About a hundred people from Belarus and Russia gathered in Brest for the first meeting of student patriotic associations. This event takes place from October 5 to 7.

The forum was organized on the initiative and joint plan of events of the Ministry of Education of Belarus and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia. About a hundred people - representatives of the youth patriotic movement of the two countries take part in it.

The rally started at the Brest Hero Fortress memorial complex. During the solemn meeting, its participants laid flowers at the Eternal Flame of the memorial and honored the memory of the defenders of the heroic citadel with a minute of silence.

Welcoming the participants of the rally, Tatyana Simanovskaya, head of the youth affairs department of the Ministry of Education of Belarus, noted: “It is very gratifying that our youth are ahead of the patriotic movement. Because it is you who are interested in preserving and passing on the historical truth to future generations. I hope that this platform, where you will discuss and consider issues of the patriotic movement, the study of history, and the content of patriotic projects, will allow you to develop a number of interesting proposals and summarize the experience that you already have. You must understand that your business, your ideas and projects, first of all, benefit your countries and the Union State.”

The representative of the department emphasized that not a single event takes place in Belarus without a basis of patriotism. Because each such event is historical in nature, has a historical basis and connection and it is student youth and higher education institutions that actively participate in numerous patriotic projects and actions.

Director of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Dmitry Pokrovsky, thanking the Ministry of Education of Belarus and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union for their hospitality, said: “We really do a lot together. Today we are no longer talking about the youth policy of the Republic of Belarus and the youth policy of the Russian Federation and their interaction, we are talking about joint programs of the youth policy of the Union State. Of course, it is symbolic that the first gathering of patriotic associations is taking place in a sacred historical place - on the land of the Brest Fortress. The platform is conducive to constructive, meaningful dialogue and in-depth study of projects.”

The student youth were also greeted by the director of the memorial complex Alexander Korkotadze, the secretary of the Central Committee of the Belarusian Republican Youth Union Alexandra Goncharova, and the head of the project office of international youth cooperation in the “Russia-Belarus” direction Evgeniy Zakharenkov.

The rally program lasts three days. The project intensive began with the dialogue platform “Memory for the Future,” which took place on the territory of the Brest Fortress.

Today, the forum program includes a lecture on the geopolitical situation and two strategic sessions, during which participants will analyze current programs and projects for patriotic education of the youth of the Union State and discuss general principles for the development and implementation of joint patriotic events.
Based on the results, a series of proposals will be formulated on five facets of the development of patriotism in the Union State for further inclusion in the plan of joint events for 2024.

The next gathering of student patriotic associations of the Union State will take place in Rzhev, where the memorial complex has recently been renovated.