From September 11 to 17, 2026, the Senezh Public Management Workshop of the Russia – the Country of Opportunities Presidential Platform, with support from the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, will run a large-scale international team-building program, Tales of the World, at the International Festival of Youth – 2026 in Ekaterinburg. Over 7,000 Festival participants from different countries will be able to take part in this interactive format, designed to foster connections, cross-cultural interaction, and horizontal ties through joint team challenges.

«It is especially meaningful to us that Senezh's team-building expertise is once again reaching an international level and becoming a tool for face-to-face interaction among young people from different countries. Through joint action, trust, mutual support, and shared meanings, we are creating an environment where people do not just get acquainted – they truly begin to feel like a team. That is the whole idea behind the program: tales from the past help us talk about the values of the present and shape the dreams of the future together," noted Andrei Betin, General Director of the Russia – the Country of Opportunities Presidential Platform and Rector of the Senezh Public Management Workshop.

The Tales of the World program, which will take place at the Ekaterinburg-EXPO venue, is built around team challenges inspired by the fairy tales and myths of Russia's peoples and of the world. Participants will move through thematic stations dedicated to cultural narratives, archetypes, and imagery familiar to different peoples.

The program will feature 36 thematic locations. Two large tents will house game stations and photo zones designed in the style of Russian traditions and folk tales. The venue will also include AI-powered photo booths, where participants can try on the look of a fairy-tale character, and a "Thank You" video booth, where they can record a short message in both their native language and Russian.

One of the central events will be the joint storming of the "Fortress" — the "Wall" challenge, based on the active team-building methodology of the Senezh Public Management Workshop. This format will give participants hands-on experience of interaction, mutual support, and trust within an international team.

Participants will also put together a collection called "Tales of the World," bringing together stories, imagery and values from different cultures into a single joint international project.

The program will conclude with a joint team-building event called "Thank You, Russia, Thank You, Festival!" Participants will thank one another and exchange keepsake postcards with their contact details, so they can stay in touch beyond the Festival.

The International Festival of Youth – 2026 is being held as part of the Youth and Children national project and will bring together 10,000 participants from 191 countries, including 5,000 Russian citizens and 5,000 international participants.

Overview:

The Russia — the Country of Opportunities Presidential Platform was established at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 22, 2018. The Platform's mission is to build Russia's future by opening up equal opportunities for everyone. It helps people — regardless of where they live, what profession they have chosen, or what kind of family they grew up in — access opportunities for personal development. It serves as an open space for talented, engaged people of all ages to connect and exchange experience: schoolchildren, students, professionals, entrepreneurs, managers and volunteers alike. The Platform's Supervisory Board is chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Platform has now been operating for eight years, bringing together more than 25 million participants from 89 Russian regions and 150 countries around the world. Taking part in the Platform's projects, competitions and olympiads helps people find like-minded peers and make valuable connections, get into university or land a promising internship, find their dream job, advance their career, or gain a personal mentor to help them sharpen their skills or develop leadership qualities. Today, the Platform offers projects and competitions for people of different ages and interests — from schoolchildren to experienced executives, for experts and trade professionals alike, for members of the talent reserve and those aspiring to join it.

As part of the work of the Russia — the Country of Opportunities Presidential Platform, the Senezh Public Management Workshop was established. It provides training for participants in the Platform's projects and competitions, engaged young people, as well as managers and civil servants. The Workshop serves as a hub for consolidating leadership training across three key sectors: government, business, and society. All-Russian educational and youth events are held on its grounds, including the Territory of Meanings, national youth education forum.

Building on the resources of the country's leading universities, the Presidential Platform is developing Competency Centers, where students undergo diagnostics of their transferable skills and receive tools to develop them further. Young professionals who complete this assessment of universal competencies can have their skills verified on Headhunter, Russia's largest online recruitment platform.

Offices of the Russia — the Country of Opportunities platform also operate in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and in the Zaporozhye Region. These offices are equipped with lecture halls for educational events, information centers, and co-working spaces, giving residents of Donbass and Novorossiya additional opportunities for personal and professional development.

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.