A series of international commemorative events were held in Paris to mark the 82nd anniversary of the breaking of the Nazi siege of Leningrad. The events were organized by the International Friendship Clubs of the Republic of Komi and the Leningrad Region, the Russian “Znanie” (“Knowedge”) Society with the support of Russian Houses abroad.

Representatives from France, Luxembourg, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, Kyrgyzstan, and other countries joined the campaign. Participants listened to a presentation by Ivan Jorge, a lecturer at the Russian “Znanie” Society, winner of the “Teacher of the Year 2020” competition, and member of the Public Chamber of the Leningrad Region.

During the events, participants listened to historical lectures about the life and struggle of Leningrad during the blockade, and about the resilience and courage of the city's residents. Particular attention was paid to the importance of unity, mutual aid, and support, which enabled the city on the Neva to withstand almost 900 days and nights and became a symbol of the heroism of Leningrad citizens forever. Those present honored the memory of the victims of the blockade with a minute of silence and also took part in the “Blockade Bread” campaign, receiving a symbolic piece of bread weighing 125 grams — the minimum daily ration during the most difficult period of the siege of the city.

In France, participants visited the Russian Center for Science and Culture, a representative office of Rossotrudnichestvo, where they viewed a multimedia exhibition from the Victory Museum entitled “Salute over the Neva” and watched an RT Doc documentary film about the siege of Leningrad. The guests were shown archival photographs depicting the heroic deeds of the inhabitants of the besieged city.

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.

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, which took place on the Sirius Federal Territory in 2024 and united 20,000 young people from 190 countries of the world, festival events on the territory of the Russian Federation will be held annually. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will be held in 2030. In 2026, there will be a smaller event, an International Festival of Youth with 10,000 participants. In between, the World Youth Festival’s themed Assemblies will be held annually for 2,000 participants.

The first World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025 and brought together 2,000 young people from 120 countries.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.