The key facts
- Participants of the second cohort of 'Time of Heroes' shared their experience of cohesion in medicine, the army, and public service
- The second cohort of the program started in June 2025 and brought together 85 people
- On November 3, Putin proposed devising additional mechanisms for preserving social unity after the Year of Unity of the Peoples
Participants' personal experience
On National Unity Day, participants of the presidential program 'Time of Heroes' explained why they consider the cohesion of people of different nationalities and professions to be one of the country's main pillars, reports Life.ru. Surgeon Yulia Mullagaliyeva, a graduate of the S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy, noted that the significance of unity is felt especially acutely in medicine: working with severely ill patients daily reminds one of the value of human life and the need to help one another. During the SVO, the efforts of medics, volunteers, and servicemen's relatives became part of the overall system of support for the fighters. She also drew a parallel with the history of the holiday — the liberation of Moscow by the people's militia of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky in 1612.
Combat brotherhood and civil service
Denis Kamaletdinov, a holder of three Orders of Courage, recalled how servicemen of different nationalities and natives of various Russian regions served together on the front line: a common goal, mutual trust, and readiness to help a comrade unite people regardless of their background. In his view, this experience makes it possible to look anew at the events of four centuries ago and to compare the cohesion of today's society and army with the unity of the 17th-century militia. Hero of Russia Oleg Dzhafarov, who serves as deputy governor of the Jewish Autonomous Region, emphasized the role of joint work by people of different professions and regions: in public service, he said, cooperation between officials, public organizations, and local residents helps solve common problems. His duties include coordinating assistance measures for veterans, working with volunteers, preserving the memory of the fallen, as well as medical rehabilitation, retraining, and employment of combat participants; before his appointment, he interned at the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic under the mentorship of Minister Alexei Chekunkov.
The program and the state agenda
The 'Time of Heroes' program has been operating since 2024 and prepares its participants for work in government bodies, state-owned companies, and public organizations; the second cohort started in June 2025 and brought together 85 people, with training provided by the Higher School of Public Administration of the Presidential Academy together with the 'Russia — Land of Opportunities' platform. The theme of cohesion also became central to the agenda of 2026, which has been declared the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia. On the eve of the holiday, on November 3, at a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations, President Vladimir Putin called for continuing to strengthen interethnic harmony after the end of the thematic year and proposed devising additional mechanisms for preserving social unity, emphasizing that this work should not be limited to calendar deadlines.
