Between February and April, 2 qualifying rounds of the game took place in Naberezhnye Chelny. The first identified the best teams in schools. The second round, the municipal one, was held in three districts of the city: Komsomolsky, Tsentralny, and Avtozavodsky. The results of these games determined the participants for the next stage – the zonal round.
27 teams made it to the zonal round. Among them are teams from schools No. 1, No. 19, No. 42, No. 55, No. 27, No. 30, No. 56 named after Hero of Russia S. Chebnev, gymnasiums No. 61, 76, No. 57 "Prityazhenie", No. 2 named after M. Vakhitov, lyceums No. 36, No. 78 named after A.S. Pushkin, Education Center No. 62, Pushkinsky Pro-lyceum No. 78, the cadet school named after Hero of the Soviet Union N. Kaimanov, the cadet police school "Kalkan", lyceum-boarding school No. 84 named after Gali Akysh, and the Naberezhnye Chelny Technological College.
Head of the Executive Committee Farid Salakhov said: "Today, the best teams from our city's districts have gathered here. 'Zarnitsa' itself is a good story that began a long time ago, but today it is a true symbiosis of classical disciplines and modern challenges. Each task in the game has its own meaning and goal, and it is important to treat each one as the most important—that is when victory will come."
At the solemn opening ceremony, honorary guests offered words of support to the participants. Assistant to the Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan and Chairman of the Council of the Regional Branch of the Dvizhenie Pervykh in Tatarstan Timur Suleymanov noted: "In reality, all the squads here today are already winners. And it is not just about the rankings, because during 'Zarnitsa', huge changes have taken place in each of you, as everyone has overcome something within themselves. And along with this, changes have come to each of your classes and every school. Naberezhnye Chelny will certainly become even more united and cohesive. As for the secret to victory, it is, undoubtedly, the team."
More than 300 young patriots proved themselves in individual and team challenges, such as live-fire training, tactical medicine, drill training, survival in extreme conditions, radiation, chemical and biological protection, as well as tactical and physical training. In addition, the teams competed in a tactical game using laser tag equipment. Each member of the squad contributed to the team's result.
In an intense competition under real field conditions, the best teams were determined, which will now represent Naberezhnye Chelny at the regional stage.
In the 7-10 age category, the "Snezhok 30" team from School No. 30 won. In the 11-13 age category, the "Kaimanovtsy" squad, representing the cadet school named after Hero of the Soviet Union Nikita Kaimanov, became the best. In the senior category, the "Kalkan" squad from the cadet police school "KALKAN" won. The prize-winners of the game received diplomas and gifts, and the winners, thanks to the support of the Executive Committee, will go on an excursion trip to the hero-city of Volgograd.