As part of the federal educational marathon Znanie.Pervye, run by the Russian Znanie Society and taking place at the International Festival of Youth 2026 in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, an open dialogue was held, centered on the heroes of our time. The event’s speakers were graduates and participants of the Time of Heroes personnel program: Artyom Zhoga, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia in the Ural Federal District and Hero of the DPR; Vladislav Golovin, Head of the Yunarmiya Main Staff and Hero of Russia; Ilya Sponyakov, Advisor to the Russian Minister of Culture and Hero of Russia; Sergey Boyko, Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and Hero of Russia; Andranik Gasparyan, Commander of the VOIN Center and Hero of Russia; as well as Maria Kostyuk, Governor of Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region, who previously headed the program. The discussion was moderated by Andrey Polosin, Vice-Rector of RANEPA.

Artyom Zhoga opened the conversation about what it means to serve the Motherland today. In his view, everyone should become a hero in their own place: “Medals for combat and medals for labor are cast from the same metal. Heroes are among us, heroes are among you.” According to the Plenipotentiary Representative, this includes the doctor who performs surgery for 12–20 hours on the front line, the teacher who gives children knowledge and values, the rescue worker, the factory worker at their machine, and the scientist-inventor.

“Anyone who works for the good of their country, who strengthens its sovereignty and economic security, who gives our children knowledge, and who passes on our human values – that person is serving their country,” Zhoga added, emphasizing that even diligence at school and good grades lay the foundation for love of one’s homeland.

Vladislav Golovin, Head of the Yunarmiya Main Staff and Hero of Russia, continued by discussing how this theme comes through in work with the younger generation. According to him, working with veterans who have returned from the special military operation isn’t difficult. Many of them now teach, engage in public work through military-patriotic clubs, and take part in “Conversations About What Matters” sessions.

“Every veteran, at these meetings, conveys their views and their commitment to defending the Fatherland. People like this can instill the right knowledge and values in the younger generation,” Golovin concluded. Hero of Russia Andranik Gasparyan, Commander of the VOIN Center, spoke about what makes a true leader and what serving the Fatherland really means.

“A true leader and winner is someone who moves forward even when it’s frightening. He doesn’t wait for things to become easy – he takes responsibility on himself and leads others forward. That’s precisely what serving the Fatherland means: being ready, every day, to be wherever your country needs you,” noted Andranik Gasparyan.

Hero of Russia Ilya Sponyakov spoke about the role of family in raising heroes.

“I grew up in a military family, and that comes with certain restrictions. But they instill discipline in you, and traditional spiritual and moral values. As a child, I looked up to my father – he was the main example of what it means to be a man for me. And he still is, to this day,” he said.

Sergey Boyko noted that one of today’s most important tasks is not to “drill” ready-made ideas into young people’s heads, but to give them opportunities for self-realization.

“The task set for us by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is to create the kind of conditions for our young people that let them put their talents to use for the development of our state,” concluded the Hero of Russia. According to Maria Kostyuk, Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, today’s most important task is to create conditions under which young people, through their love for their small and greater homeland, for their family and parents, will carry on serving and continue building a great country. “How do we make sure that the land where you were born, bearing the great name of Russia, remains just as great going forward – thanks to you? For us today, there is no more important task than that,” emphasized Kostyuk.

Summing up the discussion, the speakers agreed that serving the Motherland today is not only about acts of heroism on the battlefield, but also about daily work, mentorship, upbringing, and personal example – and that anyone can become a hero in their own place. Participants emphasized that the shared task is to create conditions in which young people can discover their talents and direct them toward the country’s development, and in which traditional spiritual and moral values are passed on to new generations through the living example of accomplished people. In the participants’ shared view, it is precisely this readiness to be wherever your country needs you, and to build its future, that constitutes serving the Fatherland.

Live broadcasts of the Znanie.Pervye marathon are available on Znanie.TV on the marathon’s website, on the International Festival of Youth website, and on the Russian Znanie Society’s community pages. The IFY – 2026 is being held as part of the Youth and Children national project.

Overview:

The Russian Znanie Society is Russia's largest educational organization, with a rich history and tradition of public education work, and the country's leading platform for open dialogue between young people and outstanding public figures.

The Society's projects and events, dedicated to the most relevant topics of the day, are aimed at popularizing scientific knowledge through new formats, fostering the growth and education of people of all ages and professions, and showcasing Russian achievements in science, technology, sport, art and other fields.

Znanie holds tens of thousands of educational events every year, creating opportunities for personal development and self-realization and for accessing reliable information both in person and on its digital platform. Since its relaunch, the Society's community of speakers has grown to 32,000 people. They have delivered more than 285,000 lectures across 89 regions of Russia, producing 8,100 hours of educational content on a wide range of topics: science, technology, space, culture and art, history, medicine, sport, and more.

Online broadcasts of Znanie's educational events, together with its educational video content, have amassed more than 5 billion views.