From South to Far East: 20 International Friendship Clubs Opened their Doors to Youth from across the World
International Friendship Clubs were launched in 20 Russia’s subjects. The project is aimed at building long-term ties among young people from different countries.
The Clubs opened in the Southern Federal District, namely in Adygea, Kalmykia, the Volgograd, Astrakhan and Rostov Regions and Republic of Crimea. Young people from the North Caucasian Federal District are strengthening cooperation between foreign countries and Russia’s regions too, as the Clubs were launched in Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Karachayevo-Circassian Republic, North Ossetia and Stavropol Territory. The project has also started in the subjects of the Far Eastern Federal District: in Yakutia, Buryatia, Trans-Baikal Territory and Khabarovsk Territory, the Amur, Madagan, Sakhalin Regions and Chukotka Autonomous Area. In the near future, International Friendship Clubs will open in Jewish Autonomous Region, the Primorye, Kamchatka and Krasnodar Territories, Chechen Republic and Sevastopol.
“Russia is becoming a centre of attraction for youth from across the world who want to study our country’s history, culture, traditions and learn to speak Russian. And nobody can understand the ideas and desires of the younger generation but the youth themselves. For this purpose, International Friendship Clubs are being launched across the country which will help representatives of Russia and other countries build strong ties and gain new knowledge. The flagship project of the World Youth Festival Directorate is expanding day by day – more and more of our compatriots and foreign friends are joining the Clubs in all regions of the country,” noted Advisor on International Cooperation to the Head of Rosmolodezh, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate Daniil Bisslinger.
The Friendship Clubs of the North Caucasian, Southern and Far Eastern Federal Districts have already opened their doors to youth from around 65 countries, including representatives of Egypt, Japan, Finland, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Zimbabwe, Syria, Malaysia, Jamaica, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Turkmenistan, Mauritania, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Dominican Republic, Indonesia and many other.
International Friendship Club representative, Head of the Volgograd Region delegation at the WYF-2024 Darya Chernikhova talked about the role of the project in the development of youth policy.
“Our country pays special attention to international youth cooperation. At the same time, we can see that it’s not only young people from friendly countries who actively participate in the projects, but also those who are currently in unfriendly states while supporting Russia and eager to get to know it better. This is why International Friendship Clubs are being created. They bring together like-minded people, allow to hold joint events, involve foreign youth into our work and introduce Russians to the culture of our international friends. All this contributes to the development of a friendly multipolar world,” shared Darya Chernikhova.
Representative of the International Friendship Club of the Volgograd Region, WYF-2024 participant from Egypt Fadlallah Mohamed Khaled Ragab noted that the project gives an opportunity for communication and maintaining connections between Russia and other countries. According to Rukhsorabonu Kayumova, foreign student from Uzbekistan, the Clubs facilitate adaptation of international youth in Russian universities.
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 International Youth Festival, and in between, international themed gatherings and events will be held under the auspices of the WYF. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.