More than 100 meetings with soldiers involved in the special military operation as part of the "Heroes of the Motherland" project took place in schools across the Nizhny Novgorod Region during the new school year.

      21 November 2025 09:23 Society

      More than 100 meetings between schoolchildren and combatants of the special military operation were organized in educational institutions of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Patriotic events are being held by the Volunteers of Victory as part of the regional project "Heroes of the Motherland," which is being implemented with the support of the government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the program "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" in accordance with the goals and objectives of the national project "Youth and Children."

      One such meeting took place on 20 November in the settlement of Strigino, where students of School No. 114 spoke with a veteran of the special military operation, a sapper and participant in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program, Alexander Semyonov. He shared his memories with the students, spoke about the importance of qualities such as resilience, comradeship and loyalty to duty, and about safety requirements when discovering suspicious objects. Nizhny Novgorod schoolchildren were able to see and hold some exhibits of training engineering munitions that are used in the special military operation.

      "It is important to show teenagers real life and the actual engineering support of our fighters, at least some samples. For schoolchildren, a visual confirmation of what we are talking about is important. It's gratifying when the kids ask questions, when they are interested. In our time, such knowledge is necessary for them," says Alexander Semyonov.

      The "Heroes of the Motherland" project launched in the Nizhny Novgorod Region on 1 September 2025 as part of the national project "Youth and Children." The aim of the project is the patriotic education of young people through the stories of heroes — defenders of the Great Patriotic War, the special military operation and other armed conflicts.

      "When you listen to such stories, you begin to appreciate peaceful life. You understand the price that has been paid for our peaceful childhood. This is not just a history lesson. It's a life lesson that will stay with me for a long time," shared School No. 114 student Artyom Taktaev.

      Volunteers of Victory also organize master classes and lectures in the region's educational institutions, where historians and experts acquaint Nizhny Novgorod schoolchildren with the heroic periods of our country's history; for children they run quests and intellectual games in which they learn history in an interactive and informative format.

      "The 'Heroes of the Motherland' project is a sincere and very important dialogue between generations. When a classroom falls completely silent and the students, holding their breath, listen to a living story from a person who has been through the fire of combat — that is the most honest assessment of our work. It's about personal experience, real emotions, simple but fundamental words about duty, honor and love of the Motherland. Meetings with people like Alexander Semyonov are priceless. They allow our children to see that heroes live among us and to understand that courage and resilience are not abstract concepts but real qualities of real people," emphasized Maria Samodelkina, head of the Nizhny Novgorod regional branch of the All‑Russian public movement "Volunteers of Victory."

      Recall that since 2025, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, the national project "Youth and Children" has been in effect in Russia, carrying out tasks previously provided for in the national projects "Education" and "Science and Universities." The national project is aimed at creating opportunities for developing talents and self-realization of young people, and at fostering responsible and highly moral citizens. Special attention is paid to supporting talented youth, including young professionals. The national project includes nine federal projects and programs: "Russia — a Land of Opportunities," "We Are Together," "Russia in the World," "All the Best for Children," "Leading Schools," "Teachers and Mentors," "Creating a Network of Modern Campuses," "Universities for a Generation of Leaders," and "Professionalitet."

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