Published on: 2026-10-02
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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At the State Kremlin Palace on October 1, a solemn award ceremony was held for the winners of professional competitions in the field of education. On stage, teachers, educators, school principals, educational advisors, and mentors were honored. A large festive concert dedicated to the upcoming Teacher’s Day was also organized for those gathered.
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko and Assistant to the President of Russia Vladimir Medinsky presented the main prize of the largest competition among teachers “Teacher of the Year Russia.” The “Big Crystal Pelican” was awarded to Alexey Morozov (Tver region).
Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated teachers on the upcoming professional holiday.
“Teacher’s Day is an unusual day. Together with parents, you are the most important people for children and adults, because you teach not only how to read and write, subtract and multiply, but also how to articulate thoughts, think critically, and most importantly, love your Motherland and family. You very skillfully and effectively help our children realize their abilities and talents, which is a national goal set by our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. As a united team of like-minded people, you together implement the activities of the national project “Youth and Children.” You do this very well, and for that you have our immense gratitude. I wish you health, well-being, and talented, grateful students!” said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Assistant to the President of Russia Vladimir Medinsky addressed those gathered.
“A teacher is an amazing profession that requires a special disposition of the soul, mind, and heart. After all, if you cannot give a part of yourself, your life, emotions, health to these little rascals, you are not a true teacher. And you do that! The ‘Teacher of the Year’ contest is one of the most important on the planet. Special educators gather here. Happy holiday to you! It is a great honor for me to participate in this ceremony, to connect with people who dedicate themselves to the profession,” he noted.
During the ceremony, the president and chairman of the board of PJSC Sberbank, Herman Gref, noted the special status of the teaching profession.
Russia’s Teacher of the Year received a special prize from the state corporation “Rosatom” from the hands of the company’s Deputy General Director for Personnel, Tatyana Terentyeva. As the winner of the competition, Alexey Morozov will embark on the scientific and educational expedition “Icebreaker of Knowledge” to the North Pole.
According to the resolution of the Government of Russia, the winner of the “Teacher of the Year Russia” contest will also receive a cash reward of 1 million rubles, and the prize-winners will receive 500 thousand rubles each. Prize payments of 200 thousand rubles each have been established for the winners of the contests “Educator of the Year Russia,” “Director of the Year Russia,” “First Teacher,” and “I Give My Heart to Children.”
Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov and the founder of Wildberries, head of RWB Tatiana Kim presented an award to the winner of the “First Teacher – 2026” contest – Svetlana Sokolova (Nizhny Novgorod region).
“Teachers, principals, counselors, caregivers, supplementary education teachers! All of you in this hall are already winners. Thank you very much. We will do everything to enhance the prestige of the teaching profession, everything necessary to support teachers. And one of the proofs of this is the adoption of the President’s decree on the special status of teachers. In the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia, I want to say that it is you who unite our country with your work. Our strength lies in diversity and unity, and thanks to this we will definitely win,” said Sergey Kravtsov.
The title “Director of the Year Russia – 2026” was awarded to Nikolay Butov (Belgorod Region), and the best in the competition “Educator of the Year Russia – 2026” was Elena Berbina (Republic of Tatarstan). They were awarded by Liliya Gumerova, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture; Irina Belykh, Chairwoman of the State Duma Committee on Education; Artur Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the “Movement of the First”; and Maksim Dreval, General Director of the “Znanie” Society.
The winner of the “Advisor of the Year Russia – 2026” competition was Yana Iliesh, a representative of the B.I. Kornilov Kstovo Oil Technical School (Nizhny Novgorod region). The award was presented to her by her colleague – the director’s advisor for education at School No. 47 in Perm and State Duma deputy Elena Gushchina.
The grand prize of the “Heart Given to Children – 2026” contest was awarded to Elvira Ramazanova (Chelyabinsk region). She was congratulated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, and the President of the Russian Academy of Education Olga Vasilyeva.
The solemn ceremony was accompanied by a concert program. Sergey Kravtsov, together with teachers and People’s Artist of Russia Denis Maydanov, performed the songs “Teacher” and “We Wish You Happiness.”
Also, teachers from different generations were invited to the stage of the State Kremlin Palace – 83-year-old Tatyana Baburova, whose teaching experience exceeds 63 years, and 22-year-old primary school teacher from Tver, Anna Fortupyanchikova.
In the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, concert participants greeted school principals from across the country—from the southernmost school in Dagestan to the northernmost on the Taymyr Peninsula, from schools with centuries-old histories—from the educational institution founded in 1709 to the school opened in 1915.
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