On April 14, the UN Headquarters in New York hosted the opening of the photo exhibition “Into the Heart of the Arctic” showcasing expeditions aboard the “Icebreaker of Knowledge”. The event celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Russian nuclear industry and was held as part of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, which featured a Russian delegation for the first time in several years. Exhibition organizers included the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) and the World Youth Festival Directorate in collaboration with the State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom”, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Egor Litvinenko, Deputy Head of Rosmolodezh, Lev Zakirov, Chairman of the Council of Young Legislators under the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, and Konstantin Malyshev, Head of the International Youth Cooperation and Tourism Division of the Ministry of Science of Education of Russia.
“While the UN calls for greater youth involvement in decision-making, Russia is already making it happen. We are delighted to welcome our substantive delegation led by Rosmolodezh, which will share its experience with international friends and learn experiences of others”, noted Dmitry Chumakov, Deputy Permanent Representatives of the Russian Federation to the UN.
Russia is known to implement a successful, internationally recognized model of youth support. Under the leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the country has built a comprehensive system of youth development which includes world-class educational centers such as “Sirius” and “Tavrida”, mentorship programmes and programmes for young professionals. The Russian Federation actively shapes the global agenda in this field, as demonstrated by the World Youth Festival – a major event whose participants later joined the Rosatom’s “Icebreaker of Knowledge” expedition.
The “Into the Heart of the Arctic” exhibition features 26 photographs capturing key moments of the expedition: navigating through the Arctic ice, life aboard the nuclear icebreaker, and setting foot at the planet’s northernmost point, where delegates raised their national flags.
“In 1525, diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov proposed a route along Russia’s Arctic coast, envisioning a passage from Europe to Asia via northern seas. In 2025, we celebrate 500 years since this milestone, which marked the beginning of Russia’s Northern Sea Route development. Today, Rosatom, which operates the infrastructure of this route, is transforming the Arctic into a space for development – it’s no longer a survival challenge but a high-tech route. Yet the goals remain the same: to explore, develop, preserve, and integrate the Arctic. Initiatives like the ‘Icebreaker of Knowledge' programme for schoolchildren, launched in 2019, exemplify this mission. This year, it will host participants from Brazil, Turkey, Vietnam, India, South Africa, Mongolia, Hungary, Armenia, Egypt, Uzbekistan, China, Belarus, Namibia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Ghana, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bolivia, and Kazakhstan”, said Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom.
The exhibition also features 9 cube-shaped installations in the World Youth Festival Directorate’s signature style, symbolizing the WYF 2024 and its legacy that keeps expanding both in Russia and abroad.
“Last year, representatives from 15 countries became the first ever international team to take part in the expedition to the North Pole. It also included 15 delegates of the World Youth Festival, held in March 2024 on the “Sirius” federal territory. These young people of different ages joined this journey and proved that together they can pursue great achievements – even conquering the planet’s northernmost point! The exhibition demonstrates that youth worldwide are eager to unite and cooperate”, said Egor Litvinenko.
Egor Litvinenko invited the youth delegation to join the World Youth Festival Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod in September this year. The event aims to build on the series of key festival events held on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Assembly is organized by Rosmolodezh, co-organized by the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and operated by the World Youth Festival Directorate.
Between April 15 and 17, the Russian delegation will take part in the UN ECOSOC Youth Forum, showcasing effective solutions and practices in youth policy and international cooperation.
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.