Primorye's 'Golden Pen' Honors Unsung Heroes of the Working Class in 2026

PrimaMedia, March 19 – For the second year running, Primorye's premier creative competition for journalists and bloggers has included a special category, "Working Hero", established at the initiative of the region's trade unions. Topics tied to blue-collar professions continue to resonate with both media professionals and audiences: the union-sponsored category has once again become one of the most popular, drawing a high number of submissions, according to the press service of the Primorye Trade Union Federation.

The "Golden Pen of Primorye" (16+) contest was organized by the Primorye branch of the Russian Union of Journalists, with support from the Primorye regional government and the Presidential Grants Foundation. Its mission is to elevate the prestige of journalism by recognizing the region's most respected and accomplished media professionals.

In the 2026 "Golden Pen of Primorye" competition, one in ten entries was submitted in the "Working Hero" category, with total applications—just as last year—exceeding 30. Behind this impressive figure lie real-life stories of ordinary people, told in clear, accessible language.

This year's winners in the "Working Hero" category are:

First place: Dmitry Kovalenko, Sikhote-Alin Worker newspaper (Dalnegorsk), for his pieces "Uncle Zhenya from Egersheld", "The Future of Electric Welding Is in Good Hands", and "Not a Draftsman—A True Artist!"

Second place: Zhanna Chikrizova, Pulse – Northern Primorye newspaper (Kavalerovo), for "Professionals 2025"

Third place: Olga Tsareva, Golden Valley newspaper (Partizansky Municipal District), for "Yury Sapunov's Sixteenth Spring"

Following tradition, the category's first-place winner received a voucher for a stay at the Izumrudny sanatorium from Primorye's trade unions, while other laureates were awarded cash prizes and valuable gifts.

Additionally, special prizes from the trade unions went to: - Anna Marinets of UssurMedia news agency for "Welder for Life: A Ussuriysk Teacher Who Devoted His Career to the Craft" - Aleksandr Karpenko of Forward newspaper (Mikhailovsky Municipal District) for "Half a Century in Coal Mining"

The awards ceremony for winners and laureates took place on Wednesday, March 18, at the Vladivostok branch of the Russia National Center.

The "Worker of the Year" nomination was no accident. Today, as the economy faces a critical shortage of skilled labor and working-class professions urgently need recognition, it is you—journalists—who are restoring respect for the everyday worker," said Dmitry Kravchenko, chair of the Primorsky Territory Federation of Trade Unions, addressing the winners and laureates of the competition before the awards ceremony. "Through your stories, you show that the people at the lathes, by the blast furnaces, deep in the mines, or out on the farms are the true heroes of our time. Each of your works is another brick in the foundation of respect for the working person."

Previously, until 2025, materials highlighting workers in blue-collar professions were honored with special prizes from the Primorsky Territory Federation of Trade Unions. The introduction of this dedicated category—which has now ranked among the top nominations for the second consecutive year in terms of submissions—reflects the growing demand for reports and features about the people whose labor strengthens the region's proud work ethic and lays the groundwork for future achievements.