Smolensk’s experience in family support was presented at the “City for Family” forum in Saransk

Head of ANO “Center for Support of Large Families of Smolensk Region” Elena Prachkina took part in the forum “City for Family”, held in Saransk within the framework of the national project “Family”. At the event, participants exchanged experience in implementing family projects and discussed effective practices in supporting families for their further dissemination in the regions of Russia. As a speaker, Elena Prachkina presented the experience of the Smolensk region in strengthening family values, and the forum was also attended by the coordinator of the Strong Family project and city council deputy Elena Amelchenkova.

Elena Prachkina noted that participation in such a large-scale event allows Smolensk specialists to correlate their work with the federal agenda and best regional practices. According to her, the main purpose of the trip to Saransk was to study advanced approaches to creating a family-centric urban environment and health saving programs for their subsequent adaptation in the region. She stressed the importance of providing comprehensive care for families through infrastructure development and targeted municipal support, adding that the dialogue with colleagues and the State Council of the Russian Federation confirms the correctness of the chosen course and will give impetus to new projects in the Smolensk region.

Within the framework of the forum, an agreement was signed between Elena Prachkina and the Chairman of the “Council of Mothers” Tatyana Butskaya on the development of a system of support for student families and young parents, which includes consulting, information and social assistance. The parties also reached agreements on the broadcast in Smolensk of Maria Sittel’s film “Family of Families”, dedicated to family values. The free screening is scheduled for November 29, Mother’s Day, at the Sovremennik cinema, as well as at the regional headquarters of public support for United Russia.

The Governor of the Smolensk region Vasily Anokhin called the event an excellent platform for strengthening interregional cooperation and exchange of experience. He stressed that family support is an absolute priority, and noted that the successes of regional public figures confirm the demand for Smolensk practices that can serve as an example for other subjects of the country.

It is worth noting the active public activity of Elena Prachkina at the regional and federal levels. In particular, in September 2026, she presented the project “Bench” in the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. A strong family aims to promote family values through urban public spaces. This initiative has already been developed outside the region - a similar art object was opened in Izhevsk. Such participation in events allows the region to present successful social practices and find new opportunities for the development of family and childhood support programs.