- 13.11.2025 06:40
Family Values and Historical Memory: Preserving and Passing On
On November 13, a Regional Expert Session was held at Tula State University as part of the International Interreligious Youth Forum dedicated to preserving family values and the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War.
It was organized by the Coordination Center for the Development of Active Civic Positions in Youth, the Prevention of Interethnic and Interfaith Conflicts, Countering the Ideology of Terrorism, and the Prevention of Extremism.
Students from the V.P. Gryazev Institute of High-Precision Systems, the Institute of Law and Management, and the Institute of International Education participated in the session.
Representatives of the Tula Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as religious and public organizations from Tula, were invited as guests.
The event was opened by Nikita Vasilyevich Nikitenko, Director of the Coordination Center.
He said that 2025 has been declared the Year of Defender of the Fatherland in Russia. This was announced by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on December 20, 2024, during a meeting of the State Council. This decision was made in honor of the participants in the special military operation and in memory of the heroic deeds of our ancestors in the Great Patriotic War.
The previous year, 2024, Nikita Vasilyevich continued, was marked by the family. Policies for protecting the family and preserving traditional family values directly align with the key pillars of the national "Demography" project.
The speaker emphasized that fatherhood and family are two of the most important components of our lives. They determined the theme of the Regional Expert Session.
Acting Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Marina Olegovna Panfyorova warmly welcomed all participants.
Tula State University, she noted, is attended by young men and women from various countries. It is crucial for young people to be friends and interact with one another. This creative interaction will determine not only our future, but also the future of our children.
Today's meeting, Marina Olegovna emphasized, is of great importance to its participants. The students now have another opportunity to reflect on eternal values and ponder how to bring goodness into this world and make it even better.
Marina Olegovna presented diplomas to the winner and runners-up of the presentation competition dedicated to family values. Students from the Institute of Law and Management occupied the entire podium.
Angelina Matsiyonok won first place, Mariya Zotova took second, and Yelena Generalova took third.
After the awards ceremony, Nikita Vasilyevich Nikitenko spoke again.
Currently, he reported, a trend is being observed: many members of the younger generation are beginning to identify as believers. Young people are overcoming digital addiction, moving away from it, and increasingly turning to God. Moreover, young men and women admit that family ranks first in their life. A strong emphasis on family can be traced to the fundamental principles of many religions, which have historically shaped people's worldviews and view family from the perspective of the presence of Divine will.
Nikita Vasilyevich's remarks served as a prelude to the presentations of the session's guests.
The series of presentations was opened by Vyacheslav Gennadyevich Kovalevsky, Archpriest of the Tula Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and Rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Tula.
In the beginning, he explained, God created the first man, Adam, and then, from his rib, created his wife and companion, Eve. Thus, the family emerged with the emergence of humanity. In essence, it is our destiny. Family values emerged alongside the family. People pass them on from generation to generation, including through religious traditions. This is how the foundation of family values has been formed in our lives.
Takhmez Gadzhifetdinovich Takhmezov, a representative of the Tula Muslim religious organization "NUR," noted that people are now turning more to God and gaining a deeper understanding of their roots and aspirations. And religion, regardless of denomination, unites everyone.
Lev Isayevich Raikhlin, chairman of the public organization "Jewish National and Cultural Autonomy of the Tula Region," presented the activities of the organization.
The autonomy, he noted, plays a huge role in the public life of the Tula region and makes a significant contribution to preserving Jewish cultural heritage and strengthening friendship between peoples of different faiths.
Lev Isayevich discussed patriotic events in detail and spoke about the "Love for the Fatherland in the Name of Life" project.
Sergey Vladimirovich Fedoseyev, a lecturer with the Russian Society "Knowledge," presented a paper entitled "Ukrainian Nazism as a Common Ethno-Confessional Threat." In his paper, the researcher sought to uncover the historical and cultural roots of this phenomenon.
Students had the opportunity to ask all the speakers any questions they might have.
The meeting concluded with presentations by the winner and runner-up of the presentation competition.
The memory of the Great Patriotic War, Angelina Matsiyonok emphasized, is a traditional Russian value. It provides us all with moral guidance. But any value requires protection. National memory begins with family memory and if family members remember their heroes, then the entire country remembers them.
Yelena Generalova, in turn, said that the family with both parents and children is the most stable model. It fulfills socially significant functions and is the foundation of society.
The session left no one indifferent. Both participants and guests greatly enjoyed interacting with each other.
Tatyana Krikunkova
Photo by Mikhail Gindin
