Published on: 2026-10-01
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On the International Day of Older Persons, the resource center “Mosvolonter” is launching a new socio-cultural project “Silver Tales.” You can join it from October 1 on the website mosvolonter.ru. Senior volunteers will undergo special training from October 19 to 31, and starting in November, they will begin visiting young patients in city hospitals — reading them fairy tales and presenting interactive mini-performances.
“In the ‘Silver Tales’ project, participants will master expressive reading skills, get acquainted with acting techniques and the specifics of assistance in hospitals. The experience, patience, and wisdom of senior volunteers will help children find calm and understanding in communication, reduce emotional sensitivity, and instill confidence in the future. It is planned to hold over 120 literary meetings annually, and from 15 to 20 mini-performances, so that as many young patients as possible receive support,” said Alexander Levit, director of the Mosvolonter Resource Center.
School of storytellers
Participants of the “Silver Tales” project will have five in-person sessions on October 19, 21, 22, 26, and 28 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. They will be held at the “Mosvolonter” resource center located at Leningradsky Prospect, building 5, structure 1. The program is organized jointly with the Center for Sociocultural Practices “Event,” which has ten years of experience in the field of creative inclusion.
A mandatory part of the program is dedicated to the rules for visiting children’s hospitals. Participants will be informed about admission requirements to inpatient facilities, infection control, and the use of personal protective equipment. Special attention will be given to communication skills between volunteers, patients, parents, and the medical team.
Experts will introduce volunteers to speech techniques, the basics of acting, fairy tale therapy, and hospital animation — conducting play and theatrical activities for patients.
Preparation will help future storytellers read aloud more confidently and engage with young listeners. For an interactive presentation, it is important to be able to hold the children’s attention and involve them in the story, so the training will combine the skills of a narrator and a creative activity leader.
Responsible and kind Muscovites over 55 who know how to interact with children are invited to join the project. Attendance at all in-person sessions is mandatory.
From the first classes to ongoing support
On October 31, a graduation ceremony will be held for the first group of students in the “Silver Fairy Tales” project. Participants will be presented with personalized certificates. Starting in November, trained volunteers will begin regularly visiting children’s inpatient hospitals in Moscow. Permanent creative teams will be formed for this purpose. Volunteers will conduct reading sessions, perform fairy-tale scenes, and invite young patients to participate in mini-performances.
The project will be included in the volunteer branch in the field of healthcare. Its goal is to create a warm, supportive atmosphere for children who are undergoing long-term treatment. A familiar fairy tale or a new story will become an occasion for communication and joint play, and regular meetings will allow volunteers to get to know their listeners better.
“Silver Tales” will complement initiatives in which volunteers over 55 years old already act as authors, organizers, and mentors. The regional volunteer center “Young at Heart,” established at the resource center “Mosvolonter,” helps to develop such projects.
In the program “Kind Masters,” participants over 55 prepare creative activities for the wards of social institutions. In the “Angel Babies” project, volunteers knit warm clothes for premature babies and hold free master classes for city residents. Volunteers help peers master new technologies in the intellectual club “AI Environment.” In the “Silver Routes” project, older city residents independently develop and conduct original tours around Moscow for fellow volunteers. Participants of the “Kind Owls” program introduce cadets and Suvorov students to the basics of journalism in the “Young Military Correspondent School” and assist in publishing the newspaper “KaDet News.”
You can learn more about volunteering on the website of the resource center “Mosvolonter”, on its social media page “VKontakte”, as well as in the channel on the messenger “Max”.
The organization of volunteer activities and the involvement of young people in participating in city events corresponds to the objectives of the national project “Youth and Children” and the federal project “We Are Together.” More about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution can be found at special page.
The work and functional development of the resource center website on the mos.ru portal are overseen by the capital’s Department of Information Technology and Committee on Public Relations and Youth Policy with the support of the Moscow Public Chamber.
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