Lyulin called national sports an accessible tool for uniting youth.

      March 24, 2026 10:19 Sports On March 23, an off-site meeting of the Youth Parliament under the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region took place at the "Sovcombank Arena" stadium. One of the central topics of the meeting was the revival of national sports in the Nizhny Novgorod Region and other regions of the Volga Federal District. According to the speaker of the regional parliament, Evgeny Lyulin, this project is particularly relevant in the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia.

      The meeting was attended by a deputy of the Legislative Assembly, the head of the parliament's apparatus Maxim Rebrov, deputy of the Legislative Assembly Rustam Dosayev, Minister of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Dmitry Kabailo, Minister of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Svetlana Anufrieva, members of the Youth Parliament, municipal chambers, and public organizations, cadets of the Ministry of Internal Affairs academy, students of the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet School, representatives of the volunteer and youth movement of the Nizhny Novgorod Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

      Evgeny Lyulin reminded that the issue of promoting national sports among youth had previously been raised at the Council of Legislators of the Volga Federal District in Penza. The speaker of the regional parliament urged young leaders to take responsibility for the development of sports in their territories, emphasizing that accessibility makes these sports ideal for engaging youth.

      "Real sports begin where people live. Lapta and gorodki are our cultural code, accessible to everyone regardless of where they live. We need to find enthusiasts in each territory, help with equipment, coordinate efforts so that traditional sports gain recognition and support. The Nizhny Novgorod Region should be at the forefront of these events," said the chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Evgeny Lyulin.

      "The development of national sports is an important part of preserving the culture and sports traditions of our country. A large number of national sports are represented in the regions of the Volga Federal District, and we see their development in a unified ecosystem, where the Nizhny Novgorod Region acts as a modular platform, coordinating methodology and a systematic approach. In our region, Russian hockey, kettlebell sport, sambo, lapta, gorodki, kila, and other sports are already actively developing. We have developed a standard program for their development and are integrating activities related to national sports into large physical culture and mass events, so that as many Nizhny Novgorod residents as possible learn about them and participate in competitions and master classes. We are ready to share our practices with other regions of the Volga Federal District," noted the Minister of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Dmitry Kabailo.

      Young parliamentarians, in turn, also made a number of specific proposals. Member of the Youth Parliament Nikita Kasyanov presented a project for the Spartakiad of working collectives, which is planned to be held at the Center for Adaptive Sports "Parus" in Dzerzhinsk. It was also decided to hold a large festival of national sports in June of this year, timed to coincide with the Council of Legislators of the Volga Federal District. Both projects aim to make such activities more accessible to all Nizhny Novgorod residents – from working youth to residents of remote areas.

      In addition, during the meeting, issues of interethnic unity were discussed using the example of the Krasnooktyabrsky district and prospects for interaction with the youth of North Ossetia – Alania. Participants emphasized the importance of filling previously signed cooperation agreements with real actions and ensuring that joint events go beyond protocol meetings.

      "We do not want our agreements with other regions to be just a declaration. Today we decided to invite colleagues from North Ossetia to the June festival of national sports – let them not just hear about our initiatives, but become a part of them. Sports is the best language for true friendship," noted the chairman of the Youth Parliament under the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Vladimir Moskalenko. "We will continue the new format of off-site meetings that we tested at the 'Sokol' aircraft factory and now at the main stadium of the region. This allows us not only to expand the geography of meetings but also to engage more active residents of the region in dialogue."

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