The All-Russian Forum of veterans of the special Military operation "Let's Win Together" was held in Moscow on August 27, 2026. More than 2,000 people took part in the event: veterans of the SVR and their family members, representatives of the government, clergy, expert and business communities. Deacon Igor Kulikov, Director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission, attended the opening of the forum and spoke at the panel discussion "Spiritual Unity. Our strength."
The participants of the panel discussion discussed the role of faith in returning to peaceful life, the development of spiritual and psychological assistance centers, and the joint work of religious communities in supporting veterans and their families. Before the session, the speakers were greeted by Anna Tsivileva, State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, Chairman of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.
The moderator of the session, Svetlana Grokhotova, adviser to the chairman of the Defenders of the Fatherland State Foundation, spoke about support centers where psychologists and clergy help veterans, mothers, widows and families of missing servicemen. The first such center, the Monastery, operates in Pechory. A pilot shift for mothers and wives with children was also held at the Winnovka Pilgrimage Center in the Samara Region. The Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation plans to develop and scale this area.
The mother of the deceased participant of the SVO, co-organizer of the pilot shift of the Winnovka pilgrimage center in the Samara region, Tatiana Puzyreva, shared her personal story of the spiritual path after the death of her son. Participation in support programs helped her find her own footing and get involved in organizing a pilot shift in Vinnovka, where mothers and children received help. According to her, her experience has shown that one cannot close oneself in grief — it is important to continue living and help those who are nearby.
The Director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission stressed that spiritual and social assistance should be available not only in large cities based on large centers, but also locally in every locality of the country without exception. "There are more than 20,000 parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Russia. And every church is a place of mercy for anyone who needs support. Especially when it comes to the defenders of our Fatherland and their families," said Deacon Igor Kulikov, stressing that the most important thing we can give to a combat veteran and the loved ones of those who are currently at the front is to help them find meaning in life.
 "We understand perfectly well that the true meaning of any person's life is in God. But often people come to us who are still far from spiritual life, not ready to immediately accept the first and greatest commandment. But there is a second, similar one, about love for one's neighbor. You can find a new meaning in peaceful life through serving a good cause and other people. This is especially important, given the serious internal demand among veterans for demand," said the director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission.
Father Igor spoke about church projects in which combat veterans are actively involved. In particular, about the volunteer project of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission in Donbas: its participants have restored more than 830 private homes, and veterans of the Russian military regularly join the work, who, according to their reviews, receive much more from these labors than they give away.
The widow of the deceased military priest Alexander Tsyganov, the social coordinator of the Defenders of the Fatherland State Foundation in the Pskov region, Nadezhda Tsyganova, also spoke at the event, telling about her husband, for whom the main principle of service was love for everyone, regardless of their nationality, religion and social status. After his death, Nadezhda became the social coordinator of the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and participates in cooperation with religious organizations.
Rustam Mukhitov, Deputy Mufti of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Volga region, imam of the Saratov Cathedral Mosque, a veteran of the Central Military District, shared his experience of serving as a military imam and told how clergymen of different faiths support fighters on the front line. According to him, Orthodox soldiers often turn to imams when their fellow Muslims need spiritual support, and Muslims invite an Orthodox priest. "Our task is to convey to people the experience of unity that we have gone through and are going through in the trenches," said Rustam Mukhitov.
The session participants agreed that the joint work of traditional faiths, government institutions, and veterans' associations helps families cope with loss and uncertainty, and veterans themselves find use for their experience in serving people, volunteering, and educating young people.
The forum was organized by the Defenders of the Fatherland State Foundation, the Russian Society Znanie and the Moscow Government.
The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission was established by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church with the aim of coordinating and systematically developing assistance to civilians in the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as well as providing assistance to wounded servicemen.