buy essential items for our fighters in the special military operation zone. Kids, we are proud of you," said Anastasia Zvyagina.
Preschool children from Nizhny Novgorod launched the "Kind Heart" campaign, inspired by stories about famous graduates of their kindergarten No. 417: "After studying the history of our graduates, we learnt that people important to the country had graduated from our kindergarten. We really wanted to become like them. That is how the idea for the 'Kind Heart' campaign came about. We wanted to share with the whole country that there is a kindergarten No. 417 in Nizhny Novgorod where a 'Ray of Kindness' shines. Perhaps, looking at us, many others will continue the 'Kind Heart' campaign!"
The winners and laureates of the contest included 62 young representatives of 22 Russian regions and 18 foreign countries. In total, more than 8,000 works were submitted by representatives of all Russian regions and 66 countries. The total reach of children involved in the project, their creative mentors, teachers and experts exceeded 110,000 people.
"It is especially touching that many foreign participants speak in their works about the connection between their Motherland and Russia. Through sincere children’s stories, we see how deep and constructive a mark our country leaves in the world. At all times, wherever Russian people have come, they have built schools, roads, churches and nuclear power plants, protected, helped, shared knowledge and culture. But we are a modest nation. We do good deeds not for glory, but because we consider it our duty. The 'Tell the World About Your Motherland' contest helps us see and preserve these living human ties, tell the world about Russia and our sincere desire for friendship and cooperation. I believe that thanks to this project, Russia’s voice will sound even clearer, and the memory of the good that unites people of different countries and generations will live on and be passed down," noted President of the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation "Innovation Centre for the Development and Education of Children and Youth", Yekaterina Averkieva.
As a result of cross-cultural youth diplomacy projects such as the International Contest "Tell the World About Your Motherland", in just a few years, a respectful attitude towards Russia has developed among young people in Russia and abroad: towards Russia as a guarantor of the preservation of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, the creation of an atmosphere of friendship between peoples of different countries and support for compatriots living abroad.
The solemn award ceremony for the winners of the International Contest "Tell the World About Your Motherland" being held on Russian Language Day emphasises the inseparable connection between patriotism and native speech. Through their native language, participants convey their love for the Motherland, while the contest becomes a platform for sincere and vivid stories about Russia — told in the very language that unites hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The concert programme of the ceremony included performances by popular artists and pop creative groups, such as the Domisolka Children’s Musical Theatre, the Neposedy Concert Studio, the Todes Ballet, as well as participants in the shows "The Voice", Tamara Kutidze, and "The Voice Kids", Nikita Danko and Alisa Vinnikova. After the ceremony, guests explored the exposition of the National Centre RUSSIA and visited the expositions "Journey Across Russia" and "Geography Lessons".
The contest is organised by the ANO "Innovation Centre for the Development and Education of Children and Youth" with the support of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo, the National Centre RUSSIA, the Russian society Znanie and others.
Event photobank
The participants discussed how content plans work in new media, which formats help retain an audience and how platform algorithms operate.
Construction of the National Centre RUSSIA, the future main public space of the capital, continues on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
