At the exhibition complex "Russia - my History" in St. Petersburg on July 7, 2026, the XVI All—Russian Youth Military Historical Forum "Alexander Banner" opened.
The theme of this year's forum is "Russia. The way to the south." It is dedicated to the history of the annexation and development of the southern steppes, Crimea, Novorossiya and the Caucasus, and is also associated with a number of memorable dates: the 330th anniversary of Peter I's Azov campaign, the 250th anniversary of Alexander Suvorov's assumption of command of the Crimean Corps, the 235th anniversary of the Peace of Yassky and the 220th anniversary of the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War of 1806-1812.
The Forum takes place in two stages. In the regions, students write essays and participate in team competitions. The winners of the regional stages meet in St. Petersburg, where the final intellectual games "What? Where? When?" and "Own Game," as well as defending the essay before a jury composed of historians, military personnel, educators, and clergy.
The final stage of the forum will last from July 7 to July 10. It is attended by about 250 people from different regions of Russia, including Arkhangelsk, Belgorod, Tula, Kaluga, Rostov, Chelyabinsk, Samara, Leningrad and Moscow regions, Krasnodar and Perm Territories, LNR and DNR. For the first time, teams from the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions came to the forum.
The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the forum, Deputy Chairman of the Synodal Department for Cooperation with the Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agencies, Archpriest Dimitri Vasilenkov. He performed a prayer service and addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.
Representatives of the Russian Historical Society, St. Petersburg authorities, the museum community, veterans and public organizations also addressed the forum participants. During the opening, greetings from Oleg Chernyaga, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, Director General of the Russia - My Story Museum and Exhibition Center, and Alexander Beglov, Governor of St. Petersburg, were read out.
The works of the winners of the correspondence video presentation competition "Suvorov's Science of Winning" were shown on the big screen. Then the award ceremony took place.
The forum was organized by the Alexander Suvorov Memorial Museum, the Department of the St. Petersburg Diocese for Cooperation with the Cossacks, the parish of the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the support of city structures, the public movement "Forever Alive" and the Presidential Grants Fund.
Photo: Andrey Petrov