From 9 to 12 May, thematic expeditions for international content creators dedicated to the 81st anniversary of the Victory took place in Russia. A total of 34 public opinion leaders from 20 countries – Egypt, India, Canada, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Serbia, Togo and other countries visited the memorial sites to show their audience the real story of the Great Patriotic War.
"As part of the program, the participants not only immersed themselves in history – visited museums, memorials and talked with veterans — but also began to share it. At the moment, content creators have already published over 100 pieces of content about the Great Patriotic War, which have been viewed by over 21 million users in Europe, Asia, Africa and other parts of the world. Millions of young people saw the truth about the heroic deed of the Soviet people without trying to rewrite it. Such projects become the basis for international humanitarian dialogue and the preservation of historical memory," said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
For example, a thematic blog tour ‘Legacy of the Great Victory’ was held in the Kaliningrad Region, organized by the World Youth Festival Directorate together with the Government of the Kaliningrad Region and the “More than Trip" program. A total of 20 content creators from 15 countries got introduced to the history of the East Prussian operation.
The Victory Day Parade in Kaliningrad became the central event of the route: participants saw the solemn march of military personnel and military equipment, talked with the residents of the city and felt the atmosphere of the main Russian holiday. After that, the content creators investigated the places of military glory. They laid flowers at the monument to “1,200 Guards” and visited Fort No. 5, which the Soviet soldiers "gnawed through" at the cost of incredible losses. A special impression was a visit to the Bunker Museum, where on April 9, 1945, General Otto Lyash signed the act of surrender of the Konigsberg garrison. The exposition of the Historical and Art Museum helped the guests to better understand the scale of the bloody battles for the former citadel of the Third Reich, which Hitler's propaganda called impregnable.
"Victory Day is a special date that combines joy and deep sorrow at the same time. It was the peoples of the Soviet Union who suffered the heaviest losses in the war and paid the greatest price for Victory. It is very important that in Russia this memory continues to be carefully preserved and passed on to new generations. Every year, more and more people strive to preserve the truth about the war and remind the world of the significance of this feat," said Olivier Roy Pelletier, content creator from Canada.
The second day of the program was dedicated to the horrors of Nazism. In the urban-type settlement of Yantarny, bloggers were told about the tragedy of the "Death March", when in January 1945, the Nazis drove about 7,000 concentration camp prisoners from Konigsberg to the sea. Those who were exhausted and fell into the snow were shot dead on the spot. The participants of the Blog Tour saw the “Anna Mine” memorial complex, the place where the survivors were brought and held for four days in locksmiths' workshops. Then they walked along the prisoners' path to the beach, where in 1945 the Nazis opened fire on exhausted, defenseless people, driving them into the icy Baltic Sea.
"We remember that Nazism brought great suffering to the whole of Europe and the whole world. The Soviet Union played a heroic role in the struggle for freedom and the liberation of peoples from Nazism. Russia, as the legal successor of the USSR, is still fighting for freedom today. Many years have passed since the Second World War, but today the world is once again facing serious challenges. Once again, they are trying to destroy sovereign states and patriotism in the world, and that is why we are gathered here to remember what this system did to Europe in the 20th century. We must learn from history so that no one will ever try to repeat what Hitler did," said Petar Popovic, political blogger from Serbia.
In addition to the military history track, a rich cultural program was organized for the guests: an excursion to the Amber Factory, a visit to Kant Island and an organ concert "Birds in Music". International content creators also met with members of the WYFD International Friendship Club of the Kaliningrad Region and visited the zoo, where they learned about the role of animals during the war.
"When you see people from all over the world – from Africa to Latin America – who have come to celebrate Victory Day, it makes a very strong impression and helps convey the spirit of this holiday to the whole world," said Bounou Zohir, a participant in the Blog Tour from Morocco.
After the program in Kaliningrad, Moscow was waiting for the participants: the participants visited the SBER’s headquarters, where they got acquainted with Russia's modern achievements in the financial and technological fields, a walking tour of Red Square and “Zaryadye” Park.
At the same time, alongside with the program in the Kaliningrad Region, the World Youth Festival Directorate, together with the African Initiative agency, conducted a memorial program in Moscow for 14 content creators from 5 African countries. The route included Poklonnaya Gora, the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Victory Museum) and the G.O.R.A. open-air Museum, which houses one of the world's largest collections of military equipment and weapons of the Second World War. The trip ended on Red Square: at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier, in silence, interrupted only by the blowing of the Eternal Flame, the guests laid flowers, paying tribute to the fallen heroes.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 at the ‘Sirius’ Federal Territory, 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.