On September 15, the Innopraktika School’s “Global Values” festival took place at the grounds of the International Festival of Youth – 2026 in Ekaterinburg. Throughout the Festival, the exhibition “Picture of the World” is also on display there, featuring works by contemporary artists from different countries centered on shared cultural values, historical memory, and the continuity between generations.

“This is the second time since 2024 that we’ve held the ‘Picture of the World’ competition. Any artist from any country in the world, aged 18 to 35, can submit their work. In the first year, we received more than 1,400 applications; this year, 1,600 applications came in, from which 14 winners were selected. We run this competition jointly with the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts and the Tretyakov Gallery. That’s why, in the final stage, the selected paintings were exhibited at the Samara branch of the Tretyakov Gallery, and now they’ve come here, to the Festival,” Natalya Popova, First Deputy General Director of the non-governmental development institute Innopraktika, told journalists.

Natalya Popova reported that this year, entries in various categories were submitted by artists from 56 countries – both friendly and unfriendly nations alike. The geography of “Picture of the World” was left entirely open.

Innopraktika’s Deputy General Director also noted that the competition’s concept and theme – global values – resonate across the cultures of different countries. The works submitted by young artists convey the same idea in different ways: the values expressed within local cultures actually unite us all.

Four of the 14 winners – young artists from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cameroon, and Indonesia – also spoke with journalists. Dai Luong Cao from Vietnam shared that his work was inspired by Russian art.

“I love the avant-garde artist Kazimir Malevich, and my work echoes his famous paintings. This morning I visited the exhibition ‘Generations of Innovators: Russian Art of the 20th–21st Centuries’ at the Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts, which is also part of the Festival’s cultural program. And there, I saw one of Malevich’s works in person – I’m so happy, it’s a huge moment for me!” shared the young artist.

He also mentioned that this is not his first time in Russia. He had already visited Moscow before and, of course, had gone to the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts and the Tretyakov Gallery, where he was deeply impressed by the paintings of Mikhail Vrubel.

Natalya Popova explained that the Innopraktika School brought more than just the “Picture of the World” exhibition to the Festival. On the evening of September 15, participants of the choreography track, which had previously taken place at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy, presented their performances.

Innopraktika’s creative sessions have been held annually in St. Petersburg since 2020. This international educational project introduces young arts professionals to Russia and fosters cross-cultural dialogue among representatives of different countries and traditions.

Despite various restrictions in recent years – first tied to Covid, then to sanctions – participants continue to arrive from a wide range of countries.

“It’s wonderful to see these young people spending three weeks in Russia, visiting exhibitions, museum archives, and theaters, and talking with Russian students. During that time, they come away with a real feel for our culture and for the people they meet. And I see how their picture of Russia and of the people who live here changes. When they go back home, they compare their own impressions with the narrative coming out of local media. They realize that narrative doesn’t always match reality, and they themselves become a kind of word-of-mouth network for our future participants. That’s why, every time, we get more and more applications,” noted Natalya Popova.

Overview:

The International Festival of Youth, held as part of the Youth and Children national project, is taking place in Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, 2026. The decree establishing the event was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 29, 2025. The Festival is being held under the motto “Follow Your Dream”.

Participants of the IFY – 2026 include 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, including 5,000 Russians and 5,000 international citizens. Among them are leading representatives of creative industries and the arts, public administration, science and education, sport, entrepreneurship, media, digitalization and IT, and civic engagement – people who are already shaping the future of their countries and the world. Continuing the successful practice established at the World Youth Festival 2024, those invited include 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17 – 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad. The Children’s Program is organized by the Movement of the First.

The World Youth Festival took place from March 1 to 7, 2024, in Sirius, in accordance with a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin, aimed at developing international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.

In line with instructions from Russia’s President on preserving and building on the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across Russia. The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and build a community of young people who care about the future of the world.