On November 1, schools and colleges across Russia will host a dialogue titled Society of Unlimited Opportunities as part of the Conversations That Matter project. The session partners include the Bondarchuk Family Foundation, the National Media Group, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and "NMG Kinoprokat”.
The topic of inclusion is complex and highly important. Explaining to a child that people can be different is no easy task. However, this fundamental knowledge helps foster respect for others and other cultures and prevents stereotypes from forming. During the extracurricular session within the Conversations That Matter project, children will learn that respecting others is the foundation of harmonious social relations.
Educational materials from the new film “Buratino”, which will be released nationwide on January 1, will assist teachers in this effort. Even before the film’s release, students will have early access to key scenes demonstrating the importance of moving away from negative judgments toward mutual respect and understanding — that we are all different, yet each of us deserves kindness, empathy, and compassion.
As part of a follow‑up discussion, all school and college students will be invited to participate in the Different but Equal All‑Russian Story Marathon, organized by the Conversations That Matter team and the creators of “Buratino”. Participants can share their inspiring stories of overcoming adversity or create their own music video for the song “Bu‑ra‑ti‑no”. Both individual and group video entries are accepted. Applications can be submitted from November 1 to November 30, 2025. For details, visit https://буратинодобро.рф/.
The Bondarchuk Family Foundation, which supports families with children born with special needs, is a partner of the Society of Unlimited Opportunities session within the Conversations That Matter series. For three years, the organization has trained specialists to assist families with children who have multiple developmental disorders. Although the foundation’s beneficiaries have various diagnoses, timely early intervention can improve each child’s quality of life and help families adapt to life with their child’s unique needs.
Fyodor and Sergey Bondarchuk:
“From our own family experience, we understand how challenging this can be — we’ve walked this path ourselves. 26 years ago, our Varya was born, who inspired the creation of our foundation. Over the past quarter‑century, significant progress has been made in rehabilitation and medicine, and we very much want parents across the country to have access to quality early intervention without waiting for a diagnosis.
And of course, it is equally important to speak with both adults and children about how everyone is different and each of us faces daily challenges. We must judge people not by their appearance or abilities, but by their actions. Kindness toward one another is the foundation of life and human interaction. We are glad that “Buratino” will serve as a guide for thousands of Russian students into the world of empathy and compassion. Together, we can achieve so much!”