Dmitry Chernyshenko: The winners of the All-Russian contest “To Be, Not to Seem” were 106 mentors from 39 regions

Published on: 2026-10-18

Source: Government of the Russian Federation –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

At the solemn ceremony of the final of the All-Russian mentors competition “To Be, Not to Seem,” the names of the winners were announced. The award ceremony took place at the Ice Palace in Tula.

“Our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin notes that the fate of our Motherland depends on the joint achievements of mentors and their mentees. The formation of a personnel reserve and the creation of opportunities for the development of mentors are priority tasks of the ‘To Be, Not to Seem’ competition within the national project ‘Youth and Children’. This season, 106 people from 39 regions became winners – these are individuals who work daily with the younger generation, pass on knowledge, instill spiritual and moral values, and nurture responsibility for the country’s future. Congratulations to the winners! Thank you for your work and I wish you success!” – noted the Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko.

This year, a new category “Being an Example” has appeared – for specialists working with teenagers in difficult life situations and engaged in the prevention of destructive behavior among youth.

A total of 400 mentors from 67 regions of the country participated in the final. This year, the most finalists came from the nomination “Experienced Mentor” – 110 people. Despite leading in this group, the winners were evenly split – 20 people in each of the 5 main nominations and 6 people in the new one. The leading region in terms of the number of top mentors was the Moscow Region – 16 people, followed by Moscow – 15 winners, and Saint Petersburg rounded out the top three with 7 mentors.

One of the outcomes of the final was the development of unified mentoring principles. Participants formulated proposals for the Mentor’s Code during the district semifinals, discussing professional tools and ethical boundaries of the work. The principles of the Code became part of the closing ceremony.

“For us, it is fundamentally important that winning the competition does not become the final point for the winners, but rather a new stage in their lives and work. We are monitoring the successes of our contestants. Fifty-three winners of the first season of the competition ‘To Be, Not to Seem,’ which is held by the decision of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin within the framework of the national project ‘Youth and Children,’ have joined the expert community, and another 25 winners and finalists have become co-organizers of specialized events at the regional and federal levels. The best practices of this year’s winners will be included in the project bank for education and will receive expert support for further implementation. Our task is to support mentors and offer concrete opportunities for the development and scaling of their own practices through the professional community, partners, and new projects,” said the head of Rosmolodezh, Grigory Gurov.

During the final week, participants underwent practical competitive tests. Experts evaluated how mentors act in simulated real-life situations, work in teams, and make decisions, as well as studied the results of projects they had already implemented. The final assessment was based not only on the presentation of experience but also on how the participant applies mentoring approaches in practice.

The ceremony marked the end of the competitive trials. Now the winners must return to their regions, continue developing their projects, make adjustments according to the recommendations of the experts and judges of the competition, and share the experience gained at the competition with their colleagues.

For reference:

The All-Russian Mentors Competition “To Be, Not to Seem” has been carried out for the third year by order of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin, and from 2025 it will take place within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children.” The organizery – Rospatriotcenter of Rosmolodezh with the support of the Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Defense of Russia, the All-Russian public movement of mentors for children and youth “Mentors of Russia”, the Movement of the First, the Center “WARRIOR”, the ANO “More than a journey”, and others. Information partners of the Contest: TASS, News.Ru.

The goal of the contest is to disseminate the best mentoring practices in patriotic education, form a personnel reserve in this field, and identify new opinion leaders, including among participants of the special military operation. Objectives: identifying the best practices in the system of patriotic education and youthyopolicy formation, creation of a personnel reserve of mentors and provision of opportunities for their professional development, development of the mentor community, as well as assistance in social adaptation and resocialization of combat participants.

Contestants compete in six categories: “Novice Mentor,” “Experienced Mentor,” “Leader Mentor,” “Own Mentor,” “Mentor in Service,” and “Being an Example.”

The regional stages in 2026 took place in Tyumen, Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Volgograd, and Suzdal, bringing together participants from all federal districts.

The final of the competition is held in the Tula region from October 13 to 19. The final stage program combines competitive, educational, and team formats. Mentors participate in business and military-sports games, an educational program, and also present and defend original projects.

Please note; This information is raw content received directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.