Lyulin: youth is the main driving force behind the development of the Union State of Russia and Belarus

      13 August 2025 15:49

      [149]

      Society

      On 13 August in the city of Volkovysk, as part of the IV Congress of Small Towns of the Grodno Region of the Republic of Belarus and the Nizhny Novgorod Region of the Russian Federation, a meeting of the "Youth. Culture. Tourism" section was held. Taking part in the Congress events were Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Evgeny Lyulin and regional parliament deputies Igor Norenkov, Vladimir Bespalov, Vladimir Pakov, Maxim Rebrov, Solomon Apoyan and Alexey Stepanov. This year the Congress is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.

      "The main value of such meetings is personal acquaintance and live communication among young leaders. Without this, genuine partnership and the implementation of joint projects are impossible. Youth ideas are brought to life and become laws that change people’s lives. For example, an initiative by the Youth Parliament of the Nizhny Novgorod Region led to the adoption of a law providing payments of 2 million rubles to young agricultural workers to improve their housing conditions. Belarusian youths have many bright and interesting projects. This experience should be studied and replicated both in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and across the Volga Federal District and the entire country," emphasized Evgeny Lyulin, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      "We pay special attention to patriotic education. This year the key theme of the Congress is the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. This is a heritage that unites us. Young people take part in research projects that preserve the memory of the Heroes and in joint initiatives. It is important that the new generation adopts traditions, spiritual and moral values and continues to strengthen our union future," noted Elena Pasyuta, Chairwoman of the Grodno Regional Council of Deputies.

      Representatives of the Association of Youth Parliaments of the Volga Federal District and young parliamentarians from the Republic of Belarus took part in the discussion. Participants discussed a wide range of topics, including support for young specialists, career guidance, international youth cooperation, patriotic education, the development of youth initiatives to strengthen interregional ties, and successful practices in youth policy, tourism and culture.

      Vladimir Moskalenko, coordinator of the Association of Youth Parliaments of the Volga Federal District, said that today youth parliaments have the right of legislative initiative in 11 of the 14 regions of the district. "Two years ago we included the youth parliaments of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in the district Association. We actively cooperate with youths from Belarus. Our key initiatives are supporting youth in municipalities and rural areas and helping young families. We are doing a lot of work to preserve historical memory. A vivid example is the project in Krasnodon, the homeland of the Young Guard members. We are also discussing and developing new projects such as 'Digital Star', under which we digitize monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. This Belarusian youth initiative is already being implemented in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and will soon cover the entire Volga Federal District," Moskalenko said.

      The session also showcased successful practices from the Nizhny Novgorod Region in tourism and culture. The Nizhny Novgorod region is a leader in domestic tourism in Russia. Annual tourist flows are growing; in 2024 they were again record-breaking – the region was visited by 4.7 million people, and in the first half of 2025 by more than 2 million tourists.

      In addition, the session participants, led by Evgeny Lyulin, laid flowers at the Shaulichi memorial – one of the largest monuments in Belarus dedicated to the tragedy of the "burned villages" wiped off the face of the earth during the Great Patriotic War – and planted the "Youth of the Union State" alley.

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