Nizhny Novgorod resident Polina Zhdanova became a finalist in the federal stage of the Mom Entrepreneur 2025 program.

      20 November 2025, 17:49 Economy

      Polina Zhdanova, the winner of the regional stage of the "Mama-Entrepreneur 2025" program, has become a finalist in the federal stage of the program. The program is implemented by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development as part of the federal project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship" of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy."

      "Since the start of the 'Mama-Entrepreneur' program, 15 thousand women have taken part. For three years now the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia has been holding the federal stage of the program. This is a new level for the development of participants’ projects. Eighty-seven percent of past finalists are successfully growing their businesses; many participants note that they achieved significant results not only thanks to financial support but also thanks to the knowledge gained through the program. At the federal voting stage we evaluated 68 projects and selected 25. When choosing finalists we emphasized priority sectors of the economy — manufacturing, technology, and the creative industries. But we also understand that women’s businesses are often focused on solving social problems. Therefore the list of finalists reflects both of these directions," said Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia Tatyana Ilyushnikova.

      At the federal stage participants undergo additional training that will allow them to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills and analyze their business development strategies. The results of the program will be announced on 22 November. On the final day the finalists will have to defend their projects before an expert jury.

      In the Nizhny Novgorod Region the project is overseen by the regional Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship.

      "Regional winners from more than 60 federal subjects of the country competed for the opportunity to reach the federal stage. All projects underwent a thorough expert evaluation — financial sustainability, relevance, social significance and potential for scaling were taken into account. The participant from the Nizhny Novgorod Region has already received a regional grant of 150,000 rubles and is now vying at the federal stage for support of 1,000,000, 500,000 or 250,000 rubles," said Minister of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Maksim Cherkasov.

      Polina Zhdanova’s business project is a children’s clothing brand called "Gorky for Children," based on the cultural heritage of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      "Each item in the collection is inspired by Maxim Gorky’s stories and characters, and the tags are printed with QR codes linking to audio versions of the author’s works," Polina Zhdanova said.

      The brand was created in April this year. Participating in the "Mama-Entrepreneur 2025" program gave Polina the opportunity to deepen her understanding of marketing, business practices, and to receive financial support.

      "Winning the regional stage gave a serious impulse to development — both professionally and emotionally. With the grant funds we developed and sewed new models, which I am now presenting in the final of the competition. I gained more confidence and support from other participants and relatives. If I win at the federal stage, I plan to design and sew a full collection and to start selling in the tourist and cultural spaces of Nizhny Novgorod and beyond," Polina Zhdanova shared.

      She added that she develops the business alongside her role as a mother. Polina has two children — eight-year-old Fyodor and four-year-old Sofya. They actively participate in the project’s development: they are the first models and remain the entrepreneur’s chief inspiration.

      The co-organizers of the "Mama-Entrepreneur" program are the Our Future Foundation and the SME Corporation.

      Last year the winner of both the regional and federal stages of the "Mama-Entrepreneur" program was Nizhny Novgorod resident Anna Eliseeva, head of the design bureau IngUp (specializing in reengineering). For her victory in the regional stage she received 100,000 rubles and a 500,000-ruble grant from the regional budget, and as a prize for winning the federal stage — 1 million rubles.

      As a reminder, information about all business support measures at the federal and regional levels can be found at the "My Business" center (мойбизнес52.рф), which operates within the federal project "Small and Medium Entrepreneurship" of the national project "Effective and Competitive Economy." The center also runs the "My Business" hotline, where you can obtain all necessary information. Hotline phone: 8 (800) 301-29-94 (toll-free).

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