The Movement of the First has summed up the results of its Children's Newsroom's work at the International Festival of Youth – 2026. Over the course of the week, young media specialists created more than 800 pieces of content, conducted 70 interviews with participants and honored guests, broadcast live for more than 40 hours, and drew around three million views of their broadcasts. The newsroom brought together young people from Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Pakistan and other countries. Throughout the Festival, young journalists conducted interviews, filmed reports, and recorded podcasts, telling viewers and listeners about the Festival's most vivid moments every day.

“The Movement of the First formed an International Children's Newsroom, whose participants actively covered the key themes of this autumn's biggest event for young people. Over the course of the packed program, the young people created more than 800 pieces of content, recorded 70 interviews, and their live broadcasts on social media drew more than three million views. The young journalists prepared for meetings with honored guests, asked questions, worked live on air, and managed to fully immerse viewers and listeners in the festive atmosphere. At the same time, the participants themselves put their knowledge into practice under the careful guidance of staff from our Media House of the First. I'm confident the results of this work, reflected in their material, will stand as a worthy chronicle of the Festival that has just taken place,” said Artur Orlov, Hero of Russia, a graduate of the Time of Heroes presidential leadership program, and Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First.

The Movement of the First's media platform let young people try their hand as correspondents, hosts, interviewers, camera operators, and authors. The work was organized across two labs – “News of the First” and “Cool Radio.” It was here that the young people sharpened their skills, welcomed guests, worked with professional equipment, and produced creative material.

Practical sessions for the “News of the First” and “Cool Radio” labs took place at the House of Pioneers, where the main events of the Children's Program were held. To generate UGC and professional content at the Festival's key venue, Ekaterinburg-EXPO, the Movement of the First operated a media stand. The UGC studio became one of the key production and broadcast points for the Children's Newsroom's material. Visitors to the Children's Newsroom studio during the Festival included Sergei Novikov, Chief of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Social Projects, and Andrey Betin, General Director of the Presidential Platform ANO “Russia – the Country of Opportunities.”

“Today, it's especially important to support the younger generation: to share experience, teach practical skills, and help them find their own path toward professional and personal growth. Young people are the ones who will build our country's future, and it's our duty to invest in them everything we have that's best. As part of the IFY – 2026, I was a guest on the Movement of the First's 'Cool Radio' studio. It was a candid, deep and serious conversation, touching on important questions. The discussion focused mainly on professional self-determination. We talked about what to focus on and what steps to take to find your true calling. I'm genuinely glad I was able to take part in the Children's Program of such a large-scale festival. Thank you to host Dana Danilov for his professionalism! I'm always glad to spend time with our talented young people!” noted Andrey Betin, General Director of the Presidential Platform ANO “Russia – the Country of Opportunities.”

The young people met with Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia; Dmitry Malikov, People's Artist of Russia; Serbian and Russian actor Milos Bikovic; Konstantin Mayor, owner and General Director of the MAER media holding; Sergey Anokhin, General Director of Beeline; Konstantin Fedorenko, Director of the Artek International Children's Center; Artem Metelev, head of the Dobro.rf ecosystem; and other honored guests of the Festival.

Musician Lyosha Svik also met with the young journalists. During the interview, the young people asked him about his first musical experiments, his school years, his personal preferences, and the secrets of his success.

“In the Movement of the First's Media Studio, I had a really candid and direct on-air conversation. Together with the hosts, we reminisced about school and my first musical experiments, talked about dreams, travel, success, and how my perspective on familiar things has changed over time. It was a real pleasure talking with young people who have a genuine interest in music, ask unexpected questions, and aren't afraid to take the first step,” shared musician Lyosha Svik.

Over the course of the Festival, the Children's Newsroom conducted around 40 interviews at the Ekaterinburg-EXPO venue and another 30 in the “Cool Radio” studio. In total, the team created more than 800 pieces of content. The main showcase for this material was social media broadcasts, which totaled 41 hours in combined length and drew around three million views.

“What impressed me most during the Festival was how the participants interacted with each other – they understood one another easily, communicated actively, and shared their emotions openly. I came from South Korea, and right in the first days of the Festival, I met people from different countries and made new friends. But what stuck with me most was my interview with the Movement of the First's Children's Newsroom. The young media reporters asked about my project, how I saw Russia, what I liked about the Festival, and what impressions I'd be taking home with me. It turned into a really warm conversation, and I could feel their genuine interest. Since I'm the only participant in the Children's Program from South Korea, we talked a lot about my country and about Korean culture. It was really nice to learn that people in Russia are so interested in it and know so much about it,” shared Min Chan, a Children's Program participant from South Korea.

The Movement of the First's media stand served as the hub for producing and showcasing material. In the UGC studio, participants created their own content, while on the venue's media façades, guests watched live broadcasts, video material from the Children's Newsroom, the Festival's program, and the work of its participants. Material produced by the young correspondents also formed the basis of special episodes of “News of the First Diaries.” A total of 10 special episodes will be released following the International Festival of Youth – 2026.

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.