On May 5–10, a blog tour for foreign bloggers took place in Russia’s capital and regions, marking the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland and the 80th anniversary of Victory. Thirty-five representatives of new media from 19 countries visited memorial sites of the Great Patriotic War, exploring the heroic past of our country.

The project was organized by Rosmolodezh, the World Youth Festival Directorate, the Russian Centre for Civil and Patriotic Education of Children and Youth, the Volunteers of Victory movement, and the “More Than a Trip” programme.

Participants of the blog tour included representatives from Russia, France, Belgium, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, the USA, Bulgaria, Abkhazia, Canada, India, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Serbia, Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. 

“The wide geography of the blog tour participants once again highlights the global interest and commitment to preserving historical truth. During the trip alone, bloggers published around 300 posts on social media, reaching a combined audience of over 10 million users. Upon returning to their countries, they will continue sharing their impressions of visiting the places where the fate of future generations was decided, sharing their warm encounters with Russian residents and the stories of Great Patriotic War veterans. We’ve already received feedback from many of them about preparing podcasts, lectures, and social media posts. All of this is another step toward conveying historical truth to people around the world”, said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

Divided into groups, the bloggers followed four routes, visiting four Hero Cities and learning accurate facts and the history of the liberation of Europe and the world from Nazism.

Participants of the first route, Moscow-Volgograd, learned about the Battle of Stalingrad and the fierce fighting of that time. Their journey through the Volgograd Region began at the Mamayev Hill memorial complex. The guests walked along the Poplar Alley, visited the Ruined Wall, paid tribute to the heroes at the Square of Those Who Stood to the Death and the Square of Sorrow. The tour concluded at the “Motherland Calls!” monument and the Hall of Military Glory. The participants also felt the resilience and courage of Soviet soldiers at Pavlov’s House and the Gerhardt’s Mill – buildings left as reminders of the war. The foreign guests strolled along the embankment, the Alley of Heroes, and examined the BK-31 armored boat – a rare surviving artifact from the war years. By laying flowers at the “Grieving Mother” monument in Rossoshki the participants honored all mothers who lost their children in the war. The journey concluded with a parade in central Volgograd, where the bloggers saw contemporary Russia, a country that remembers its history.

“The blog tour organized by the World Youth Festival Directorate is very important to me because it’s connected to the history of World War II. It’s crucial for me to preserve the memory of these heroes: to remember what they did for us, how they saved the world from Nazism! I want to share this truth with my fellow countrymen. As soon as I return to Belgium, I plan to give lectures about Victory Day celebrations in Russia. Happy Victory Day!”, said Kevin De Ridder, participant from Belgium.

Participants of the second route, Saint Petersburg-Leningrad Region got the opportunity to explore the pain and heroism of a city that endured an 872-day siege. Their journey began at St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, and the Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad. One of the most emotional moments was laying flowers at the Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery – the silence of the memorial and the hundreds of rows of graves left a profound impression on the foreigners. The bloggers also visited Lenfilm’s Pavilion 5, where they dived into the past, standing among the defenders of Leningrad. At the Ladoga Lake station, the foreign guests saw the Broken Ring memorial – a symbol of breaking the siege – the Road of Life Museum with authentic trucks and ice maps, and the steam locomotive Esh-4375 Komsomolets, which delivered supplies to the besieged city. The route also included the Oreshek Fortress, a citadel on Lake Ladoga that held defense for 500 days, and Kronstadt, a city of Russia’s naval glory. The final highlight was the main events of May 9: the Victory Parade and the “Immortal Regiment” march in Saint Petersburg. 

“I’m amazed at how you honor and preserve your history, the memory of your ancestors, and, of course, the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. I really want to return to Vietnam and share it with everyone. I also wish we treated our own history the same way. I’m sure my family and friends would love Russia. My dad especially adores Russia. Now I have a new dream – to show my father around Saint Petersburg so he can see it with his own eyes”, shared Ngo Thi Quynh Giao, participant from Vietnam.

Participants of the third route, Moscow-Tula, visited two Hero Cities. Their journey began in Moscow, where they visited Poklonnaya Hill – a symbol of the country’s memory and military glory. The guests walked through the park’s alleys, saw the monuments and fountains, and then headed to the Victory Museum, where they explored the history of the Battle of Moscow – the first major defeat of the Nazis. In Tula, the bloggers visited the Tula State Arms Museum, the Tula Worker armored train, and the Museum of Tula’s Defense. These sites helped the young people understand the strategic importance of Tula in defending Moscow and how the city stood firm in 1941, becoming an impregnable fortress against the enemy.

“The blog tour gave me the chance to see the real Russia. I learned so much about the Great Patriotic War and the Great Victory. I saw how the Soviet people fought for victory and gave everything for their country. During the tour, we visited many museums, and I was amazed by how realistic they were. It’s important for the younger generation to remember the past. I want to encourage my followers to respect history the way Russia does”, said Biruk Zerihun Abera, participant from Ethiopia.

Participants of the fourth route, Saint Petersburg-Karelia, learned about the tragic events in Petrozavodsk and the guerilla warfare against Finnish invaders. They visited the legendary R-21 Kola highway, learning stories about heroic drivers who delivered bread to besieged Leningrad under enemy fire. At the panorama museum dedicated to the breaking of the siege, the guests time traveled to 1943, finding themselves in a 3D simulation among bunkers, trenches, and the soldiers who achieved the impossible. The bloggers also saw the Kolchenko’s Tank: the tank crew sacrificed themselves by stopping an enemy group at the cost of their lives. Another key site was Height 168.5, where some of the fiercest battles took place, and the ground still has traces of trenches and shell fragments. In Petrozavodsk, the young people visited the Eternal Flame memorial, Victory Park, and the Karelian Front Museum.

“Visiting Russia on Victory Day was an incredible experience: both joyful in the spirit of victory and sorrowful because of countless lost lives. Preserving the history of the Great Patriotic War is, above all, respect for our ancestors and their sacrifices. Moreover, this memory helps us avoid repeating history’s terrible mistakes. I already have plans for future videos about Soviet history. In my videos, I portray Russia as Brazil’s friend: not through propaganda, but because of close cultural ties with the Russian people, and I’ll stick to this approach”, emphasized**blogger Pedro Daher from Brazil. **

On top of that, the tours featured meetings with Great Patriotic War veterans, who shared their memories of life on the frontlines and on the home front.

The bloggers shared their emotions and impressions with their audiences abroad – at total of more than 42 million users. 

The blog tour served not just as a journey but as another step toward preserving historical truth and reminding the world of the price of Victory.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in 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.

On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.

According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.