Applications to join the Volunteer Corps of the largest international youth event of 2026 are open on the Dobro.rf platform until April 15. Applicants must complete the second stage of the application and the required training courses by April 20.
Since December 5, over 16,000 applications have been submitted to the Volunteer Corps of the International Festival of Youth, which is being implemented under the national project "Youth and Children." Interest among volunteers continues to grow. To give everyone who wants to participate a chance, the decision has been made to form a volunteer pool — the application deadline has been extended to April 15, 2026. This decision was made at a meeting of the IFY‑2026 Organizing Committee working group chaired by Artem Metelev.
"The IFY‑2026 is an event that will bring together participants from 190 countries. For many guests, volunteers will be their first point of contact with our country. The impression that participants take home depends on the volunteers' hospitality, professionalism, and willingness to help. That’s why we need to build a strong and motivated corps of volunteers. For activists, this is also a unique experience — a chance to represent Russia, work in an international team, and learn mutual understanding and respect for different cultures. These skills and connections will last long after the Festival and will help strengthen international youth cooperation," said Artem Metelev, Chair of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and head of Dobro.rf.
Volunteers aged 16 and older with experience in volunteering, knowledge of foreign languages, and a motivation to work in a team are invited to join. For full‑time students, participation in the Festival can be credited as academic or practical training.
Volunteers will support 17 functional areas, including: accompanying foreign and Russian delegations, handling accreditation and logistics, providing language support, assisting participants with limited mobility, helping organize excursion programs, and creating content for social media. After the main program volunteers will continue to accompany international delegations as part of the IFY‑2026 regional program. Before the Festival, each volunteer will undergo an interview, in‑person training, and a series of thematic online meetings. In total, 2,000 volunteers will take part in the Festival.
The year of 2026 has been declared the International Year of Volunteers by the United Nations. Russia will join this global initiative — the official launch of the Year in Russia took place at the #WeAreTogether International Forum of Civic Participation in December 2025. The IFY‑2026 will be one of the main events of the Year — an opportunity for volunteers from around the world to come together around a common cause.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 at “Sirius”, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
In accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on preserving and developing the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod in 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will gather 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030.
The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation and developing a community of young people who care about the future of the world.