The best volunteers were awarded in St. Petersburg

Awards from the government of St. Petersburg were presented to the best volunteers and volunteer organizations of the city on the day of their professional holiday.

Governor Alexander Beglov and Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Alexander Belsky took part in the ceremony. The governor emphasized the serious contribution of volunteers in the fight against the pandemic – they delivered food to townspeople, gave rides to doctors in their cars, and entered the “red zones” of hospitals, helping doctors and patients. Today, the volunteer corps of the Northern capital is actively involved in supporting the participants of the special military operation and their family members. Volunteers also did not leave the residents of Donbass in their care – they collected humanitarian supplies for them.

“You are part of the 400,000-strong army of volunteers in St. Petersburg. Active, sensitive, caring, you give your energy, patience and spiritual strength to the cause of mercy. I am glad to present you with well-deserved awards,” said Alexander Beglov.

10 people became holders of the insignia “For contribution to the development of voluntary (volunteer) activities in St. Petersburg.” In addition, 10 organizations were awarded insignia “For achievements in the field of organizing the work of volunteers in St. Petersburg.”

According to Beglov, the traditions of volunteerism and mutual assistance in St. Petersburg have a long history: thanks to the unity and courage of the residents, the city was able to survive the terrible trials of the blockade. January 2024 will mark the 80th anniversary of the complete lifting of the siege of Leningrad. Siege survivors from all over the world will come to the city; a grandiose gala concert is planned, the spectators of which will be about 50 thousand people. And on these significant days, as the governor emphasized, St. Petersburg is again counting on the help of volunteers – it is expected that more than a thousand volunteer helpers will be involved in supporting the event.

After the award ceremony, volunteers had the opportunity to communicate with the heads of the executive and legislative branches of St. Petersburg. Alexander Beglov spoke about the most important city projects, about the big plans that the authorities have set for themselves for the comprehensive development of the Northern capital.

In conditions when the President of Russia has actually returned the functions of the capital to St. Petersburg, many events of the all-Russian and international level are taking place here – and volunteers are involved everywhere. The volunteers, in turn, thanked for the opportunities that are being created in St. Petersburg for their activities. They also made a number of proposals. In particular, activists of the donor movement proposed erecting a monument to the besieged donor. The governor promised to consider the proposal, recalling that work continues in the city to perpetuate the memory of the siege heroes: there are monuments to the siege teacher, doctor, policeman, and a monument to the siege firefighter is almost ready.

Let us remind you that 17 areas of volunteering are being developed in St. Petersburg. Concerned citizens help in medical institutions, provide support to people with disabilities, conduct kindness lessons for schoolchildren, help animal shelters, and are also involved in cultural and sports events.

It is especially important that young people are actively involved in the volunteer movement – over the past 5 years, the share of young volunteers in the city has been growing from 0.5 to 32% per year. In September 2023, Rosmolodezh summed up the results of the microgrant competition. St. Petersburg turned out to be the absolute leader: participants from the city on the Neva received 28 grants, including for projects to develop the volunteer sector.