Omsk, one of Russia’s youth capitals, celebrated the World Youth Festival’s Birthday. The event brought together WYF-2024 participants, representatives from the International Friendship Club of the Omsk Region, the Public and Cultural Center of Uzbekistan Peoples and the Interethnic Student Club “Bridge of Cultures”.
Young people from Uzbekistan, India, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia visited the Omsk Fortress together.
“Celebrating the World Youth Festival’s Birthday in the historical park ‘Omsk Fortress’ is not just an event but a vivid example of how young people from different countries unite around the ideas of friendship, creativity, and mutual understanding. It is important for us that the Omsk Region is becoming a platform for such significant events. Fostering youth initiatives, international cooperation, and cultural exchange are key areas of our work. I am confident that today’s participants received not only new knowledge and impressions but also a desire to continue this tradition of neighbourly relations and joint creative efforts”, shared Svetlana Loputsenko, Head of the Omsk Region’s Main Department for Youth Policy.
Young people from Russia and abroad learned not only about the history of the Omsk Region but also about the culture and cuisine of partner countries of the local International Friendship Club – Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia.
They toured the 18th-century-themed “Gingerbread House”, exploring the city’s history and taking part in a master class on making gingerbread with spices from Saudi Arabia. At the end of the evening, the guests had a tea ceremony with tea from Uzbekistan.**Alexandra Nepomnyashchikh, a specialist from the Omsk Region’s Main Department for Youth Policy and leader of the region’s International Friendship Club,**noted that such meetings create opportunities for streamlining cross-cultural interaction without borders.
“Together with the guys from the International Friendship Club and partner organizations, we met at the ‘Gingerbread House’ in the Omsk Fortress to make delicious gingerbread ourselves and have a tea party. We had a great time, talked a lot, and shared memories of the World Youth Festival. We are really looking forward to more of such events”, shared Alexandra Nepomnyashchikh.
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.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.