The XXXVIII Congress of the Eurasian Association of Trade Union Organizations of Universities (EATUOU) took place from September 24–28, 2025, in the hero city of Volgograd, hosted by Volgograd State University. The theme of the congress was: “The Significance of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Shaping the Socio-Cultural Environment of the Modern University”.
The congress was attended by leaders of trade union organizations from 41 universities of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, and the Kyrgyz Republic. Among the participants were 71 delegates from universities that are EATUOU members, as well as representatives of the All-Russian and Belarusian Trade Unions of Education.
The opening of the XXXVIII EATUOU Congress was held in the meeting hall of the Academic Council of Volgograd State University. The delegates heard greetings from the President of the Eurasian Association of Universities, Rector of Moscow State University, Hero of Labor of Russia Academician Viktor A. Sadovnichy, Chairperson of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education Larisa A. Solodilova, and Chairperson of the Belarusian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers Tatyana R. Yakubovich.
Among the attendees were Deputy Governor of the Volgograd Region Larisa M. Savina, Head of the Professional Education Department of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education Irina A. Klenova, and Head of the Department for Work with Higher Education Institutions of the Belarusian Trade Union of Education and Science Workers Tatyana M. Rubanik. They noted the constructive cooperation between the Association and the sector-specific Trade Unions, the significance of their joint activities on patriotic and civic education, and the preservation of historical memory, and wished the delegates a successful and productive work.
Rector Professor Alla E. Kalinina made a report titled “Preserving Historical Memory: The Activity of Volgograd State University.”
The congress participants toured Volgograd State University, visiting the Museum of Cadet Regiments named after M.M. Zagorulko (the first Rector of VolSU), the University History Museum, the Regional Center for Continuing Education “Z.V. Ermolyeva House of Scientific Collaboration,” the “Russian Foundation” Museum, and the VolSU Engineering Center.
The VolSU student theater “Tochka Opory” (Point of Support) performed the play “Can I Ask for Nina?” dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 and timed to coincide with the XXXVIII EATUOU Congress.
As part of the congress, the I International Scientific and Practical Conference “Visual History: Regional Experience of Secondary and Higher Education” was held on September 24–25. This was initiated by VolSU and specifically by an EATUOU member, Associate Professor Nadezhda A. Archebasova, who served as the Chairperson of the VolSU Trade Union Committee from 2014 to 2024. More than 50 researchers from Russian and foreign universities and public organizations representing Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, and 16 cities in Russia participated.
Traditionally for EATUOU, the plenary sessions and events of the congress took place in significant locations in the hero city of Volgograd. During the visit to the “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” Memorial Complex on Mamayev Kurgan, delegates laid a wreath of Glory and flowers at the Eternal Flame. The final session of the congress was held in the conference hall of the “Battle of Stalingrad” Panorama Museum, which the delegates toured beforehand, viewing the exhibition and the massive panorama canvas depicting the history of the Battle of Stalingrad.
The XXXVIII Congress was historic because it included the first joint plenary session of the expanded Presidium of the Coordination Council of Chairpersons of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education and EATUOU. The participants of the meeting proposed holding a ceremonial session in 2027 to mark the 40th anniversary of the All-Union Seminar-Meeting of Chairpersons of USSR University Trade Union Organizations, which was held in 1987 at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Deputy Chairman of the CCC of Trade Union and Chairman of the Trade Union Organization of Moscow Polytechnic University Nikolay M. Nitkin presented a report on the activities of the CCC of Trade Union during the year of the 80th anniversary of the Victory.
The congress events concluded with a solemn ceremony of donating unique books, published over different years by universities of the Eurasian space, to the fund of the “Battle of Stalingrad” Panorama Museum. These editions have not been distributed through retail networks and represent unique historical material about the contribution of students and employees of universities to the Victory. The congress participants expressed a wish to establish a separate bibliographic department in the museum with these books. The ceremony was attended by the First Deputy Director of the “Battle of Stalingrad” Panorama Museum Timofey V. Yurchenko, EATUOU President Igor B. Kotlobovsky, and Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Alexey A. Volotskov. In his address to the ceremony participants, Alexey Volotskov supported this significant historical and educational project and highly praised the initiative of the CCC of Trade Union and EATUOU. It was announced that the CCC of Trade Union and EATUOU will continue the action to replenish the museum’s fund with books published by universities.
The delegates appealed to A.A. Volotskov to support the joint initiative of EATUOU, the All-Russian Trade Union of Education, and the Eurasian Association of Universities to open a memorial sign at the military memorial cemetery of the Mamayev Kurgan complex, dedicated to the scholars, staff, and students of USSR universities who participated in the hostilities.
After the official program concluded, the delegates visited the “Staraya Sarepta” Museum-Reserve and took a motor ship trip along the embankment of night-time Volgograd.
A total of 27 delegates representing universities of the EATUOU member countries, invited guests, and chairpersons of primary trade union organizations made reports and speeches at the congress.
