‘Kindness Fills the Heart’

On International Volunteer Day, December 5, 2025, the HSE Cultural Centre hosted its annual awards ceremony for students actively engaged in volunteer work. Throughout the year, these students supported the HSE Centre for Leadership and Volunteer Work by participating in a wide variety of events both on and off campus.

‘This year, we launched numerous new projects. The people who have gathered here today work across a broad spectrum of fields. They are involved in environmental initiatives, create social media content, volunteer at events every weekend, promote inclusion, and dedicate their time and efforts to donorship, animal welfare, and children’s causes,’ said Anna Martynenko, Director of the HSE Centre for Leadership and Volunteer Work, opening the ceremony.

She noted that this was the fourth Volunteer of the Year Award ceremony. ‘We dedicate this evening to our irreplaceable helpers, our pillars—you, the volunteers and good student organisations. Thank you for fostering a warm community throughout the year, a place that feels like home, where people want to come and join projects,’ said Anna Martynenko.

In 2025, approximately 1,000 volunteers provided assistance over 2,300 times across more than 180 projects and events. Good student organisations participated in over 140 trips and activities.

This year, the awards were presented in five categories:

For Contribution to the Educational Projects of the HSE Centre for Leadership and Volunteer Work;

For the Development of Good Projects at HSE University;

For Contribution to the Development of HSE University’s Media Projects;

Event Volunteer of the Year;

For Contribution to the Development of Good Student Organisations at HSE University.

Konstantin Shashkov, winner of the ‘Development of Good Projects at HSE University’ award, believes that having a community where you can dream, implement plans, believe in goodness, and recharge with positive energy is invaluable.

‘The Volunteer Centre is made up of the kindest people, and I am very glad to be among them, because kindness fills the heart and purifies the soul,’ said Ksenia Orinyanskaya honoured for her ‘Contribution to the Development of HSE University’s Media Projects.’

Alla Martynenko, awarded ‘Event Volunteer of the Year,’ said the recognition was a surprise. ‘I joined the Volunteer Centre only this spring but managed to take part in many events,’ she explained. ‘Volunteer work can be challenging, and organising events is full of obstacles, but it is always nice to come to the centre, to see the staff’s smiles and their coordinated work.’

It is important that a volunteer can step out of their comfort zone—Irina Dolinskaya, another ‘Event Volunteer of the Year’ winner, knows this from personal experience. Thanks to this skill, Irina has learned a great deal. ‘Our work brings laughter and smiles, and sometimes sorrow, but I’m glad I’ve experienced it all,’ she concluded.

Many students participate in projects of the HSE Centre for Leadership and Volunteer Work year after year, and nearly all note they have found new friends there. The university’s volunteer centre has become a hub of kindness and warmth, attracting people who want to make the world a better place.

Andrey Samoylenko, winner of the award ‘For Contribution to the Development of Good Student Organisations at HSE University,’ addressed the audience from the stage and encouraged everyone to share their volunteering stories with their friends, calling it ‘an important and significant undertaking.’

Concluding the event, the director of the Centre for Leadership and Volunteer Work shared good news: ‘We have been ranked among top three volunteer centres in Moscow. Furthermore, HSE University has reached the finals of the federal University Teams Competition on Youth Policy and Educational Activities in the Volunteerism and Ecology category. Anna Martynenko stated that everyone who contributed to the common cause is behind this HSE University’s achievement.

December 12, 2025