Yarmarka VolVSHEbnikov. New Year Charity Fair in HSE St. Petersburg

How to make a miracle for someone who needs it most.

New Year is the time for miracles and magic. People all around are buying gifts for the relatives and friends, beautifully decorating their houses, and thinking over celebration to every little detail. However, the most important thing in this wonderful rush is not to forget that there are those around us who especially need help and support, and to create small, but real miracle for them. "Yarmarka VolVSHEbnikov" (HSE Fair of Wizards) was created for this very purpose.

The tradition of the New Year's Charity Fair appeared in 2012 at the School of Management. Wishes of eighteen children from Tosno were fulfilled that year. The next year the Wizards helped to arrange a holiday for the Children's Center "Delfinenok" (Little Dolphin).

In 2014, after the merge of two big Schools - Economics and Management - more and more students began to take part in this Christmas miracle. At the beginning of 2016 activists of the School of Economics and Management offered all students from HSE in St. Petersburg to participate in the Fair. It was the fifth anniversary of the Fair that was arranged by the activists from the School of Economics and Management and SDS organizers.

Nowadays the whole University is engaged in the organization and participation in the Fair event. 

On December 13, 2018, the "Yarmarka VolVSHEbnikov" was held in all the buildings of Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg. Students organized photo zones, homemade cakes, board games, master classes, Christmas cards, decorations, and many other surprises.

Thanks to the active participation of HSE SPb students we collected 158 130 rubles, that were transferred to support children from the boarding school in Vsevolozhsk and kindergarten "Bright City". Our students tried to give joy and holiday mood to those who needed it the most.

Text by Alyona Ivanova

Photos by Alina Gubaidulina – ART UNION Photographer

The video about the event is available here (made by HSE Media Family)