Nizhny Novgorod residents were informed about the support provided to the fighters of the Special Military Operation and their families.

      Monthly payments, utility compensation, free kindergartens, camps, and sports sections – in our region, there are special support measures for families of participants in the special military operation (SMO). Nizhny Novgorod resident Olga, the wife of an SMO participant, knows this firsthand. Together with her husband, they are raising two children. In the fall of 2022, Olga signed a military social contract. And now she knows exactly what assistance she can expect from the region and who she can rely on in various life situations.

      Combat Spirit

      Olga met her love in the 11th grade. Her future husband, a year older, was studying at a technical school. “Well, as it happens: we met in a common group, talked, and then a relationship began,” she recalls, blushing. Then came the wedding on a beautiful date – July 7, 2007. Children were born: beautiful Kira, who is now in the 10th grade, and six years later, a lively boy named Sergey. “I still remember how my husband came home at the end of September 2022, when partial mobilization was announced, and handed me a paper – he said he signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense,” Olga recalls. “To be honest, it was a shock. For both me and my relatives. But he insisted and said: who else, if not us? We have to go. I agreed, what else could I do, I understand everything…” Since then, Olga has become the wife of an SMO participant. According to her, it was difficult at first. There was little information, and the uncertainty was frightening. But then everything became clearer and more understandable. In November 2022, Olga signed a military social contract. Thanks to this, the family received additional support measures: monthly payments, compensation for utility services, and other benefits. The contract also allows free access to sports sections for both children and adults. Olga's son actively uses this opportunity: he plays football at the Dzerzhinsk Center for Adaptive Sports "Parus." “A lot of sports events for families of SMO participants are held at regional sports centers. There is an opportunity for not only children but also the wives of SMO participants to engage in sports for free. A big thank you to the regional government for this,” Olga expresses her emotions. “Football, volleyball, arm wrestling, badminton, gym, swimming pool, skating,” lists Ekaterina Glazatova, head of the methodological department of adaptive physical culture and sports at the "Parus" Adaptive Sports Center. “Recently, we launched a program in two fitness areas that are very popular among SMO veterans and their families.” Special attention is also given to the participants of the special operation themselves. All sports areas are available to them, and new teams are being formed for various sports. The regional Ministry of Sports is working on this together with the "Defenders of the Fatherland" fund and social protection agencies. Specialists not only post announcements but also personally invite families and help them get involved in activities. “The Ministry of Sports places special emphasis on working with participants of the special military operation and their families,” emphasizes Dmitry Kabailo, Minister of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. “We conduct a huge number of special events, competitions, and master classes within various programs and integrate SMO participants and their loved ones into them. First of all, they can engage in our sports facilities for free. We constantly inform about these opportunities within the framework of the regional project “SVOy FOK,” and hold open days at physical culture and health complexes in the region to attract as many relatives of SMO participants to sports activities as possible.” As part of the project “The Power of Sports for SMO,” about 20 commercial sports clubs also provide benefits to SMO participants and their families: free hours for classes, master classes, open training sessions, and some even enroll children in sports groups. To participate in the project, one can contact the social coordinator. Currently, more than two thousand SMO participants and their families are involved in the sports life of the region. A whole support system has been established in the region to help veterans and their loved ones engage in sports and lead an active life.

      There is a Contract

      The main document that supports the wife of an SMO participant, Olga, and on which the authorities rely is the military social contract. This is a program that helps SMO participants and their families receive comprehensive assistance from the state. Under the contract, one can receive a monthly compensation of 50% of housing and utility expenses, free access to kindergartens and health camps, free school meals, additional classes, and extended day groups. Children of SMO participants are provided with free places in universities and vouchers to sanatoriums. The contract is concluded at the social protection office at the place of residence – with the SMO participant themselves or with their family members. When signing, a questionnaire is filled out indicating the necessary support measures: payments, education or retraining, medical, psychological, rehabilitation, legal, and other assistance. To attract more combat veterans, SMO participants, and their families to sports activities, a unified system called “SVOy Sport” has been created in the region. It unites state, municipal, and private sports organizations. The main coordinating role is played by the "Parus" Adaptive Sports Center in Dzerzhinsk. Specialists at the center help choose suitable sports sections, consult residents, and provide methodological support to sports institutions in municipalities. The region has measures that allow combat veterans, SMO participants, and their families to visit state and municipal sports facilities for free. An interactive "Map of Opportunities" is available on the Ministry of Sports website, where one can find out which sports facilities are available for free visits.

      The project “SVOy FOK” is also being implemented, aimed at involving SMO participants and their families in sports. Meetings of veterans with participants of the program “Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region” are held at physical culture and health complexes, where they talk about support measures in the field of sports. Workshops, open training sessions, and opportunities to meet GTO standards are organized for wives and children. Excursions to FOKs are conducted to familiarize participants with the infrastructure and opportunities for free classes. In addition, together with the "Defenders of the Fatherland" fund, regular sports festivals and large events aimed at involving veterans, SMO participants, and their families in sports are held in the region. Work in this direction will continue. pravda-nn.ru