The WYF Assembly, the largest international youth event of the year, has come to an end in Nizhny Novgorod The World Youth Festival Assembly, bringing together two thousand participants - one thousand from Russia and one thousand from different countries around the globe - was held from September 17 to 20. Nizhny Novgorod became a platform for international dialogue, the search for new solutions to strengthen international youth policy, and the creation of new initiatives to expand opportunities for children and young people. The Assembly brought together leading Russian and foreign speakers from various fields to enhance the professional and personal qualities of the participants.
"The first World Youth Festival Assembly, launched at the behest of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, has come to an end. The Assembly brought together two thousand people from 120 countries and showed that young people from all over the world are building dialogue with Russia, are interested in our culture, and are looking for opportunities for self-realization here. At the Assembly, we launched the BRICS business mentoring program. It will enable young entrepreneurs to receive advice and new development opportunities under the guidance of successful entrepreneurs from BRICS member countries. The Assembly also saw the launch of a unified international content center from the WYFD and the New Media Workshop, which includes bloggers from 34 countries around the world. Participants will undergo regular training, receive up-to-date and accurate information about our country, promote our values, and talk about opportunities for young people in Russia abroad. Next year, we look forward to welcoming our foreign guests to Krasnoyarsk for the World Youth Festival," Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), says.
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia's first youth capital for 2023, a city that combines a rich historical heritage with modern youth infrastructure, became the venue for the Assembly, allowing participants to see the diversity and potential of Russia.
"For several days, Nizhny Novgorod became a space that united a multinational community whose principles are caring, determination, and creativity. During the Assembly, young people from all over the world, without exaggeration, laid the foundation for a shared future. And I am proud that Nizhny Novgorod has once again become a starting point for new ideas and initiatives. Our city is once again the first, once again the youth capital, but now an international one! Thank you to Rosmolodezh, the World Youth Festival Directorate for their trust, thank you to the guests, who were vigorous and open to communication, and, of course, to the large regional team of organizers who ensured comfort and care for all who came to visit us. I hope that both Russian participants and foreign guests were able to sincerely fall in love with our city — "100% real Russia," Gleb Nikitin, Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, says.
The World Youth Festival was held as an interactive modular platform and brought together young professionals in seven key media areas: creative industries and artistic endeavours; public administration; entrepreneurship; sports; education and science; digitalization and IT.
"The World Youth Festival Assembly became a vivid embodiment of the idea of a multipolar world based on dialogue and respect. Here, in Russia, young leaders from 120 countries were able to prove in practice that true international friendship is built on the ability to listen to each other, appreciate diversity, and work together for a common future. The Assembly's intensive business program included more than 80 interactive events and allowed participants to gain invaluable knowledge and experience from over 200 experts from 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Brazil, Italy, Germany, and Ghana. Participants were united not only by a rich business program, but also by a vibrant atmosphere—more than 20 hours of performances by 30 creative groups and DJ sets, joint content production, and even the setting of a new Russian record for dance phygital flash mob. The World Youth Festival Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod has come to an end, giving rise to new friendships, bold ideas, and joint projects. We continue to work on creating new opportunities and bringing young people together, inviting them to participate in future events and calling on them to live in the present, respect the past, and build the future—together with Russia," Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate says.
The World Youth Festival Assembly became the largest international youth event in 2025.
"For me, this festival is not just an event, but the embodiment of the idea of unity in diversity. Russia has become my second home – this is already my fourth visit, and each time I discover something new about it. It is here, in Nizhny Novgorod, that I have felt the special power of international cooperation – when people from different countries find a common language not only in friendship, but also in professional projects. I see this event as a powerful impetus for creating meaningful partnerships and friendships. I find it particularly valuable that young people from Ecuador have been given the opportunity to develop here in Russia. This festival proves that when cultures interact rather than simply coexist, something greater is born—a shared future that we are building together through education, cooperation, and mutual understanding," Vanessa Nataly Lopez Tena, a participant from Ecuador, says.
One of the key areas of the program was the children's track. It was attended by 200 teenagers aged 14 to 17 – 100 from Russia and 100 from abroad. Sebastian Didier Belay, a participant in the children's program from Slovakia, noted that the Assembly gave him an experience and new friends from all over the globe. According to him, it is precisely such acquaintances abroad that open doors to the future – a future where there are no borders between us, only friendship, common goals, and the joy of mutual understanding.
Foreign participants in the World Youth Festival Assembly noted that the event allowed them to see the genuine and unbiased Russia.
"I came with the preconception that Russia is a harsh country and that people here can be reserved and not very friendly. But the reality turned out to be completely different. I was amazed to discover not only the stunning beauty of the city, but also incredibly responsive, warm-hearted, and open people. If you have the opportunity, be sure to come to Russia to see this hospitable country with your own eyes and feel its true warmth," Muhammad Khubaib Ali Jugnu, a participant from Pakistan, says.
The final event was a live concert, followed by a live broadcast of the international music competition Intervision 2025. Earlier, 100 participants of the World Youth Festival Assembly left Nizhny Novgorod for the contest to personally support artists from their countries.
The World Youth Festival Assembly was not limited to the venue in Nizhny Novgorod; 200 foreign participants will travel to the regional program. They will visit 10 regions of Russia, where they will see memorable places, learn about the cultural and national diversity of the country, and visit technological and industrial enterprises. The regional program includes the Ivanovo, Omsk, Yaroslavl, Sakhalin, and Chelyabinsk regions, the Republic of Mordovia, the Republic of Khakassia, the Chechen Republic, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and St. Petersburg.
"This is my first time in Russia and at the World Youth Festival, and I am amazed! This festival opens up incredible opportunities: here, I not only learn new things, but also make friends from all over the world and establish real professional and personal connections. I am looking forward to our trip to Chelyabinsk with other participants of the Assembly. Together, we will discover this unique city, its culture, and hospitality. I am sure that unforgettable impressions and new discoveries await us," Isaac Tetteh from Ghana, a participant in the World Youth Festival Assembly and regional program, says.
The general partners of the WYF Assembly-2025 are the Russian Music Union, JSC Russian Railways, and Phygital Games. The general information partner is the international television channel RT, and the general media partner is ANO Dialog Regions. The partner for the excursion and regional programs is the More Than Trip program. The strategic partner is VK Tech. Co. The following have also joined the partnership program: “New Generation” program arranged by the Federal Agency for Affairs of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Residing Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo), the Movement of the First, the presidential platform “Russia – Country of Opportunities”, Sovcombank, the Avito Tech. Co., State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Russian “Znanie” (Knowledge) Society, the Film Studio Soyuzmultfilm, the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Central Bank of Russia, program for young entrepreneurs “Rosmolodezh.Undertake” and the Mashuk Knowledge Center. Information support for the event is provided by Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Argumenty i Fakty publishing house, the African Initiative and the Window to Russia project of ANO “TV-Novosti”.
The organizer of the World Youth Festival Assembly is the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the co-organizer of the event is the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and the event operator is the World Youth Festival Directorate. The Festival pursues the goals of the Youth and Children national project.
Overview:
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 World Youth Festival Directorate continues its work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.
