Inside Russia's State-Run Volunteer Movement

In May 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree setting national goals for the next decade. Among them, by 2030, the government aims to involve 45% of young people in volunteer work to “foster patriotic and socially responsible citizens based on traditional Russian spiritual, moral, and cultural values.”

According to some estimates, Russians under 18 already account for some 31% of all registered volunteers in the country. Journalists from the independent outlet Replika spoke with teenagers from the Urals to learn how the state recruits students into volunteer organizations, what they actually do, and what young people themselves seek in this work.

Olya, 16, from Yekaterinburg, has been volunteering for a year at a center opened in 2023 by Alexey Vikharev, a city Duma deputy and head of the local branch of the ruling party Edinaya Rossiya (United Russia). The center’s representatives say it supports public health projects, provides humanitarian aid to troops in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and assists elderly, low-income, and large families.

Olya says she joined by accident: “My friends invited me to a community clean-up because there weren’t enough people. A deputy was supposed to show up, so they needed a crowd.”

Politics doesn’t interest her. For Olya, volunteering is mostly about socializing and earning extra points for university admission. The state’s main volunteer platform, DOBRO.RF, offers a digital “volunteer book” that tracks hours of service. It is the only official record of volunteer experience in Russia and it helps students earn extra points when applying to colleges and universities.

One of the largest youth movements is Dvizhenie Pervykh (The Movement of the First), launched on President Vladimir Putin’s initiative. In March 2025, the president claimed it had 11 million members, calling them a “decent army.” Students are often recruited directly through schools. That’s how Fyodor, 13, and Tikhon, 14, joined.

Fyodor says university points don’t matter to him; he just “likes helping people.” Tikhon, who lives in a remote settlement of 100 people, says joining was almost the only available activity. His family “gently pushed” him to participate because his grandmother is the school principal. He adds that schools are often given quotas for Dvizhenie Pervykh membership.

For some teens, volunteering is also political. Polina, 16, has spent two years with Molodaya Gvardiya Edinoy Rossii (Young Guard of United Russia). At 13, she wrote to Putin, saying she wanted to join the ruling party. She was told she was too young – but a year later, she was invited to the youth branch, which accepts members from 14. Polina says she supports the party’s work with young people and their emphasis on patriotism.

On average, the teenagers interviewed say they volunteer 20-30 hours a month, with that number rising to 50 in summer. Many call volunteering their hobby, but admit it leaves little time for other activities. Some stay because they’ve found friends. Olya says “half” of her current friends are from Vikharev’s center, and she tries to bring others in. Polina does the same with her classmates.

But not everyone’s experience is positive. Fyodor says his best friend drifted away and began mocking him, while Tikhon describes being avoided by classmates: “When they announce my name at assemblies for volunteering, they get annoyed and laugh.”

Tasks are usually distributed by a curator through groupchats. In Molodaya Gvardiya, Polina says, organizers sometimes handpick volunteers with relevant skills. Tikhon often proposes his own projects, which are either approved or rejected by the school’s Dvizhenie Pervykh advisor.

Olya’s usual work includes environmental lessons, dog shelter cleanups, and painting fences. But this fall, she was also asked to hand out campaign flyers for a United Russia candidate in regional elections.

Polina says she often lays flowers at memorials on national remembrance days, and enjoys when her team hosts public debates. Fyodor helps organize recycling drives and game nights, and once attended the Artek camp in occupied Crimea through a competition. He also runs a VK page where he posts poetry readings about World War II and patriotic flash mobs.

Tikhon focuses on school events: helping younger students, managing social media, fixing equipment, and performing in plays. He says some teachers mock him behind his back but still ask for his help. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, state-backed volunteerism has taken on a military tone. Even organizations originally focused on social aid sometimes involve volunteers in making camouflage nets or collecting parcels for soldiers.

Most of the teenagers avoid discussing the war. Olya insists her center does not participate in such activities, though its VK page features posts about them. Only Fyodor openly mentioned pro-military volunteering. “We write letters to soldiers wishing them health and success, send sweets and socks, and make camouflage nets with the charity foundation,” he says.