The title "City of Labour Valour" was conferred on Dzerzhinsk in 2020, among the first Russian cities to receive this federal status, established in the same year. The title is given to cities whose residents made a significant contribution to victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 by working on the home front. In 2025 Dzerzhinsk marked five years since the title was conferred.

What the title means for Dzerzhinsk

During the Great Patriotic War Dzerzhinsk was one of the key industrial centres of the Soviet home front: its factories produced goods needed at the front. The award of the title "City of Labour Valour" was official federal recognition of the contribution made by the city's home-front workers.

Sport in the city in the anniversary year

Alongside the commemorations, in September 2026 Dzerzhinsk was discussing the development of its sports facilities. The chairman of the regional Legislative Assembly Evgeny Lyulin, together with Hero of Labour of Russia and regional deputy Yulia Garevskaya, the director of the Parus adaptive sports centre Andrey Kuvaev and representatives of the city administration, visited the Sozvezdie Olympic reserve wrestling school.[1][2]

The Sozvezdie school was founded in 2007.[2] It is headed by Svetlana Panteleeva, honoured master of sport of Russia, world and European sumo champion and a medallist of the European judo championship.[2] About nine hundred people train there, including athletes with disabilities; the school teaches judo, sumo and sambo.[2] Over the years its pupils have produced two honoured masters of sport of Russia, ten international-class masters of sport and more than fifty masters of sport of Russia; at international competitions they have won 170 gold, 98 silver and 117 bronze medals, and at national tournaments 226 gold, 173 silver and 240 bronze — 1,025 awards in all.[2]

During the visit Lyulin inspected the school's two gyms, on Matrosov and Oktyabrskaya streets.[2] Problems were identified: the façade and roof need repair, a modern ventilation system must be installed, the rooms need refurbishment.[2] In the gym on Matrosov Street training takes place in the premises of a former kindergarten, where athletes have to lay extra mats to avoid injury.[1]

Following the meeting with the city's sporting community Lyulin backed the construction of a new martial arts centre in Dzerzhinsk.[1][2] The centre is to include a large hall for major competitions and a recovery centre, which would allow the city to host national and international tournaments.[2] At the time of the discussion a suitable plot of land was being sought, after which design documentation was to be prepared.[1]

Sources

  1. NIA Nizhny Novgorod — A martial arts centre may appear in Dzerzhinsk (archived)
  2. RIA Novosti — Speaker of the regional parliament Lyulin backs the creation of a martial arts centre