Regina Sitdikova: The Main Thing Is To Take That First Step

27 october 2025

Our October issue of the About People and Good Deeds column features POLIEF specialist Regina Sitdikova discussing her corporate volunteering journey and sharing her experience with implementing her very first initiative, a project titled Rodnik Nadezhdy (A Spring of Hope), and her impressions from being a part of dozens of kind causes and campaigns.

Could you please share with us how your volunteering journey began? Do you remember the very first kind cause you took part in as part of the Formula for Good Deeds program?
My volunteering journey started way back when I was still in college. That was where I met great friends who got me to take part in various events where help was needed. It was with a great deal of enthusiasm that I joined Blagoveshchensk’s Association of Volunteers and thence onward was happy to show initiative in every good deed I got involved in. The very first event that I took part in within the framework of the Formula for Good Deeds program was an ecology-themed boating trip. The head of our class in college suggested that we as activists should all get onboard with this initiative. We were first taught how to put together our rafts and then we set off down the river with much excitement, taking in the beauty of the nature around us. At all our stopovers, we picked up trash and felt that every minute spent doing that gave us a purpose. After our trip was over, we were treated to a well-earned lunch that came with delicious food, pleasant conversations, and vivid impressions. Those moments stayed with me for the longest time. And they made me inspired to start getting involved in other charitable causes. After getting this experience, I could not wait to take part in all subsequent activities supported by the Formula for Good Deeds.

What gave you the motivation to become a volunteer and to keep taking part in various projects year after year?
Interest, new acquaintances, a chance to gain invaluable experience, elevate my spirits and cheer up others, and, most importantly, a desire to make this world a little better. That is what has been motivating me all along.

Did you perhaps have some doubts initially, including whether you would be able to dedicate enough time, strength, or energy to this cause?
One can always find the time: the key is to have the urge and that fire within that is still burning inside me to this day! Plus, I have always been able to find the energy for the things I love.

Your Year 2025 has been particularly busy as you were taking part in volunteering activities nearly every month. What were the things that were the most memorable?
Indeed, 2025 has been one of a kind: busy, active, filled with events. What I would remember the most is our friendly, cheerful, and very close-knit team. With people like that, any task you perform tends to turn into a celebration!

This year saw you successfully implement your first volunteering project titled Rodnik Nadezhdy, carried out with the support of SIBUR's Formula for Good Deeds social investment program. How did you come up with your idea for this project and what outcomes have you been able to achieve?
The idea came to me as if out of nowhere. In October 2024, as I was walking home from my parents' house, I passed by a local rill and decided to stop there for a few minutes to get some rest. As I sat there, I couldn’t help noticing that the area was being frequented by a lot of local people. And it suddenly dawned on me: "Why don’t we help fix this place up a bit?" Having taken a few photos, I returned home filled with enthusiasm and started working on my sketches and drawings. Soon after, I contacted the city administration's environmental conservation department to obtain necessary permits and the project started to take shape. The original idea that I came up with back in 2024 and the final product that saw life in 2025 are very distinct from one another. The project grew up in scale, and became better thought through. Thanks to my family’s support, selfless work of volunteers and caring and active residents, what was once a dream became a reality. The area adjacent to the spring now features newly planted fir trees, cozy benches, a flower bed lined with recycled bricks and decorated with perennial flowers, and the fencing around it now looks sparkling fresh.

How did the locals react to the renovation of the area adjacent to the spring?
Once the project was over, I often stopped by there with my dad as I wanted to see how the place looked and how the residents received it. I am reminded of one funny episode: my dad asked someone who was sitting on a bench by the spring: "It has gotten really cozy and beautiful here, hasn’t it?" And one of the persons sitting there smiled at him and said: "It's really wonderful! They have finally fixed up such an important spot!" My dad and I just looked at each other and left the place filled with joy and pride. The head of the local municipal improvement department later thanked me for the idea and the invitation to take part in implementing the project. My family and friends who are residents of that neighborhood were also quite happy about the change. It is moments like this that make you realize: it was really worth it. Such rave reviews and happy smiles on people’s faces are truly worth working for, because this gives you that warmth deep within that simply makes your heart melt.

Environmental initiatives make up a sizeable part of your volunteering calendar. Why is this particular topic so important to you?
You are right, the theme of environmental conservation is very close to my heart. This is primarily driven by an earnest desire to make our world at least a tad better. Secondly, I want to live in a clean and well-kept city. And, of course, by participating in environmental projects one can contribute to advancing the culture of eco-consciousness, spreading it through our own circles of volunteers and further on to local communities.

Where does environmental culture start? Does it grow out of setting a personal example, is it fostered by education, or by concerted action?
I am convinced that the key factor here is one’s personal example. This is what inspires others, sparks enthusiasm, and motivates people to act. That's how one attracts like-minded people and new co-enthusiasts who are ready to work together to make our world cleaner and kinder.

What would you say to your colleagues who are just thinking about starting a volunteering career but haven't yet decided to take the plunge?
Join our campaigns, and you will see firsthand how fun and rewarding it can be to perform good and kind deeds! I am sure you will like it. The main thing is to take that first step.

At SIBUR's 6^th Corporate Volunteering Forum, you received an award in the Breakthrough of the Year category. What does this recognition mean to you?
To be frank, it took me completely by surprise, I hadn't expected it at all! When I got on the stage to receive the award, I was even shaking a little from excitement. This award is more than just my personal award: it belongs to our entire extended friendly team that supported me at every point. It was, of course, incredibly nice and precious. I will always remember that moment! And it also gives you a powerful impetus to move forward, to grow, and to create new projects.

If you had to describe volunteering in just one word, which word would you choose?
Selflessness.

What kind of projects would you like to be able to implement going forward?
I am mostly drawn to such fields as urban improvement and environmental conservation. I am already working on two project ideas as we speak. But I won’t reveal yet what exactly they are about, that's a secret for now.

To find out more about upcoming kind activities, visit SIBUR Volunteers’ groups on VKontakte and on Telegram.