How do Moldovan Schoolchildren Preserve the Memory of the War? We talk about the "Gift to the Motherland" Project

A project of Moldovan schoolchildren took part in the International Memory Relay dedicated to the Day of Remembrance and Mourning on June 22, 2026. The event is part of the “Gift to the Motherland” megaproject, which brings together more than 130 projects from around the world and is being implemented on the initiative of Laila Akhmetova, Chair of the Council for Historical Memory of the World Peoples Assembly, Professor of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.

- What can a student do to preserve historical memory? It turns out that there are a lot of things. Find forgotten documents, record eyewitness accounts, tell the story of a veteran, explore the fate of his own family, or create his own historical project. This is exactly what the participants of the Republican Contest on the History of Russia, which has been held in the Republic of Moldova since 2005, for more than 20 years. Today, this unique educational project is part of the International megaproject "Gift to the Motherland"; it unites young researchers for whom history is not just pages of a textbook, but a living memory of people and events, the organizers of the International Memory Relay tell.

Since 2021, the Republican Contest on the History of Russia has been implemented in partnership with the World Peoples Assembly. The main feature of the project is that it does not require participants to know the full course of Russian history. Much more important is an interest in the past, a desire to seek answers, work with historical sources and discover new pages of common history. Often, parents, teachers, and entire families are involved in this work along with schoolchildren.

Of particular value is the competition - the project’s stage during which students become real researchers. They study the events of the Second World War in Moldova, collect evidence, create video reports and historical research, talk about heroes, monuments and the fate of people who survived the war years. This work does not remain just a competitive task. The best research is used in filling the virtual museum "Moldova in the Great Patriotic War", helping to preserve historical memory for future generations.

Materials about the participating project:

• Video report of schoolchildren from the city of Balti - winners of the XX Republican Contest on the history of Russia;

• The official website of the project and materials of all 20 Contests;

• All video materials of the Contest winners;

• Virtual Museum "Moldova in the Great Patriotic War".

Head of the project - Director of the Russian Intellectual Center in Chisinau, Deputy Chair of the Congress of Russian Communities of the Republic of Moldova on Education and Science, Elena Burakova, notes:

- Every research, every story found, every name saved is another gift to the Motherland.

More information is on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly and at media@world-assembly.org.