EkoNiva Group, Russia’s largest dairy holding, has announced a partnership with Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova, who has officially become the EKONIVA brand ambassador. It marks the company’s first collaboration with a celebrity, particularly with one of such calibre. The partnership will run for at least three years.

Angelina Melnikova is an Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics, a silver and two-time bronze medallist at the Olympic Games, a three-time world and four-time European champion, as well as an Honoured Master of Sport of Russia. Born and raised in Voronezh, she took her first steps in the sporting career in the city, where she opened a gymnastics club for children from the age of 18 months and continues to train up to now.

The partnership is especially symbolic for EkoNiva, as it was in Voronezh oblast that the company itself embarked on its dairy farming journey in 2002. Since then, it has become Russia’s leading raw milk producer, and its Voronezh subdivision is now the largest regional unit within the Group. Its raw milk yields exceed 1,500 tonnes per day, which accounts for over 35% of the holding’s overall production and more than 55% of the region’s total output among agricultural enterprises. In addition, EkoNiva’s two processing plants operate in Voronezh oblast – a cheese plant in Shchuchye village and a dairy plant in Anna.

As part of the collaboration, Angelina Melnikova, being a thought leader, is expected to contribute to promoting natural and wholesome milk products and popularising modern agriculture and dairy production among audiences of all ages. The project encompasses various events involving the athlete, including autograph sessions, masterclasses and lectures.

Additionally, the Group will set up a special motivation zone at Angelina's gymnastics club in Voronezh featuring an interactive display for informing children about the health benefits of dairy products. EkoNiva Days will be held there regularly, offering workshops, milk product tastings and other activities. The Group will also support the organisation of competitions on the club’s premises and provide branded gifts to the participants.

‘I am committed to the idea of a varied and balanced diet, which is why milk products are an essential part of my daily routine. I am confident in the quality and natural ingredients of the EKONIVA dairy – these are the key criteria I use when choosing what I eat. The partnership with the company is very personal for me. I largely formed my attitude toward the brand in Voronezh, where I spent a considerable part of my sporting life. This is my hometown, and I am particularly pleased to collaborate with a company that also originates from here and shares my values’, says Angelina Melnikova.

‘Angelina Melnikova is a role model for many children and young people, a person of unbending will whose life is built on everyday hard work and dedication. She can relate closely to our core values – integrity, responsibility and transparency. So, we are proud to support her in her pursuit of new achievements and victories. After all, for professional athletes, a daily diet is just as important for achieving results as training and proper recovery’, points out Yekaterina Dürr, Brand Director of EkoNiva Group.