The World Youth Festival Directorate, Eurasia ANO, and the Victory 9/45 Patriotic Movement have signed a memorandum of cooperation at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The shared goal is to safeguard historical truth and counter attempts to distort the history of World War II across Eurasia.

The memorandum was signed by Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, Alena Arshinova, Chair of the Council of Eurasia ANO and Member of the State Duma, and Boris Chernyshov, Head of the Victory 9/45 Patriotic Movement and Deputy Speaker of the State Duma.

“Joining efforts to preserve historical memory is essential to preventing its distortion. Through this memorandum, young people from abroad will have the opportunity to engage with the Directorate’s partners and gain a deeper understanding of historical truth,” said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

The partnership includes the organization of international and national youth patriotic forums, festivals, and educational programs. Joint activities will focus on preserving the historical truth about the heroism of the peoples during World War II and taking a firm stand against attempts to glorify Nazism.

“Today’s signing of the memorandum is not the beginning of our cooperation but rather its natural continuation and formalization at a new level. It provides additional institutional support for initiatives already underway and creates opportunities to expand them further,” said Alena Arshinova, Member of the State Duma and Chair of the Council of Eurasia ANO.

An important aspect of the partnership will be the development of international youth exchanges and humanitarian cooperation based on the shared historical and cultural values of Eurasian countries. The parties also plan to launch joint media projects aimed at promoting an objective and accurate image of modern Russia abroad.

“We will continue developing projects that not only preserve historical heritage but also encourage stable and reasoned perspectives grounded in facts, documents, and scholarly approach. If anyone seeks to distort history, we must respond professionally, openly, and through international cooperation,” said Boris Chernyshov, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma and Head of the Victory 9/45 Patriotic Movement.

The partnership will help expand existing initiatives and engage even more young people from across Eurasia.

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.