Voting launched for the All-Russian People’s Award "Voice of Heroes" at the National Centre RUSSIA

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Voting has opened for the All-Russian People’s Award "Voice of Heroes" at the National Centre RUSSIA. The award aims to recognise and support citizens who help others and improve the quality of life in their regions and across the country. The event is organised by the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation for Civic and Patriotic Development of Youth "Podvigi" ("Heroic Deeds") with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives.

"We are proud that such a large-scale grassroots initiative was born in Mordovia. In a short time, you have managed to turn a people’s initiative into a strong federal project. The award includes a category called 'Heroes of the Family'. As the Chairman of the State Council Commission on Family Affairs, I would like to thank you for paying attention to this topic. We have received many applications and fascinating stories in this category," said the Head of the Republic of Mordovia, Artem Zdunov.

The founder and Editor-in-Chief of the "Podvigi" project and moderator of the event, Natalia Shirokova, reminded that the "Voice of Heroes" people’s award originated in Mordovia. For the region, she said, the development of this initiative is an unprecedented story.

"The same project by the same organisation has been supported by the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives for four years in a row. It has never been static; it has constantly evolved. In the first two years, the award was held only for the residents of Mordovia, and by the third year several more regions had joined it — the Ulyanovsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Penza regions, as well as the Republic of Chuvashia. The number of participants also grew: from 5,000 viewers in the first year to 16,500 last year," said Natalia Shirokova.

According to the founder of "Podvigi", the initiator and creator of the award, Denis Shapkarin, heroes in Russia are remarkably modest people — and that, he believes, is a serious problem.

"Good deeds are performed, but they often lack proper recognition. Yes, people tell these stories, but not with the power they deserve — not in a Spielberg way. When we interview heroes after their act of courage, we usually hear the same thing: ‘Anyone in my place would have done the same. I did nothing special.’ It sounds very human, but it’s unfair. Because such actions are an example to follow, a moral standard — and we shouldn’t diminish them," he said.

The project began in Mordovia with small events in a local cultural centre and ice arena, Denis Shapkarin noted. Over time, it grew into a large-scale festival that brought together 16,000 participants at the Mordovia Arena stadium, built for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Initially, several regions took part, and today "Voice of Heroes" has become a nationwide event. He shared that it was his dream to create a people’s award celebrating ordinary people who perform good deeds.

One of such heroes is para-athlete, blogger and public figure Rustam Nabiev. He said that today he is the most followed person with a disability in Russia. Last year, when his page had fewer than two million subscribers, his total reach exceeded 500 million. His social media accounts attract not only Russian followers but also audiences from other countries.

"I have been involved in sports since childhood, and after a military injury in 2015, it became my only way to return to life. At first, I trained in sledge hockey for three years and was a candidate for the Russian national team, but later I realised I needed to move on my own and discovered mountaineering. For more than five years now, I have been professionally engaged in climbing, have set five world records, including a Guinness record, and have become the only person in the world to climb mountains using only my hands. My path proves that the impossible is possible — you just need to try. I first conquered Elbrus, then other peaks in Europe, Africa, South America, Georgia, and Turkey. For me, mountains are not just summits, but a path where inner qualities, character, and faith in oneself are revealed. The summit is merely the reward for persistence and determination," said Rustam Nabiev.

As part of the event at the National Centre RUSSIA, public voting has been officially launched. In 2025, the voting will be held across 31 categories and will determine 36 winners. A total of 1,160 participants from 81 regions of Russia will take part. The prize fund amounts to 5 million roubles. Voting will run from 30 October to 7 November on the official "Voice of Heroes" website and on the platform of the award’s strategic partner, the Odnoklassniki social network. The award ceremony will take place on 6 December in Saransk.

"Users will be able to vote for the heroes, and most importantly, the award will be featured on the main page of Odnoklassniki, where it will reach a huge audience. The network has about 20 million users across the country, most of whom live in the regions, which makes this project truly nationwide. The search for a hero is an old theme: ever since the release of the film 'Brother' more than twenty years ago, people have been trying to find a new hero — without success. But the organisers of the award did something simple yet powerful: they showed that a hero lives nearby, literally in the next building. That really struck a chord with me," said the Marketing and Content Director of the Odnoklassniki social network, Boris Mokrousov.

The mission of "Voice of Heroes" is to restore faith in people — in their courage, strength, and compassion. The organisers collect and share stories of ordinary people’s heroic deeds from across the country. Their goal is to tell about a million acts of courage. Any adult citizen of Russia who has shown bravery, valour, or selflessness in their profession, demonstrated active civic engagement, or committed an act of heroism could take part. Anyone could also nominate a hero through the project’s official website.