Tatarstan has launched the "Water of Russia" campaign of the national Environmental Well-being project for the whole country today
1,500 caring residents and eco-volunteers gathered on the Gabdulla Tukai embankment in Naberezhnye Chelny today to officially launch the All-Russian campaign "Water of Russia" within the framework of the national project "Environmental well-being".
Maxim Korolkov, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Republic of Tatarstan, addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.:
"I am glad to welcome you to the All-Russian campaign "Water of Russia"! Every year, millions of people in our country meet on the shores to bring the rivers back to their original state together. This year, the campaign starts in the Republic of Tatarstan, the leading region. Today, all regions of our vast country have joined in the cleaning at the same time. I declare the 2026 season of the All-Russian campaign "Water of Russia" open!"
All 89 regions of the country simultaneously reached the shores of reservoirs – this unity once again underlines the importance of environmental protection issues. The Republic of Tatarstan, the five–time leader of the campaign, became the main venue for the grand opening of the 2026 season.
It is symbolic that Naberezhnye Chelny was chosen as the venue: the city is celebrating the 400th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the first production KAMAZ, and its residents have been proving for years that caring for nature is a lifestyle.
8 regions (Moscow, Leningrad, Samara, Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod regions, the Republic of Chuvashia, the Donetsk People's Republic and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania), as well as the Arsky, Menzelinsky and Alekseevsky districts of Tatarstan joined the Shuttles via videoconference.
"I thank the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for their trust and the city of Naberezhnye Chelny for the organization. Last year, 410,000 Tatarstan citizens joined the campaign, and we cleared 11,000 kilometers of shores. This year, we plan to attract 450,000 people and reach a milestone of 15,000 kilometers. And this becomes possible only thanks to our active residents," said Tatarstan Minister of Ecology Azat Ziganshin.
During the clean-up, the volunteers cleared 8 kilometers of coastline. All the collected garbage has been sorted – another step towards conscious consumption. A total of 369 bags were filled, including:
· Glass – 51 bags
· Metal – 12 bags
· Paper – 23 bags
· Plastic – 189 bags
· Mixed waste – 94 bags
Among the finds today are an old refrigerator, tires, and metal fittings. All of this will be recycled.
Azat Ziganshin emphasized the special role of Tatarstan in the All-Russian environmental movement, he noted that Tatarstan sets trends today. Residents of the republic see the Volga and Kama Rivers not just as a resource, but as their home, so the Republic is in the lead.
And systematic work with young people helps to maintain leadership: the movement of young people (about 3 thousand people) and the public environmental movement "It will be Clean" (more than 11 thousand people).
Cleaning has become just a part of a big eco-holiday. A large-scale clean-up was held as part of the two-day All-Russian Congress "Water of Russia", which is currently taking place in Naberezhnye Chelny. And today, the ministers of environmental protection agencies who came to the congress planted 37 trees on the Kama Embankment.
"Today, the hospitable city of Naberezhnye Chelny has received not only guests from Moscow, but also from other regions of our country. We have seen via videoconference that the regions are already ready to launch the All-Russian campaign. Words of gratitude to all citizens and happy 400th anniversary of Naberezhnye Chelny," said Alexander Shadrikov, Director of the Department of State Policy and Regulation in the field of Water Resources.
Alexander Shadrikov awarded volunteers and coordinators of environmental movements with diplomas from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation for their participation in organizing and conducting the All-Russian campaign "Water of Russia". The awards were given to Rustam Farkhullin, head of the Youth Center of the regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society in the Republic of Tatarstan, and a volunteer of the regional branch.
Russian Geographical Society in the Republic of Tatarstan Lilia Timerbayeva, coordinator of the Youth Environmental Movement "It will be clean" in the Tukayevsky district Alyona Mokhoto, coordinator of the Green Credit project Karina Gursheva, coordinator for work with district offices Adela Valitova, project coordinator of the republican youth environmental public organization "It will be Clean" Taliya Zinatova, adviser to the director of school No. 41 Gulnara Gilmutdinova, Gulshat Saetova, a teacher at school No. 35, a specialist in youth work at the Orion Youth Center, head of the Eco NGO. – assets" Ksenia Sykrina and Daria Chuchalina, Senior Specialist of the Movement of the First in Naberezhnye Chelny, head of the Yunnaty of Russia department.
The organizers have prepared a rich interactive program. Everyone could:
· decorate the shopper with eco-friendly paints;
· make jute sponges, a natural alternative to foam rubber;
· create earrings from recycled plastic and plywood panels;
· collect a spills map of Tatarstan and Russia;
· Plant the microgreens in mini pots and take them home.
For reference: The All-Russian campaign "Water of Russia" has been held since 2014. In 12 years, it has become the largest environmental initiative in the country, bringing together more than 1.5 million volunteers annually. The Republic of Tatarstan holds the status of the winner for the fifth year in a row: in 2025 alone, over 8,000 clean-up days were held here, in which 410,479 residents participated.