On 16 May, the celebration started with speeches congratulating the SOS mothers and children. The village director paid tribute to the mothers, who, through their love and support, make a happy life possible for the children. The children then gave a concert which was dedicated to the village: they danced, sang songs, read poetry and performed a song which was especially composed for the village.
The guests planted a tree in the village and named it "The Tree of Friendship", and after that, everybody enjoyed the taste of the traditional village porridge, as this is one of the oldest and best-liked meals in Eastern European cuisine.
More untraditional, however, was the visit of FIFA for SOS Children's Villages Ambassador Andrey Arshavin, who opened a brand new playground for the children. Arshavin took a whole delegation with him - his mother, wife and a friend, Aleksander Anukov, who is also a FC Zenith player.
Arshavin played three mini-matches: one with older boys, one with younger boys and one with girls. After giving autographs and having photographs taken with the children, Arshavin headed to a family house, where the mother and children treated the guest to tea. At the end of the day, everyone was overjoyed and Arshavin's friend and colleague Anukov promised to play football with the children the next time he comes for a visit.