On Russian Student Brigades Day, a concert was held in the Assembly Hall, SSU Bldg. X. This year is a special anniversary for Saratov Region, because the movement of student brigades originated in the region 60 years ago with the first labour brigades in SSU.

The concert was opened by a parade of flags under the Upcoming Guitar Formation song. The members gathered in the hall sang along and greeted the flags of their brigades with applause.

The Chair of the Rectors’ Union of Saratov Region, SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko congratulated the brigades members on the holiday and spoke about his participation in the movement. ‘In recent years, those who are older have noticed that student associations are playing an increasingly important role for each university. You represent the best that university youth have. You do a lot of things that are so valuable and in demand in the modern world. The song that started the holiday brought me back to 1981, when I joined the student brigades. I wish you success in the semester and the working season, in university life!’

He awarded the headquarters of the student brigades of SSU and SSTU with certificates of honour for the development of the movement of student brigades in our region.

The guests were greeted by the Federal Inspector of Saratov Region of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Russian President in Volga Federal District, Lyudmila Borisova. She spoke about the importance of student brigades. ‘RSB is one of the most numerous organisations. It implements the state youth policy and involves students into work. Today, new horizons are opening up before you so that caring and energetic young people can show all their strengths and talents.’

The presenters announced the 2022 best student brigade, which was the Zurbagan teaching brigade. The decision was made by the RSB regional headquarters considering the videos, essays, and creative tasks that students had been preparing for a month. The banner of the best brigade was handed over to the winners by the commander of the Owls student construction brigade (the best in the region by the end of 2021) Kristina Nogina.

The Minister of Youth Policy and Sports of Saratov Region Oleg Dubovenko noted that the student brigades movement became popular again. ‘It is very gratifying that the movement has been revived with renewed vigour! There are new tasks, emotions, and impressions. I like the motto of student brigades because working is really cool. And you make it that way.’

Oleg Dubovenko presented letters of appreciation to the best members of the Saratov regional branch: staff commanders Tatyana Dotsenko (Povolzhsky Institute of Management named after P.A. Stolypin), Arina Ogneva (Saratov State University), and Alexandra Savelyeva (Saratov State Medical University); a staff commissioner Ulyana Rizina (Saratov State University), and a methodologist Anton Sablin (Saratov State University), as well as an employee of the regional headquarters Julia Ilyashenko and the PR-manager of student brigades Diana Mingazova.

A deputy of the Saratov Regional Duma Dmitrii Pyanykh presented letters of appreciation to the commander of the Skyscraper student pedagogical brigade Julia Barayeva, the commissioner of the Owls student construction brigade Vitalii Rodygin, and the commissioner of the Avis student brigade of psychologists Maria Solonina.

The We Are a Team song was performed by the InSound band of Saratov University. The veterans of the movement of student brigades, Vladimir Mitrokhin and Aleksei Kalinin, talked about their way to the RSB movement and thanked their alma mater – Saratov State University.

The Chair of the Headquarters of Student Brigades of Saratov Region, the SSU Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Organisational Work Anton Golovchenko congratulated all generations of student brigades and thanked veterans for “the foundation the history and tradition of the RSB, creating the foundation of the organisation that is in demand among modern youth”.

A student of the Faculty of Law Ulyana Rizina received an Honorary badge "For active work in student brigades" of the Russian Student Brigades Youth All-Russian public organization.

Under the Back to the Brigade song, the flags were solemnly taken off the stage, and the concert began, in which the performers told the audience about the history of each brigade. All the members sang the following songs – My Homeland, Yalta-Sail, and Hey, Brother – in a friendly chorus. Students danced and showed sketches from the Club of the Funny and the Witty movement. The event ended with the We Are the Best Movement in the Country performance.