Fund Hosts Third Outing for Families of SVO Participants

The Unification of Veterans of Special Military and Counter-Terrorist Operations (Unification Fund) charitable fund held its third countryside outing for relatives of participants of the special operation. The event took place on the picturesque shore of Lake Bolshoy Elanchik (Chelyabinsk Region, Russia), where 30 people gathered — mothers, widows, and children of fallen soldiers. According to the organizers, such meetings give women who have suffered an irreparable loss the chance to take their minds off everyday worries and find support among those in a similar situation.

For adults, creative workshops «Magic of Wool» and «Magic Brush» were organized. Handicrafts helped them disconnect from anxious thoughts. Meanwhile, children took part in board games, swam in the pool, and engaged in a sports and entertainment program with animators.

«We painted, it was very interesting because you disconnect from everyday worries. From the thoughts we constantly live with. Here there is communication, here you feel completely different,» shared Olga Petrova, widow of an SVO participant. In the evening, a cultural program with songs and dances was arranged for guests in a cozy gazebo filled with laughter and sincere smiles.

The fund«s director, SVO veteran Artyom Barbashin, noted that at first some were skeptical of the idea, as no one had held such events before. »The situation has changed now — we are already asked in advance whether a similar event will take place. This proves how important and in-demand such meetings are,« he emphasized.