"Many of us had already been to Russia before, made friends here and fell in love with this country," says Yulia, a hydraulic engineer who volunteered to be the group's translator. "Take Mr. Muller, for example: he is already 80 years old, and still he went with us, because he had been working in Moscow for 4 years, because his wife is Russian, because he knows that Russia is not at all like what's written in German newspapers. And if we know the truth, how can we stay at home and do nothing? If we do nothing, who will we see when we look in the mirror?

The "Druschba" association is made up of teachers, engineers, builders, managers – including those already retired. Their stay in Volgograd lasted for 2 days. During this time, they honored the memory of the defenders of Stalingrad in the panorama museum, laid flowers in the Hall of Military Glory on the Mamay Hill, visited the Volga-Don Canal on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, and even had some time to join in the celebrations dedicated to the Day of the Russian Flag.

An important point of their program was a meeting with the activists of the Volgograd regional branch of the Russian Peace Foundation and its Chair, Mr. Yury Starovatykh, the ex-mayor of Volgograd.

The "Druschba" association has been working to cement the relations between Germany and Russia since 2016. By organizing and joining various events on the territory of both countries, its representatives are striving to promote our country's positive image among their compatriots. The motor rally through the Russia cities of Russia is the project that marks the organization's return to active work after the pandemic.