New season of the All-Russian game "Family Zarnitsa" to launch at the National Centre RUSSIA
The new season of the All-Russian game "Family Zarnitsa" will begin on 17 March at the National Centre RUSSIA. Heroes of Russia, participants in the special military operation, family teams and representatives of the media will take part in the opening ceremony.
The All-Russian game "Family Zarnitsa" is a test of agility and speed. It highlights the importance of preserving and passing on historical memory and cultural traditions, and promotes the involvement of participants in the special military operation in the system of patriotic education and mentorship for young people. Participants will take part in a route-based quest game and a field-based military-tactical game. In addition, the new season will include a special creative contest in which participants will present the unique traditions preserved within their families.
Family teams of four take part in "Family Zarnitsa". The game consists of four stages: municipal, zonal, regional and the final. After the regional stage, a mentor from among the participants in the special military operation joins each family.
The official event at the National Centre RUSSIA will take place in the format of a round-table discussion with elements of a traditional Russian tea gathering. Participants will discuss the upcoming season of the game and visit a photo exposition dedicated to key moments of the previous season. In addition, the finalists of the project will present their family traditions to honoured guests and explain how overcoming challenges together strengthens the connection between generations.
The application campaign for "Family Zarnitsa" will run until 24 April. During the municipal and regional stages, a family festival will be held where participants will compete in contests and attend master classes and expositions in support of participants in the special military operation. The final of the large-scale game will take place in August–September 2026, bringing together 89 families and the same number of mentors.
The initiative to hold the All-Russian game "Family Zarnitsa" was proposed by Anna Tsivileva, State Secretary — Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation and Chair of the "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation, during the All-Russian "Victory" Organising Committee meeting in January 2025. The proposal was supported by the President of Russia. Last year, families from 79 regions of the country took part in the game.
"Family Zarnitsa" is organised by the Movement of the First, the Yunarmiya (Young Army) movement, the State Foundation "Defenders of the Fatherland", and the Voin (Warrior) Centre, with the support of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs within the framework of the national project "Youth and Children", with the aim of promoting the image of a traditional patriotic Russian family.
