11,000 residents of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast joined events dedicated to the Day of the Reunification of the New Regions with Russia

      30 September 2025 18:14 Society

      11 thousand residents of the Nizhny Novgorod Region joined nationwide events dedicated to the Day of the Reunification of the new regions with Russia. Activists of the Nizhny Novgorod regional branch of Volunteers of Victory, together with the regional Ministry of Youth Policy, held a large series of educational and patriotic events. A total of 230 actions, patriotic lessons, quizzes and interactive games were organized.

      "The Day of the Reunification of the new regions with Russia is, without a doubt, an important date for the whole country that united not only borders but also all citizens. Youth should not only know about this truly historical event, but preserve the memory of it and pass it on to future generations," said Svetlana Anufriyeva, Minister of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      During the week leading up to the Day of the Reunification of the DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions with the Russian Federation, lessons in courage for schoolchildren and students were held across the region. These meetings of youth with the heroes of our time — veterans of the Great Patriotic War and participants in the special military operation (SMO) — were held as part of the nationwide campaigns "Meeting with Courage" and "By the Example of the SMO."

      For example, students of the Nizhny Novgorod Polytechnic College took part in an open dialogue with a combat veteran who liberated Donbass and Novorossiya, and a participant in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program, Mikhail Kryukov. Mikhail shared with the students the story of his service, spoke about real combat episodes, the heroism of his comrades-in-arms, as well as work to restore peaceful life in the liberated territories.

      Students of School No. 94 in Nizhny Novgorod were organized a meeting with a participant in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program, Ravil Ravilov. The veteran of the special military operation told the children about love for the Motherland, military duty, and shared personal stories from the front. The pupils were especially interested in details of the fighters' everyday lives, themes of friendship, and sources of personal strength for the soldiers.

      Meetings also took place in educational institutions in Dzerzhinsk, Gorodets, Semyonov, Kstovo and other settlements. In total, Victory Volunteers organized 80 meetings with heroes during these days.

      Victory Volunteers also held intellectual games in 87 educational institutions in the region. For example, on the eve of the Day of Reunification, School No. 100 in the regional center played the intellectual game "Rodnoy Vopros." The first block of the game was devoted to the theme of the Great Victory: schoolchildren answered questions about the feats of heroes and key events of the Great Patriotic War. The second block — "Novorossiya" — helped the children to comprehend the significance of the reunification of the new regions with Russia for the modern world. Participants noted that the game became not just a test of knowledge, but a genuine dialogue between generations where history meets the present.

      In 56 schools across the region, screenings of the video magazine "Epoch of Heroes" about the defenders and liberators of Donbass were devoted to the theme of reunification.

      For large families and families of participants in the special military operation, Victory Volunteers together with the ANO "Dostizhenie" organized an equestrian immersive show in Nizhny Novgorod in honor of the holiday, which brought together more than 200 spectators of different ages. The performance was held as part of the nationwide campaign "Thank you for #WEARETOGETHER."

      "For Victory Volunteers it is important that the younger generation understands the profound historical meaning of reunification. It is not just a change of the territories' status — it is the return home of ancestrally Russian lands and millions of people. The formats we use — from intellectual games to direct dialogues with defenders of the Fatherland — allow the younger generation to form an understanding of the value of unity, sovereignty and historical justice. The living response in the children's eyes is the best assessment of our work," said Maria Samodelkina, head of the Nizhny Novgorod regional branch of the All‑Russian public movement Volunteers of Victory.

      Recall that the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program is aimed at the integration and employment of participants and veterans of the special military operation into the system of public administration. In March 2025, an agreement was signed between the government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, RANEPA and KUPNO on cooperation for the implementation of this program. Registration to participate in it closed on 31 March. During the selection campaign, 1,613 applications were received from residents of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      Based on scores from questionnaires, testing, online interviews and assessments, as well as results of in‑person interviews with Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Andrey Gneushev, 60 participants were selected for the main educational program and 30 people were included in the next cohort of the program upon their return to the region. For those who did not make it into the in‑person program, a distance course is available.

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