As a volunteer, Yulia Agapova and her team are writing a history of good neighborliness in Zainsk.

      A new public space has appeared in Zainsk under the open sky. A photo exhibition titled "Zainsk: History Under the Open Sky" has opened on the facade of one of the stores. This is just one of the good deeds of Yulia Agapova's team, which has been creating holidays, master classes, and cozy retro zones for the residents of the microdistrict for three years. In our city, there are places where people come for warmth, communication, and good mood. One of these hubs is located in the 35th quarter. For eight years now, a wonderful person, Yulia Agapova, has been working here. At 37 years old, she has managed to create a true center of attraction where everyone feels like a welcome guest. Together with her team of seven volunteer employees, she has proven that neighborliness is not just a loud word, but a way of life capable of uniting an entire microdistrict and even a city.

      From heart to heart

      The story of this volunteer center began not with a top-down order, but with a sincere desire to bring joy. "We have always organized holidays for our customers," says Yulia Agapova. "We celebrated the store's birthday, bid farewell to winter during Maslenitsa, and welcomed Easter. When we were offered to organize a Community Center, we didn't hesitate: this is exactly what we have been doing with all our hearts." About three years ago, the Zainsk center opened its doors, and since then, life here has been vibrant. What started as cozy gatherings for regular customers has grown into a large-scale good mission. Today, Yulia Agapova's team goes beyond the store, conducting master classes in kindergartens, schools, and even in the "Shatlyk" and "Radost" centers.

      Made with love

      The main pride of the team is the amazing photo zones they create by hand. These are not just decorations, but real time machines that transport visitors back to their childhood and youth. The retro zone "Back to the 90s: When Happiness Was in Simplicity!" has especially won the hearts of the townspeople. Here, one could recall the taste of childhood ice cream, laughter in the yard, and days without gadgets. The project aims to remind people how wonderful it is to find happiness in little things and to cherish moments spent together. For New Year, Yulia's team created a true miracle – the retro zone "New Year in the Style of the USSR." Those very glass ornaments on the Christmas tree, fluffy tinsel, a carpet on the wall, and a tri-fold mirror... You walk into the store for groceries and are immersed in childhood, in your apartment, and you don’t want to leave. News of the Zainsk retro Christmas tree spread far beyond the city: it was written about in Almetyevsk, Bugulma, and Naberezhnye Chelny. For Maslenitsa, the volunteers prepared a new photo zone, recreating the atmosphere of true Russian life. Guests saw a stove with a cauldron, just like at grandma's house, a spinning wheel, and other antiques. The central element was a giant three-meter doll of Maslenitsa, which attracted attention and caused delight. "People bring us things themselves," Yulia says warmly. "Recently, one woman came and said, 'Take it, it would be a shame if it gets lost.' That's how we got an antique sideboard that we were missing for the retro zone. We want to go further and build a real mini-museum on our territory – a small house where one can dive into history.

      Where everyone can become a creator

      The Community Center has long become a creative platform where everyone can try their hand at something new. Here, age doesn’t matter, and skills aren’t questioned – the main thing is the desire to create. Culinary and creative master classes are particularly popular. For the students of the "Radost" social service center, the volunteers held a class on making chak-chak using an old Tatar recipe. Guests, together with the staff, kneaded the dough, cut the noodles, and poured honey syrup over it. The meeting concluded with an unusual gift – a large chak-chak in the shape of a tubeteika. They also do not forget about the youngest. At the "Teremok" kindergarten, with the support of the center, a sports holiday "Winter in Motion" took place. The children searched for "treasure" in the snow, learned about the benefits of vitamins, tugged on a rope, and danced with Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden. A touching project was the "Inclusive Workshop 'Magic Plaster,'" supported by the "Great Neighbors" competition. Kids with disabilities from the "Radost" center enthusiastically mastered the technique of plaster casting.

      A holiday for everyone

      A special place in the center's work is occupied by care for those who particularly need attention. Yulia Agapova's team closely collaborates with the society of the disabled, the society of the blind, and the "Radost" center. During the disability decade, guests with gifts are always awaited here; no one leaves without attention and a souvenir. One of the brightest events was the Maslenitsa holiday that the volunteers organized for people with disabilities. Guests not only learned the history of each day of Maslenitsa week but also exchanged family pancake recipes. And what kind of holiday would it be without creativity? Participants crafted a symbol of the sun, learned to knit snoods, and then twirled in a dance flash mob "Spring is Coming." The culmination was a feast – a mountain of 50 pancakes made by the guests themselves, and tea from a real samovar with jam and honey. "It feels like home here. I come in, and my soul is joyful. Their holidays are so heartfelt that you don’t want to leave. Thank you to Yulia and the girls; they greet us like family," says pensioner Klara Gabidullina.

      A window into the history of the hometown

      A recent event that united the past and present was the opening of the facade photo exhibition "Zainsk: History Under the Open Sky," organized in collaboration with the local history museum. Yulia Agapova's team, together with museum staff, selected key milestones in the development of Zainsk. Now, residents and guests of the city can get acquainted with photographs on the street that tell about the roots of their small homeland, about the people who built and glorified our region. "We feel genuine pride for Zainsk," shared Yulia Agapova. "This is the city where we live, study, work, raise children, and meet old age. Our attachment to our hometown only strengthens with each new discovery of its rich history." The scientific employee of the local history museum, Daria Gyorgyun, gave an engaging lecture. The story of Zainsk's past was so captivating and full of interesting facts that the listeners, among whom were regular customers and guests from the "Radost" center, literally held their breath. The townspeople learned that the house of merchant Ivan Beketov, where the museum is located, is already 124 years old, and that among the exhibits are mammoth bones, Bronze Age needles, ancient coins, and an exclusive portrait of Leo Tolstoy.

      Plans for the future

      The secret to the team's success lies in sincerity. Yulia Agapova is a native of Zainsk, a graduate of the fifth school, a vocational school, and KGTU named after Tupolev. Despite her youth, she has managed to create a team of like-minded people around her. The volunteer admits that the main reward for her is the smiles of people. "Routine at work gets boring, but events like these and communication with different people lighten the atmosphere and unite the team," says Yulia. "My girls have been working with me for five to seven years; we have become like family." She does not hide her main goal: "We want to revive the culture of neighborliness. So that people living in the same yard, on the same street, in the same microdistrict get to know each other, communicate, and collaborate. This is exactly what the Community Center was created for." Ahead are new plans. Yulia is participating again in the "Great Neighbors" competition, and there is an idea to create a real retro zone under the open sky. Recently, the head of the Zainsk district presented Yulia Alekseevna with a letter of gratitude for her support in addressing socially significant issues. But the best reward for the volunteers is the happy eyes of those who come to their holiday. And judging by the warm feedback from the residents of Zainsk, this heart, beating in the rhythm of kindness, will not stop.

      Roza Ilaltdinova