Volunteer from Serbia about the SMO: an inevitable stage in world history, which will end with the victory of Russia

A volunteer from Germany, a volunteer and musician from Serbia, a military man from Afghanistan performed at the federal educational Znanie.Pervye marathon, which will take place from 2 to 6 February as part of the World Youth Festival. Discussion “Own Motherland. Volunteers of Donbass" took place on the final day of the marathon in the Belgorod Pavilion. When the volunteers heard, the participants in the marathon began to burst into applause, and after that the participants actively asked for food, wondering how they could help Donbass.

Volunteer from Germany, leader of the “Brotherly Motor Assistance” movement Nikolai Fast told the marathon participants his story. Back in 2022, he and a friend brought the first batch of humanitarian aid to Donbass, after which German law enforcement agencies became interested in his work. Nikolai was forced to move to Russia. Now the volunteer, who previously lived in Germany for 33 years, lives for a long time in Donetsk. He still collects money from the European Union and uses it to purchase humanitarian aid.

“After the start of the SMO, the pressure on Russian speakers was very strong throughout Europe. That’s why we gathered volunteers in Germany to feed Russian truck drivers. We guarded parking lots where they could safely spend the night. During that period, we helped thousands of truckers. Then I brought the first humanitarian aid to Donbass - and Donbass never let go. This land is under the dome of God’s protection, it returns the good that you give it,” said Nikolai Fast.

In turn, a volunteer from Serbia Bratislav Zivkovic explained what made him come to the defense of Donbass in 2014 and why the Serbs take the region’s problems so close to their hearts. When the Donetsk People's Republic became part of Russia, Zivkovic received a Russian passport.

“There are no countries in the world that love Russia as much as they love it in Serbia. For us, Serbia and Russia are one country. Our ties are very deep, Russia has always protected the Serbs who gave their lives for the freedom of Serbia. Now we are ready to die for the freedom of the Russian people,” said Bratislav Zivkovic.

Serbian musician, chef and gastroblogger Milan Jankovic confirms the words of his compatriot. He emphasized that the suffering of people in Donbass before the start of the SMO found endless sympathy among the citizens of Serbia. The young man decided to help the Russian people — went on a humanitarian mission and filmed all his impressions.

“Food is something that connects people all over the world. No one should go hungry, that's what I've always fought for. With my trip I wanted to show the tragedy of the Russian people of Donbass to the whole world. I was simply preparing food and came to know your truth, your torment and all the suffering of the people, the children who were waiting for us in Donbass. We are with you, we will not give up,” said Milan Jankovic.

Another participant in the meeting was DPR military man Rafi Abdul Jabar from Afghanistan. He arrived in Donetsk on May 23, 2014. In the fall of 2017, he was blown up by a mine near the village of Spartak. Jabar was left without both legs, but did not leave the army.

“Two days after being wounded, I woke up in intensive care and through the window I saw a crowd of people who were donating blood for me. Donbass is the only place in the world where good is paid for with good. Digging dugouts and trenches, you understand that everything is not in vain, that the people will never leave and will even give their blood so that the fighter survives,” said Rafi Abdul Jabar.

The volunteers' stories evoked a lively response from the youth audience. The guys asked a variety of questions: about the tragedy of the people of Donbass before the start of a special military operation, the similarity of this situation with the history of Kosovo and the war in Afghanistan, about how NATO provokes conflicts around the world. The children thanked the speakers for their concern and mercy, and received advice from volunteers on raising children. 

In conclusion, the speakers noted that the key to a successful future for Russia lies in the patriotism of new generations and proper education. A special military operation is an inevitable stage in world history, which will definitely end in Russia’s victory, noted Bratislav Zivkovic.

“If Russia had not responded to NATO’s behavior with a special military operation, we would be sitting under shells here in Russia. Now we need to take victory into our own hands and show what real Russia is,” said the speaker.  

Meeting with foreign volunteers “Own Motherland. Volunteers of Donbass" was included in the program of the track "We stand together with Russia." This thematic track reveals aspects of international cooperation in a variety of areas: from joint technological developments to joining forces in the fight against the collective West. 

Also on March 6, on the final day of the federal educational marathon Znanie.Pervye, the Deputy Head of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation - Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov, the Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis, spoke at six venues. Chairman of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation Ella Pamfilova, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin, Director of the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova, Chairman of the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation, artistic director of the theater and theater school of Oleg Tabakov Vladimir Mashkov, boxer, Olympic champion, WBA world champion Alexander Povetkin and others.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival is held in accordance with the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin to develop international youth cooperation. At the first meeting of the Organizing Committee chaired by Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, it was decided to hold the Festival in the Sirius Federal Territory.

20,000 young leaders in education, science, international cooperation, culture, volunteering, charity, sports, business, media, etc., including 10,000 foreign participants, will take part in the WYF 2024. For the first time in the history of the festival movement, teenagers from 14 to 17 years old had the opportunity to join the event, including 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad. 5,000 volunteers from all regions of Russia, including 228 residents of the LPR, DPR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions be involved in the organization and delivery of the Festival. The organizer of the World Youth Festival is the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the operator of the WYF-2024 is the Directorate of the World Youth Festival.

The first federal education marathon was held in May 2021 and became a symbol of the reboot of the Russian Knowledge Society. More than 850 lecturers shared their experience during the marathon.

The Russian Knowledge Society traces its history back to the Soviet public organization founded in 1947 on the initiative of representatives of the Soviet intelligentsia as the All-Union Society for the Dissemination of Political and Scientific Knowledge (since 1963 — the All-Union Knowledge Society, since 1991— the Knowledge of Russia Society). Members of the Society were engaged in popularizing science and lecturing on the achievements of the Soviet economy and industry. In 2016, Knowledge of Russia was transformed into the Russian Knowledge Society. On April 21, 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the need to restart the Russian Knowledge Society on a modern digital platform in his address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.