The "Russia – Country of Traditional Values" competition will become international.

The "Russia – Country of Traditional Values" competition will become international starting next year , Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced.

An awards ceremony was held in Moscow yesterday for the winners—schoolchildren and students who presented videos, drawings, and presentations about strong families, historical memory, service to the Fatherland, and compassion.

A mandatory requirement for every contestant is "Actions." This means embodying a chosen traditional value: researching a family tree and creating a family album (talking about the continuity of generations), opening a shelter for homeless animals (compassion), gathering long-lost relatives for a family tea party (strong family), writing a book about veterans of the Soviet Military District, or performing a concert for soldiers on the front lines (service to the Fatherland), etc.

In addition to participants from Russian regions, compatriots from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Belarus, South Ossetia, and even Burundi submitted works to the competition.

Next year, the geography of participants will be expanded with the support of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

" Look at the colossal work our compatriots are doing to popularize and preserve the Russian language. Isn't this a traditional value? Isn't it part of love for the Motherland? ...We are currently facing a challenge. A challenge is a struggle. Another battle between good and evil. We must become comrades in this struggle," Zakharova said.