Head of EPAA Organizing Committee Sergey Zelenkov: “Our award is about people, not machines”
Friends, colleagues, colleagues in the automotive community! When we launched the Motorists' Assembly on Radio Mayak eleven years ago, the last thing we thought about was awards. We thought the industry lacked a platform where professionals could talk to each other not through press releases, but directly. Then the main word was born on the air - community. The Assembly of Motorists was conceived not just as a radio program on the Lighthouse, but as a community of people who are thinking about how to improve the culture of car operation. An assembly is a gathering of people who care about themselves and others.”.
From thousands of hours of broadcasting, from round tables and conversations of experts, the idea of the award naturally grew. Not because there are few diplomas in the industry, but because behind brands, factories and sales figures are specific people – engineers, mechanics, entrepreneurs, journalists, motorists. Their work is often left in the shadows. The Eurasian Automobile Assembly Prize is not a prize for cars. It's a prize for the people who make, care for, operate, sell these cars. The mission is very specific: to identify and support those who shape the industry with their daily work, and to give them the opportunity to express themselves on a broad scale.
Experts are the backbone of the prize. At the head of the Expert Council is Alexander Pikulenko, an auto journalist and founder of the “Assembly of Motorists”, who formulated our motto: “The wise choose the best”. The Council includes leading industry specialists, journalists, representatives of the business community, recognized professionals. These are people who know the industry not from presentations, but from daily practice.
The first prize was held on November 18, 2025 at the Aurora Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. It was not just a formal evening, but a big professional meeting - with hugs, working negotiations in the lobby and applause in the hall. 88 laureates and winners rose to the stage in more than 20 nominations: from car brands and car services to special equipment, motorsport, bloggers and exhibition operators. Haval was recognized as the brand of the year, the association “Russian Automobile Dealers” received a big cup for the development of the dealer community, the Union of Auto Services for the formation of industry culture, Passengerravtotrans for the exemplary content of transport. This evening proved that the award hit the spot.
And on November 18, 2026, we will gather again at the Aurora Concert Hall to celebrate the best.
