From Moscow to Regions: Russia Joins Global Celebration of Blood Donors

From June 2 to 14, a series of events dedicated to World Blood Donor Day took place across Russia, uniting thousands of participants in 39 regions. This year’s celebrations gained special momentum thanks to initiatives by the FMBA Blood Service, which included both traditional donation drives and new awareness-raising projects.

The festivities featured two press conferences discussing the future of the donor movement. The Federal Medical-Biological Agency, with support from the Rossiya Segodnya press center, held an event where experts emphasized promoting voluntary unpaid donation. At a TASS press conference, Olga Eikhler, Head of the FMBA Blood Service and Extreme Medicine Department, presented the results of the "Donor Code: Defenders of the Fatherland" campaign and introduced the FMBA Blood Service’s special project "Triangles: Stories That Must Be Told."

"Today, blood donation in Russia is not just a medical procedure but a social movement uniting people of different generations and professions," noted Eikhler.

This year’s campaign saw expanded geographic reach and increased participation. In Yaroslavl, an initiative to replenish the Federal Bone Marrow Donor Registry was held in collaboration with the local branch of United Russia. Major industrial enterprises also actively joined the effort, for example, 249 employees of ODK-Kuznetsov in Samara donated blood during a mobile drive, demonstrating corporate social responsibility.

Themed events nationwide highlighted the continuity of donor traditions. In Orenburg, the "Donors of Victory: Remember! Honor! Carry On!" campaign brought together veterans and youth, while Crimea hosted a donor marathon. Even remote areas like Karelia’s Segezha saw active local participation.

Educational outreach played a key role, with blood transfusion center specialists holding meetings at medical colleges and university-based drives engaging young donors. The global significance of donation was underscored by an FMBA Blood Center campaign at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, supported by diplomats and Indian citizens residing in Russia. Ambassador Vinay Kumar, a long-time donor, personally launched the event.

Kemerovo, Leningrad, Oryol, Sverdlovsk, Belgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Chelyabinsk, Moscow, Kurgan, and Voronezh regions were among the most active participants.

"The growth of Russia’s donor movement shows how professional healthcare and civic engagement can jointly address vital social challenges," emphasized Eikhler. This year’s campaigns educated over 400,000 people about donation.

Collected blood and components were delivered to medical facilities, including hospitals treating those affected by the ongoing special military operation.