On December 1st, the Representative Office of the World Youth Festival Directorate (WYFD) was opened in Sukhum, Abkhazia, as a new platform for young people to learn about Russian educational, cultural, and social projects. The opening ceremony was attended by Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, and Badra Gunba, President of the Republic of Abkhazia.

The Russian delegation was also attended by Mikhail Shurgalin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Abkhazia, and Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate. On behalf of Abkhazia, Prime Minister Vladimir Delba, Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Chairman of the State Sports Committee, Tarash Khagba, and Rector of the Abkhaz State University, Aleko Gvaramiya, participated in the event.

Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, emphasized the importance of the new youth center for strengthening Russian-Abkhazian relations: "Rosmolodezh and Russian relevant agencies and organizations are actively helping modernize the youth policy in the Republic of Abkhazia. This includes both expert and methodological support from colleagues and an increase in opportunities for young people in Abkhazia. Today, representatives of the Republic can participate in youth events in Russia and apply for Russian grants for their social projects. The opening of a Representative Office of the World Youth Festival Directorate is a logical step in this effort. It will be a real 'embassy' of Russian youth programs and projects in Abkhazia."

About 1,000 young people attended the opening of the WYFD Representative Office in Abkhazia. They participated in a workshop on "Flexible Skills - the Key to a Successful Career" from the Russian "Znanie" Society, a social design board game "Step into Design" organized by the Rosmolodezh Youth Resource Center, presentations by graduates of the "Team of Abkhazia" program, and an interactive lecture on team building for Abkhazian youth hosted by the "New Media Workshop" of the Presidential Platform "Russia - the Country of Opportunities". They also had the opportunity to test their soft skills.

President of the Republic of Abkhazia, Badra Gunba, emphasized the significance of this initiative for the Abkhaz youth. He stated, "The establishment of the Representative Office of the World Youth Festival Directorate provides a unique opportunity for our students to engage in meaningful interactions and exchanges with like-minded individuals, including their colleagues from Russia. This is an additional communication will help bridge the gap between people."

Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, noted that by the end of 2025, more than 60 events are planned at the venue of the WYFD Representative Office in Abkhazia in various areas: social engineering, public administration, creative industries and creativity, sports, media, tourism, information technology.

"The venue became a center of attraction for young people even before its official opening: the Representative Office began to advise children and hold the first events upon its creation, and the response exceeded all expectations. During the first month of operation, more than 500 activists visited the space, and over 20 events of various formats took place: from workshops on social design to workshops and cultural events. All the events were organized jointly with partner organizations of the Russian youth policy system and, most importantly, on the initiative of young people from Abkhazia. Such activity shows the demand for space and confirms the need to create similar centers in other cities of Abkhazia," said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the WYFD.

As part of the opening, guests were able to try national dishes at the gastrofestival, an annual event that brings together students from 10 different faculties at the Abkhaz State University. The festival featured an atmospheric program with a DJ, performances by local artists, and flash mobs featuring talented performers.

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 Youth Festival 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.