Sokolova Svetlana Ivanovna is a primary school teacher at Secondary School No. 12 with Cadet Classes named after A. I. Sorokin in Arzamas, who on October 2, 2026, won the All-Russian competition "First Teacher". The victory brought Nizhny Novgorod Region nationwide recognition in the field of primary education on the eve of Teacher's Day.

The Competition and the Victory

To take part in the "First Teacher" competition, Sokolova went through a multi-stage selection process that concluded with a final round in the Russian Far East.[1] The award was presented to the winner by the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, Sergey Kravtsov.[2]

The Award Ceremony

A notable feature of the ceremony was that it was hosted by another resident of Nizhny Novgorod — Adeliya Zagrebina, winner of the ninth season of the show "The Voice. Kids" from Nizhny Novgorod.[1][2] The Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gleb Nikitin, who announced the victory on his channel, noted: "We have strong bonds among fellow countrymen, and I am glad that the whole country is once again hearing about our talents, hard work, and perseverance."[2] Nikitin also emphasized that the victory was especially meaningful on the eve of Teacher's Day.[1]

Sources

  1. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — A Nizhny Novgorod resident won the All-Russian competition "First Teacher" — Nizhny Novgorod News (archive)
  2. Vremya N — Educator Svetlana Sokolova became the winner of the "First Teacher" competition (archive)
  3. Vremya N — Nizhny Novgorod resident Olga Popova became the city's best teacher (archive)