Russian and international participants of the International Friendship Clubs of the World Youth Festival Directorate continue celebrating the WYF-2024 Birthday. The WYF-2024 took place on the Sirius federal territory from March 1 to 7, 2024. Events to celebrate the anniversary are being held across the country.
In Sverdlovsk Region, WYF–2024 participants and international students took part in a themed excursion around the Urals. The young people visited the Europe-Asia obelisk, where the Mistress of the Copper Mountain (Slavic mythology character) offered them a warm welcome, greeting them with bread and salt. The excursion featured a symbolic crossing from Europe to Asia, khorovod (traditional round dance), traditional Russian games, and, following an old custom, tied ribbons for good luck. They also climbed Mount Azov and learned about the activities of the International Friendship Club through various interactive events. The highlight of the journey was a visit to the Severskaya Domna museum complex, home to the only preserved blast furnace of its kind in Russia and Europe — a masterpiece of Ural industrial architecture created in the mid-19th century. The furnace, remarkably well-preserved, offers a full view of the cast iron smelting process as it was two centuries ago.
Young people from Russia, China, Tajikistan, Mali, Bolivia, Turkey, Angola, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Benin, and Chad took part in the excursion, discovering the rich history of the Urals' mining and metallurgical industries. Yodgor Khojiboev, member of the International Friendship Club of the Sverdlovsk Region and participant from Tajikistan, noted that events like this bring together people from different countries and help forge new friendships.
Meanwhile, in the Leningrad Region, Russian and international representatives of the International Friendship Club explored the atmosphere of Russian culture and global dialogue. They participated in a theatrical quest based on Russian fairy tales, attended a master class on preparing traditional okroshka (cold soup), tried blini (pancakes) and baranki (dough rings), as well as enjoyed tea from a samovar (metal container traditionally used to boil water). Joining the celebrations were participants and volunteers of the World Youth Festival from the Leningrad Region, local youth passionate about international cooperation, and representatives from Spain, Italy, Ecuador, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Burkina Faso.
Kabanga Israel Nkuta from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, participant of the World Youth Festival and member of the International Friendship Club of the Leningrad Region, said: “As an African participant, I fell in love with this atmosphere. Russian culture, the warm welcome, and the energy of international communication is exactly what makes the World Youth Festival unique. Now, we are looking forward to meet again! The celebration proved that the friendship we built during the Festival is only getting stronger. We’ve got new joint projects and countless impressions ahead of us under the motto of International Friendship Clubs!”
The International Friendship Club of the Primorye Territory organized a multicultural student show “Million Voices”. Students from Russia, China, India, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and other countries took part in it. More than 400 people witnessed an exciting story of unity among nations, featuring impressive acting, dynamic performances, and a memorable storyline.
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.