Yesterday, 30 April 2025, a rally was held at the Belarusian National Technical University, marking the start of the 20th International Student Athletics Run ‘Minsk – Nizhny Novgorod – Izhevsk,’ dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and aimed at patriotic education, popularisation of athletics and a healthy lifestyle among students of the Union State. Today, 1 May, representatives of Polytech set off on their journey.
For reference: the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) is the organiser of the International Student Athletics Relay Race on the Belarusian side, and the M. T. Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University (IzhGTU) is the organiser on the Russian side. The university delegations visit each other in turn. In the year of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, BNTU took up the baton, and this time the starting point of the relay race was Minsk.
The BNTU delegation included employees and active students who have distinguished themselves in sports and social activities at the university. Ahead of them lies a visit to a number of Russian cities that played a major role in bringing about the long-awaited victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War
On its way to the capital of the Republic of Udmurtia, the BNTU delegation will visit the cities of Gagarin and Nizhny Novgorod. As part of the run, Polytech employees and students will take part in rallies, runs and numerous themed excursions. A busy programme lies ahead, allowing participants to immerse themselves in the war years and experience the heroism of the Soviet people, which permeates the streets of the cities participating in the run.
We spoke with participants in the athletics race about their expectations for the upcoming events. Pavel Loiko, head of the BNTU volunteer group, shared that he is eagerly awaiting excursions to various places of military glory, because it is better to talk about the exploits of people who stood up for their homeland in the places where those exploits took place.
– I believe that visiting such places helps to commemorate those tragic events, without which there would be no modern Belarus and, perhaps, no us. Anyone who has ever touched the history of the Great Patriotic War will no longer be able to look at veterans without admiration mixed with an aching pain in their chest about the horrors of the past years.
Moreover, the athletics race is not only a chance to touch the memory of such an important historical period of our countries, but also to find kindred spirits. In each city, representatives of local universities will join the students of the Belarusian National Technical University, thanks to which the students will be able to get to know each other and inspire each other for further interaction.
– The opportunity to meet students from other universities helps to build reliable and trusting communication, which can lead to the implementation of joint socially significant initiatives. Being surrounded by kindred spirits is one of the key needs of any young person, and participation in the run provides this opportunity,– said Rodion Fedorovich, deputy head of the BRYU public organisation with the rights of the BNTU.
A busy nine days of running lie ahead for the university representatives. We wish the participants a productive and informative time and look forward to their return to the Belarusian National Technical University with new impressions!
