On Friday, December 5, 2025, the International Volunteer Day was celebrated. In this regard, a Volunteer Week was held at the Belarusian National Technical University. Spoiler: two representatives of the Polytechnic were awarded at the national level.
Thus, BNTU students visited the children of the social and pedagogical centers in the Sovietsky and Leninsky districts of Minsk. They provided support to children facing difficult life situations and organized programs at the orphanage and children's home, bringing an atmosphere of warmth and care to these days.
The activists did not leave our younger brothers without help either, taking part in charity events at the animal shelters "House of Saved Souls" and "Fauna of the City". The volunteers provided not only financial, but also much-needed physical assistance in pet care.
Support was also provided to the preschool child development center "Scarlet Flower No. 517 in Minsk" – volunteers organized educational classes for toddlers. In addition, the volunteers spent time with the residents of the municipal social boarding house and took part in a charity event for the pupils of the healthcare institution "Children's Home No. 1 for children with organic damage to the central nervous system and psyche".
At the end of the week, students took part in a charity festival organized by a charitable association “ZOOshans” and visited a social boarding house “Rodnik“ in Minsk.
The events vividly demonstrated the diverse and sincere involvement of students in the life of the urban community, continuing the glorious traditions of the volunteer movement.
However, one of the most exciting events of International Volunteer Day took place on December 4 at the National Library of Belarus. The awards ceremony for the winners of the "Best Volunteer 2025" competition held by the Minsk City Organization of the Belarusian Red Cross took place there.
The Belarusian National Technical University was represented by Elizaveta Mishkova, commander of the "Rays of Memory" volunteer group, with her project "Toys for Children with Visual Impairments." Elizaveta won the competition and received well-deserved awards.
– Today, traditional toys do not take into account the specific needs of such children, and the variety of special toys on the CIS market is quite limited. "The project grew because it addressed a real, but not obvious, problem. It became not just my project, but our shared endeavor-a small social initiative-and that is where its true strength lies. Currently, the development and testing of prototypes have been completed, and expert evaluations from specialists have been received, – noted Elizaveta Mishkova.
On Friday, December 5, the Stolitsa Shopping Center hosted the awards ceremony for the winners of the national "Volunteer of the Year - 2025" competition. The Belarusian National Technical University was represented by members of the "ArchIdea" volunteer team, which became the winner in the nomination "Best Volunteer group".
Angelina Tereshko, a member of the team, a fifth-year student of the Faculty of Architecture, noted that winning the competition was a significant achievement for the guys:
– Our volunteer team's main activity is decorating interiors and exteriors with murals. We were able to win because we truly enjoy our work. Winning the national competition was quite unexpected, but at the same time, it was incredibly touching and gratifying that our work was so highly appreciated and our achievements were duly recognized.
We congratulate our students and wish them not to stop at what they've achieved, to inspire others, and to continue bringing help to those in need.
