The MIA XXV All-Russian Charity Event “Mercy of White Nights” completed in Saint Petersburg. About 300 people from 60 regions of the country took part in the annual action dedicated to the memory of the Russian Interior Ministry staff and servicemen of the internal troops who died in the line of service and military duty.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation General of Police Vladimir Kolokoltsev in his video message to the participants of the commemorative festival, said: “The works that you perform reflect sacred for each man concepts, such as the love of the fatherland and devotion to service duty, friendship and mutual assistance”.

According to the head of the agency, the action “Mercy of White Nights” unites all those who honor the memory of the valiant merits of fallen comrades, attends to their relatives and friends. Vladimir Kolokoltsev expressed confidence that the participation in the event will serve as a powerful stimulus for the further development of the noble activity.

The event was completed by a gala concert of winners of the festival together with the Russian pop stars. In the audience there were veterans and families of the fallen comrades, police officers, students of educational institutions within the system of the MIA of Russia.

State Secretary - Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov and Chief of the MIA General Administration for Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, police Lieutenant-General Sergey Umnov took part in the ceremony of awarding the Grand Prix and other awards to the winners of the action.

The winner of the Grand Prix in the nomination “Author's song” was an officer of the duty-unit of the headquarters of the Traffic patrol service regiment of the MIA Administration for the city of Saratov police captain Rinat Umbetov. The winner in this nomination was Chief of the Cultural Center of the MIA Administration for the Bryansk Region Major of internal service Sergei Nepsha, the second place was shared by Senior Psychologist of the Personnel Division of the MIA Administration in Kaluga Major of internal service Oksana Krivova and Deputy chief of the Police Company Number 2, Police Battalion Number 1 of the Private Security Division of Penza - branch of the “Private Security Administration of the MIA Administration for the Penza Region” police Captain Nadezhda Kulagina, and third place went to Senior Inspector of the Division of Organizational and Technical Support of the V. Y. Kikot Moscow University of the MIA Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation police Major Olga Timofeeva and Deputy chief of the 86th police division of the MIA Administration for the Primorsky District of St. Petersburg police Lt.- Colonel Alexei Turlapov.