/1 A village in the Russian Far East which has sent 62% of its able-bodied men to fight in Ukraine has been recognised by the regional administration as Russia's first-ever "village of military glory". Nearly half of the men have already been killed or gone missing in action. ⬇️
2/ Sedanka is a tiny village in Kamchatka with a nominal population of 457 registered inhabitants, but only 258 actually live there, of whom only 67 are men of fighting age (18 to 55 years). Its inhabitants are principally members of the indigenous Koryak and Itelmen peoples.
3/ The village is extremely poor and remote, requiring an 18-hour drive from the regional capital on a road that is only passable between May and October. The local economy is moribund; traditional reindeer herding is long gone and people survive by fishing.
4/ A local journalist says it is "the most depressing place we've ever seen," comparing it to a medieval settlement. She says that the Soviet-era housing is being "eaten away by fungus. Even if it's not visible to the naked eye, you can easily tell by the smell."
5/ "Most of the houses have no running water, heating, or [indoor] toilets. Life here has come to a standstill."
Facing grinding poverty, nearly two-thirds of the village's able-bodied men have chosen to go to Ukraine, which is further away than Anchorage in Alaska.
6/ Officials in the Kamchatka regional government have now approved a proposal to award the village the title of "Village of Military Glory", under a law adopted by the regional assembly in November 2025. It will be the first such award in Russia.
7/ The law permits the government to award the title to settlements where 15% of the male population had participated or were participating in the war in Ukraine.
8/ Nadezhda Gogoleva, chair of the Kamchatka Krai Committee of Families of Soldiers of the Fatherland, says it's a major achievement for the region:
9/ "The awarding of the honorary title 'Village of Military Glory' to the village of Sedanka is, of course, a very significant event for Kamchatka as a whole. Most of the male population participated in or is currently serving in the Special Military Operation zone."
10/ "This is certainly a significant impact for small northern villages, especially where men's labour is valued."
11/ Back in the village, the women left behind are mourning the 12 men who have died and at least 7 more who are missing in action – 29% of the entire able-bodied male population. They say there is now "no-one to chop firewood for winter to heat our stoves." /end
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