Knowledge about the country’s achievements: experts at the National Centre RUSSIA discussed how to talk about Russia’s successes and opportunities for citizens

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On 27 August, the National Centre RUSSIA hosted a panel discussion organised by the EISR titled "Knowledge about the Country’s Achievements: To Whom and How Should It Be Properly Communicated?". During the event, the official launch of the "State" competition track of the "Flagships of Education" project of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" took place. The track is aimed at developing civic literacy and defining the role of the teacher in the organisation of social processes.

Opening the discussion, moderator Nikita Setov, Deputy Director General for GR at Polylog Consulting Group, noted that today the achievements of the country are the subject of consistent information and educational work, and therefore require ongoing expert discussion of this process, including the decomposition of achievements for different audiences.

Valery Fedorov, Director General of the VCIOM Analytical Centre, presented sociological research data highlighting the current level of citizens’ awareness of the country’s achievements and the areas that interest them most.

"61% of Russians over the past year have become more likely to feel proud of their country — this is a significant increase. More than half of our citizens, 55%, are confident that Russia today firmly belongs among the world’s ten most developed countries. At the same time, the main reasons for national pride traditionally remain leadership in military technologies (55%) and nuclear energy (52%) — areas in which our country demonstrates real successes and achievements," said Valery Fedorov. 

Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, in her address outlined the key tasks facing the system of education and civic enlightenment.

"The main goals and objectives are determined by Presidential Decrees No. 809 and No. 309. The primary task is the upbringing of a socially responsible individual — a patriot and a professional. Teachers play a key role in this work, acting as civic educators. Through the courses "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood", "Learning through Service", and through volunteering, they engage students in discussions and practical projects, showing young people that they are the future leaders of the country. Achieving these goals requires the proper distribution of resources and can only be accomplished through collective efforts and unity," said Olga Petrova.

Yulia Gryaznova, Director of the Strategy, Analytics and Research Directorate of ANO "National Priorities", spoke about how national projects create new opportunities for citizens and what formats of communicating such information are most effective today.

"We also communicate the country’s achievements through the opportunities that become available to people thanks to these achievements. We pay close attention to people’s needs and pain points, create content that motivates, gives emotions, and shows exactly how and where to access new opportunities. We then distribute the content through channels convenient for the target audience. Finally, we always analyse the effectiveness of our communications," said Yulia Gryaznova. 

Yulia Ablets, Deputy Director General of ANO "Dialogue Regions", stressed that it is essential to talk about the country’s achievements through strong images of heroes, and explained how to create them in the media: "People do not think in words, text, or numbers; they think in images. Especially the generations that grew up during the rapid development of media and social networks, when visuals, design, and graphics shape understanding. That is why it is important for us not just to invent a hero, but to create around them an image and a story."

Antonina Selezneva, Director of the Department of Educational Activities of the EISR, addressed the link between national achievements and the system of values and spoke about the most effective ways of communicating on this topic.

"It is important to give young people a systemic understanding of the country’s achievements, which embody our values. The task is not only to inform them about large-scale projects, but also to create an emotional connection and pride through stories about real people and their lives. This chain of 'knowledge — emotion — action' must be continuous. Teachers play a key role in this process: their personal conviction and genuine interest directly affect the outcome and the audience’s response," said Antonina Selezneva. 

First Deputy Director General of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" Gennady Guryanov shared the platform’s experience in promoting knowledge about achievements through competitions and projects such as "Flagships of Education".

"The successes of those around us, especially people we know, serve as a powerful incentive for development, clearly demonstrating that any goals are achievable. This belief in one’s own potential is strengthened by positive changes in the country, including the improvement of public services. The increase in the number of people who believe in opportunities for development in Russia, from 37% to 82%, is direct evidence that there are plenty of opportunities for self-realisation in the country," said Gennady Guryanov.

Irina Karikh, Deputy Director General of the Russian society Znanie, spoke about joint projects with the platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" and educational initiatives that help engage young people in learning about the country’s achievements.

"The projects of the Russian society Znanie introduce schoolchildren to in-demand professions through real-life examples — stories of people who have successfully established themselves in their fields and who work every day for the benefit of the country, making important decisions. This makes it possible to show each industry from the inside, to spark genuine interest among young people, and to help them consciously choose their own path. A vivid example in this respect is the classes 'Russia — My Horizons', after which students show a noticeable increase in their interest in the industry," said Irina Karikh.