The 5th International Forum of Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER has concluded at the National Centre RUSSIA
More than 20,000 people from all Russian regions and 47 countries – leaders in volunteering, charity and social partnership – took part in the 5th International Forum of Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER. The event was held from 2 to 5 December at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The business programme featured more than 70 events attended by over 300 experts, including more than 20 international participants. The programme included panel sessions, discussions and practical workshops that brought together representatives of government, business, non-profit organisations and civic activists. Participants discussed four key areas: "Front and Home Front", "Return of the Heroes", "Russia and the World" and "The Power of Service". One of the central topics was support for participants in the special military operation and their families.
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, met with volunteers taking part in the International Forum of Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER, took part in the national campaign "New Year Tree of Wishes" and attended the award ceremony for the winners of the International #WEARETOGETHER Prize. In the category "Volunteer of the Year", Vladimir Putin presented an award to Anna Pluzhnikova, a participant in the mission to eliminate the consequences of the environmental disaster in Anapa.
On the eve of Volunteer Day, the President thanked volunteers for their dedication and recalled that the #WEARETOGETHER movement emerged five years ago, when the world was fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
"Helping one’s neighbour and supporting those in need is in our blood. And you, your friends and your colleagues do this remarkably well. Thank you very much. It is no coincidence that people like you have many followers and supporters in other countries. This is a field that genuinely transcends borders. It is united only by one thing – a kind heart. And, of course, it is very important that after the start of the special military operation you also joined this work. By the way, the number of volunteers in our country has grown more than threefold – from 10 to 32 per cent of the population. And when the special military operation began, 630,000 people joined efforts to support our servicemen – the Heroes of the special military operation and their families," said the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin.
The International Forum of Civil Participation #WEARETOGETHER was attended by honoured guests: First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia Sergei Kiriyenko; Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova; Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko; Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk; Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Natalia Virtuozova; Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Grigory Gurov; Chair of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and Head of Dobro.rf Artyom Metelev; Head of the Executive Committee of the People’s Front Mikhail Kuznetsov; as well as regional governors and many other organisational leaders.
On Volunteer Day, the Forum announced the establishment of the International Association of Volunteer and Non-Profit Organisations DOBRO. The Founding Congress was attended by representatives of Belarus, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and South Africa. The initiative to create the Association was put forward by volunteer organisations from CIS countries at the previous Forum and received the support of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
In addition to the extensive business programme, organisers prepared many practical activities for guests. A total of 2,137 participants registered for humanitarian missions in Donbass, Novorossiya and the Kursk region. Visitors were also able to offer support "here and now" to servicemen – by writing letters of encouragement or assembling humanitarian aid for fighters of the Krasnoarmeysky (Pokrovsky) direction. In addition, from 1 to 7 December, humanitarian aid for participants in the special military operation and their families, as well as for animals in the border areas, was collected at 31 collection points across Moscow.
For those who were unable to attend the Forum in person, a special regional project, "#WEARETOGETHER – Month of Good Deeds", was held across the country from 4 November to 5 December, bringing together the efforts of thousands of people.
"The #WEARETOGETHER Forum, as part of the regional programme ‘Month of Good Deeds’, united the entire country – from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka. More than a thousand organisations and over one hundred thousand volunteers created a real wave of mutual support, proving that kindness knows no borders," said Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Grigory Gurov.
Key events included major initiatives in which more than 300 universities across the country joined the national donor campaign #WEARETOGETHER "Giving Life", and special Financial Literacy Days were held in more than 50 regions.
The central event of the Forum was the award ceremony for the winners of the International Prize #WEARETOGETHER, held from 3 to 5 December. The laureates included 16 individuals, 22 projects and 7 territorial programmes (regions and municipalities).
The #WEARETOGETHER Prize set a record in 2025: 52,383 applications were submitted from 147 countries. Over its five-year history, the number of participants has doubled, the project’s geography has expanded 2.5 times, and the number of projects in the international track has increased tenfold.
"The #WEARETOGETHER Prize is a true catalyst for positive change. In its five-year history, it has brought together around 200,000 social projects, showcasing to the world real heroes who are ready to help selflessly. Today, most volunteers support participants in the special military operation, their families and residents of the border areas. It is no coincidence that the most popular category this year was ‘Heroes of Our Time’, dedicated to this area: we received more than 10,000 projects," said Chair of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and Head of Dobro.rf Artyom Metelev.
In 2025, the national track of the Prize included four categories: "Person", "Non-Profit Organisations and Projects", "Companies" and "Territories", with 12 main and 3 special nominations. The international track featured the nominations "Sustainable Future" and "Human Assistance". A distinctive feature of the national selection was public voting on the Russian messenger MAX, with around 200,000 people taking part.
In addition, 58 Russian citizens were awarded the "Volunteer of Russia" badge at the Forum. During the closing ceremony, the Head of Rosmolodezh Grigory Gurov launched registration for the volunteer corps of the 2026 World Youth Festival.
On the sidelines of the Forum, 15 cooperation agreements were signed, including agreements between Dobro.rf and the Roscongress Foundation, the Odnoklassniki social network, the Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation "Pokoleniye" ("Generation"), the Central Federal District, as well as the MFC and the Committee for Youth Policy of the Murmansk region.
The award ceremony of the #WEARETOGETHER Prize featured performances by People’s Artists of the Russian Federation Konstantin Khabensky and Oleg Gazmanov, and by the Special Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Cooperation between Russia and the United States – actor and director Steven Seagal. The stage also hosted Honoured Artists of the Russian Federation Denis Maidanov, Dmitry Dyuzhev, Zara, as well as the band "Pizza", Yulia Savicheva and other creative groups.
The Forum’s unique cultural and creative programme allowed every participant to immerse themselves in the artistic life of the capital. Guests joined guided tours of iconic landmarks and hidden corners of the city, visited leading museums and galleries showcasing world masterpieces and contemporary projects, and took part in special quests. The programme also included practical workshops and performances by various artists.
The founder is Rosmolodezh. The organiser is Dobro.rf. The general partner of the Forum is Alfa-Bank. The strategic partner of the Forum is Rosatom State Corporation.
