The first All-Russian campaign "Toy for a veteran" gathered more than 1,000 works

More than 1,000 soft toys and postcards to veterans were collected by the All-Russian action "Toy to the Veteran", dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, said Svetlana Radionova, head of Rosprirodnadzor. The campaign was first launched as part of the International Prize "Ecology is Everyone's Business". Adults and children from Russian regions and neighboring countries took part. They created teddy polar bears with their own hands, the symbol of the award, and wrote their best wishes to veterans on postcards. All gifts will be given to veterans living in different cities of the country.

Hundreds of Russians from Kamchatka to Crimea wished to take part in a good action and say "thank you" to the participants of the Great Patriotic War. Children from orphanages, preschoolers, schoolchildren and students, teachers and engineers, large families and pensioners sent touching letters to veterans and handmade soft toys to the Ecology is Everyone's Business award.

"First of all, I join all the warm congratulations sent by the participants of the action "Toy to the Veteran", which took place within the framework of the Ecology is Everyone's Business award. On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, I would like to wish the veterans long life, warmth of heart and confidence in a prosperous future. Our veterans can rightfully be proud of the younger generation. We have received hundreds of letters from all over the country. In them, adults and children poured the gratitude of their hearts, told about their veterans, shared their warmth and, together with a handmade toy, bowed low to the veterans. We have received more than a thousand fluffy bears, woven with love and respect for the winners. Each of them will be handed over to veterans, giving them a smile and faith that their feat is immortal. Dear veterans! May your hearts always remain young and full of hope. You are our pride, our history, our heroes! Your victory is in our hearts!" said Svetlana Radionova, head of Rosprirodnadzor.

Svetlana Radionova noted that the postcards, children's drawings and the toy symbol of the award – the white bear Umka – came from big cities and small villages. Residents of Kamchatka, Novosibirsk, Krasnodar, Crimea, Mordovia, Omsk and Orel actively participated. Pupils of Moscow school No. 67 and students of school No. 3 in Babaevo, Vologda region, have prepared many congratulations for the veterans. But the largest number of memorable gifts were sent by the participants of the action from the Penza region and Tatarstan. Special requests and letters came from St. Petersburg with the signature "residents of Leningrad". The campaign was enthusiastically picked up by employees of the territorial departments of Rosprirodnadzor and their families, as well as specialists from the Center for laboratory analysis and technical measurements in the Republic of Karelia. Touching letters came from the district station of young naturalists of the city of Stroitel, Belgorod region.

The international Ecology is Everyone's Business Award was established by Rosprirodnadzor on March 31, 2021 and is awarded annually for interesting ideas, initiatives and projects dedicated to environmental conservation. The project involves children and adults from all five continents – from 78 countries, including all regions of Russia. Accepting applications for the fifth anniversary season of the Award on the website www.экологияделокаждого .The Russian Federation ended on April 1, 2025.