Nizhny Novgorod residents received awards at the PFO Youth Forum "iVolda".

      Photo: Press Service of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Volga Federal District and the Ministry of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region

      Representatives of the Nizhny Novgorod Region received awards following the results of the youth forum of the Volga Federal District "iVolga," whose closing ceremony took place on July 28 at Mastryukovskaya Glade in the Samara Region. The event is held under the patronage of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the PFD Igor Komarov. This year, the forum gathered over one and a half thousand participants from 80 regions of Russia and nine countries — school students, university students, young specialists, and activists aged 14 to 35. Among them are 80 from Nizhny Novgorod. Over five days, they attended educational programs, competed in sports, intellectual, and creative competitions.

      "I congratulate everyone present here. You believed in yourselves, decided to test your strength by participating in the educational programs and events we organized here. Every country has a future. And the future of our country is you. You are at the top of the list of Russia’s change leaders — those who create and will continue to make our country better. I wish you to continue developing, offering new ideas, including for the development of your regions," noted Oleg Mashkovtsev, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the PFD. He expressed gratitude to the forum organizers.

      Special attention at the forum was traditionally paid to supporting youth initiatives. Eleven participants from different regions of Russia became winners of the "Rosmolodezh.Grants" contest. Student Zlata Yashina from Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N. I. Lobachevsky received support of 410,000 rubles for her project "Interactive excursions as a way to socialize and foster patriotism among boarding school and special school students."

      Another 11 initiatives were awarded grants by the Foundation for Civil Society Development in the PFD. As a result of the "Youth Media PFD" competition, 14 young journalists were winners, two of whom received employment offers from the "Volga-24" TV channel. Ilya Likhanov from Gherda became the winner among Nizhny Novgorod residents. Additionally, Oksana Komarova, a student at Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University named after Kozma Minin, received a grant from the PFD.

      One of the forum’s traditions is the regional tents competition, where youth from the Volga District present their unique initiatives and share their cultures. The results were based on popular voting, and the Nizhny Novgorod region’s tent was recognized as the best work space.

      The Nizhny Novgorod team took 3rd place in the game "Gorodki" within the Backyard Games Tournament, and DJ Zorche secured 1st place at the DJing Festival.

      "We come to 'iVolga' literally as if we’re coming home — Samara Region, which is situated on the Volga just like us, always welcomes us warmly. This year, we returned with good results — victories of young Nizhny Novgorod residents in grant competitions, and the region’s tent was recognized in a separate contest. We also co-organized the event again — together with our year-round youth educational center 'GosStart,' we developed the 'Management' educational profile for 240 forum participants," noted Svetlana Anufrieva, Minister of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      Winners of the individual participant rating by educational profiles such as "Patriotism," "Science," "IT and Digital Technologies," "Culture and Arts," "Rescue Service," "Industrial Complex," and "Management" were announced, with the best receiving well-deserved awards. Additionally, the forum hosted the "Time to Act" program — a series of open master classes and lectures aimed at developing project thinking, leadership, and useful skills.

      This year, special attention at the "iVolga" forum was paid to the patriotic theme. A historical memory pavilion dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War operated at Mastryukovskaya Glade. Participants engaged in interactive routes, learned more about local heroes’ feats, took part in memorial actions and master classes, and interacted with heroes involved in the special military operation. The Patriotism Education Center "Avant-garde" presented the exhibition "Defenders of the Fatherland," dedicated to Hero of the Russian Federation, parachutist and officer Guard Lieutenant Colonel Roman Cheremukhin.

      At the "Heroes of Modernity" site, participants learned about the history of Nikolay Travykin from Nizhny Novgorod, a member of the "Avant-garde" patriotism center involved in the special military operation, and stories about Dmitry Smirnov, who rescued his drowning friend, were displayed on stands with information about children who performed acts worthy of imitation.

      Each participant this year became part of a unique format — the cultural-patriotic minimum, aimed at cultivating a conscious attitude towards history and national values. Through creative, sports, and practical actions, youth were immersed in significant historical events, reflected on personal civic responsibility, and contributed to preserving historical memory and societal development.

      The organizers of the Volga Federal District youth forum "iVolga" are the Government of the Samara Region and the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the PFD, with support from the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh). Co-organizers include the "Movement of the Firsts" in collaboration with the platform "Rosmolodezh.Forums."