From September 17 to 21, following the conclusion of the International Festival of Youth’s main events in Ekaterinburg, the regional program for the international participants will take place. A thousand young people from abroad will set off on a major journey along 33 routes across 35 regions of Russia, the Sirius federal territory, as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The program offers young leaders from different countries a unique opportunity to see Russia without filters or stereotypes. Participants will immerse themselves in the everyday life of Russia's regions, become acquainted with their culture, historical heritage and local traditions, and learn about key contemporary achievements. An important part of the program will be the joint development of practical proposals for promoting tourism and international cooperation. Participants will share their impressions and knowledge with friends, colleagues and partners, as well as on social media. This will help foster a fuller and more objective image of contemporary Russia abroad.

The regional program format was first implemented at the World Festival of Youth and Students in 2017, when international participants traveled to 15 Russian regions. This successful experience continued at the World Youth Festival in 2024, when 2,000 foreign guests visited 30 Russian cities. In 2025, the program continued following the World Youth Festival Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod, with participants traveling across the country's regions. Today, the regional program has become a traditional part of Russia's major international youth events, expanding its geography and content every year.

"1,000 young people from abroad will take part in the IFY – 2026 regional program. Today they have a unique opportunity not simply to come to the Festival, but to continue their journey across the country. In the program across Russia, guests from abroad will learn about the history, culture and traditions of the country's peoples, and see firsthand the key attractions of the regions and achievements in various fields. In every region, meetings have been prepared for them with young leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists and representatives of local communities, along with educational and project activities. For the first time, the program will also take place outside our country – in the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia. It is important to us that international participants get the chance to see Russia with their own eyes, to get to know it not only through major cities and famous attractions, but also through the people who live here and develop their regions. It is precisely this kind of personal experience that allows for a better understanding of the country, its diversity, and the opportunities for further cooperation," noted Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh).

Participants of the regional program will be young opinion leaders – entrepreneurs, activists, teachers, creative professionals and bloggers. Routes will follow three formats. The first involves traveling through a single region or country; the second consists of interregional expeditions covering several territories; and the third is the Discovering Russia Anew research track.

Each route is built around a unique combination of historical heritage, cultural features, natural landscapes, modern achievements and promising development projects, with the central content being live meetings with regional leadership, young leaders, scientists, entrepreneurs and conservators of traditional crafts. Guests do not merely observe but take part: immersing themselves in the traditions of indigenous peoples, visiting natural sites, and participating in volunteer initiatives and project sessions where new ideas are born.

The expeditions will take place in 25 regions of the country, including the Vologda, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kirov, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Omsk, Pskov, Ryazan, Samara, Smolensk and Tver regions, the Donetsk People's Republic, the Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Kamchatka and Khabarovsk territories, the republics of Kalmykia, Komi, Mordovia, Tatarstan and Udmurtia, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra, St. Petersburg, as well as the Sirius federal territory and the Republic of Abkhazia.

As part of the programs, participants will be immersed in centuries of Russia’s history – from its most ancient pages to the heroic events and achievements of the 20th century. The Voronezh Region will open the doors to the Upper Paleolithic era at the Kostenki Archaeological Museum-Reserve, one of the oldest sites of human habitation in Europe, while at the Divnogorye nature park guests will see white chalk hills and the remains of a fortified settlement from the 9th–10th centuries. In the Donetsk People's Republic and the Tver Region, participants in the regional program will immerse themselves in historical context and visit sites of eternal remembrance for the feats of Soviet soldiers, paying tribute to fallen heroes at the Saur-Mogila memorial and the Rzhev Memorial to the Soviet Soldier. The Kaluga Region, the "cradle of cosmonautics," will welcome participants to the world's first and Russia's largest museum dedicated to space exploration, created with the direct involvement of Sergei Korolev and Yuri Gagarin, and will also show young people the world's first nuclear power plant, in Obninsk. Kamchatka Territory will surprise guests from abroad with its unique nature, a volcano museum and modern infrastructure, such as the interactive industrial museum of Okeanrybflot, where the history of the Far East's development comes alive in detail.

In every region, participants will come into contact with great Russian culture. In the Pskov Region, participants in the regional program will see not only the ancient Kremlin and Izborsk Fortress but will also visit the Pushkin family estate, Mikhailovskoye, where the great Russian poet and writer Alexander Pushkin created his works. In the Tver Region, young people will likewise follow in Alexander Pushkin's footsteps and discover the Vasilyovo architectural and ethnographic complex. In the Ryazan Region, the participants of the IFY will travel to the homeland of poet Sergei Yesenin, the village of Konstantinovo, and will also visit the Oka Biosphere Reserve with its bison and crane breeding centers. Krasnoyarsk Territory, the heart of Siberia, will introduce the work of writer Viktor Astafyev at the National Center RUSSIA, while the Republic of Mordovia will showcase the monumental legacy of sculptor Stepan Erzia, whose works, created using a unique original technique, have no equivalent in world art.

Special emphasis in the regional program is placed on the distinctive culture of Russia's peoples. Participants in the Kalmykia expedition will get acquainted with Buddhist culture and nomadic traditions. They will visit the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, the largest Buddhist temple in Europe, and the Country of Bumba ethnocomplex, and will take part in master classes in archery, throat singing and preparing national dishes in the steppe. The Komi Republic will reveal the culture of the Finno-Ugric peoples at the ethnopark in the village of Yb, showcasing the Trinity-Stefano-Ulyanovsky Monastery, northern wooden architecture and major enterprises, including the Syktyvkar Pulp and Paper Mill and a coffee roasting plant. The Murmansk Region, meanwhile, will surprise guests with access to the Arctic Ocean at Teriberka, the nuclear icebreaker Lenin – the world's first vessel with a nuclear power plant – the largest wind farm north of the Arctic Circle (the Kola Wind Farm), and an introduction to Sami culture, whose heritage has been preserved in the Far North for centuries. Khabarovsk Territory will offer ethnocultural spaces of the peoples of the Amur region, glamping amid protected wilderness, boat rafting and fishing on a mountain river, Lake Amut, and a tour of aircraft production at the Yuri Gagarin Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ) – an example of how deep traditions coexist with world-class aircraft manufacturing.

Altai Territory will surprise guests with a combination of Siberian exotica – a hiking route up Mount Kazyryk – and advanced technology, including an "interstellar VR journey" at the Museum of Cosmonaut German Titov. The Vologda Region, the soul of the Russian North, will provide cultural immersion at the Semyonkovo architectural and ethnographic museum, delight visitors with the region's culinary specialties, and showcase the AtAg confectionery factory in the settlement of Sheksna. Kamchatka Territory will show Russkaya Bay, a sea excursion to a rookery of endangered Steller’s sea lions, and the Lenin Fishing Collective Farm, where fishing intertwines with ecological tourism. Nizhny Novgorod, the "Capital of Sunsets," will present its Kremlin, a historic cluster of wooden mansions, the GAZ history museum, and the modern NEIMARK IT campus, linking the industrial past with a digital future. In St. Petersburg, participants will visit the world-famous Hermitage and the Peter and Paul Fortress, learn about the engineering solutions behind the Lakhta Center and Gazprom Arena, and see Russia's cultural capital both as an open-air museum and as a thriving center of modern technology.

In the Sirius federal territory, guests will be shown the Olympic Park, Sirius University, scientific laboratories, a sailing regatta, and the My Russia ethnopark.

Tours of leading plants and factories are an integral part of the program. Participants will see the legendary AvtoVAZ plant in Tolyatti, diamond production at Kristall in the Smolensk Region, pharmaceutical production at Evalar in Altai Territory, confectionery factories in the Vologda and Kirov regions, the EkoNiva agricultural enterprise in the Kaluga Region, a high-tech dairy plant in the Omsk Region, the Tver Carriage Works, and a non-ferrous metals plant in Krasnoyarsk Territory. Guests will be able not only to see but also to understand how modern Russian industry works.

In 2026, Festival participants will for the first time be able to visit the Republic of Abkhazia, where a packed program awaits them: tours of Old Gagra, the Colonnade and ancient Sukhum, a sunset cruise, a jeep tour to Lake Ritsa and the high-mountain Auadhara with an overnight stay in guest houses, an ethnopark with master classes in archery, horseback riding and folk dancing, wine cellar tastings and preparing traditional dishes over a campfire, as well as joint meetings and discussions with Abkhazian youth on preserving cultural heritage – all set against the backdrop of Caucasian hospitality and unique mountain scenery.

In 2026, four expeditions will take the form of interregional routes.

The first route will take participants to Chuvashia and Mari El, where they will be able to experience the ancient culture of the Suvar and Mari peoples through ethnocomplexes, national festivals, farm life, museum dioramas with VR technology, and master classes on making amulets and baking koman-melna, as well as meet with the republics' leadership and work on projects for the adaptation of international students.

The second route will run through the Kostroma, Ivanovo and Yaroslavl regions – these lands will introduce guests to the history of Russian provincial nobility, merchant enterprise and textile traditions, where old kremlins and monasteries stand alongside modern IT giants and engineering plants, and interactive programs include river boat trips, engineering workshops, sports competitions and a gastronomic show featuring the hussars' "Zhzhonka" punch.

The third route will run through the Karachay-Cherkess Republic and the Republic of Adygea, revealing the flavor of the Caucasus through mountain waterfalls and ancient temples, nighttime Maykop and mysterious dolmens, the underground chambers of the Azish Cave, and authentic master classes in preparing khychiny and khalyuzhi, gold embroidery and woodcarving.

Finally, the fourth route will run through the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and the foreign partner South Ossetia. Participants can look forward to a packed program: walks through Nalchik, a cable car to Elbrus, the legendary towers of Upper Balkaria, the Chegem Waterfalls and an extreme sports park, thermal springs, master classes in crafts and dance, as well as internships in government ministries and a meeting with the head of the republic to develop concrete proposals for promoting the region internationally.

The final format comprises expeditions under the Discover Russia Anew program, run jointly with the HSE University – Higher School of Economics. As part of it, participants will travel to the Arkhangelsk Region and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area to explore the multifaceted Russian North – a place where harsh Arctic nature and the centuries-old traditions of the Pomors and indigenous peoples coexist with modern infrastructure and high-tech educational spaces. In the Arkhangelsk Region, guests will encounter the wooden fairy tale of Malye Korely, the karst caves of Pinega with their mysterious underground chambers, live interaction with tradition-bearers in old villages, master classes on baking kozuli cookies and making birch-bark sharkunki rattles, culinary discoveries, and project work culminating in a presentation of ideas to the region's governor. In Yamal, participants will be welcomed with a ceremony at the Arctic Circle, receiving certificates for crossing the 66th parallel, ethnic camps with chum tents, rituals and quad-bike rides across the tundra, innovative spaces in Salekhard – from the robotics labs of the Lyceum to the Arctic's tallest church – as well as gastronomic dinners featuring northern fish and berries, master classes in baking lingonberry vatrushka pastries, and the defense of tourism project proposals before the leadership of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area.

The program will conclude with meetings with regional governors, informal international gatherings ("kvartirniki"), and evening get-togethers around the campfire. Participants will make new acquaintances and friends from around the world, along with vivid memories from a rewarding journey across Russia.

International participants of the IFY – 2026 themselves are showing interest in the regional program. For many of them, the chance to continue their trip after the Festival's main program and see different regions of Russia has become a motivation for taking part in its own right. Young people want not only to get to know Ekaterinburg, but also to see the country, its culture, nature and modern life with their own eyes.

"Russia is a unique country. Every region has its own traditions, distinctive features, natural landscapes and history, so traveling across the country lets you see it from completely different angles. For me, the IFY – 2026 regional program is an opportunity to personally get to know the history and culture of different regions, see nature and modern projects, and talk with local people and young people. I think it's precisely this personal experience that gives you a better understanding of the country and its traditions. I hope this trip will give me not only new impressions and knowledge, but also connections that could grow into genuine international cooperation," said Boone Jaynel Runel, a participant of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the IFY – 2026 regional program, who will travel to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area as part of the Discover Russia Anew program.

The operator of the regional track is Rosmolodezh's More than a Journey program.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival took place in Sirius on March 1-7, 2024, 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 line with the Russian President’s instructions to preserve and further develop the legacy of the World Youth Festival, festival events are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, bringing together 2,000 young people from 120 countries. In 2026, the International Festival of Youth will welcome 10,000 participants. The next World Youth Festival for 20,000 participants will take place in 2030.

The World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community of young people committed to shaping a better future.