On April 14, Perm, Russia’s youth capital 2025, hosted the World Youth Festival's Birthday celebrations at the Slavyanov Perm Polytechnic College. Young people from Egypt, Morocco, Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, South Africa, Togo, Tajikistan, and Russia attended an excursion, a lecture about the life and academic path of Russian engineer Nikolay Slavyanov, and tried their hand at welding. Together they created metal bear figures – symbols of the Perm Territory and the coat of arms of the town of Chusovoy.
“Today we made metal souvenirs with our own hands for the first time and learned about a great Russian scientist. Such events are especially important for foreigners because they help us meet and get to know each other better. As international students, after we graduate, we will return home and let our friends and families know about Russia's great universities, education and people”, saidRebahi Hamza from Morocco, participant of the International Friendship Club of the Perm Territory.
Celebrations also took place in other regions of the country. In Nizhny Novgorod, the World Youth Festival logo was projected onto the city's television tower. As part of the birthday celebrations, club members prepared memorable gifts with symbols of the Nizhny Novgorod Region: magnets, badges, regional guidebooks, stickers, locally produced Ivan tea (traditional herbal wellness tea), and souvenirs with Khokhloma painting. These gifts will be sent to the partner countries – Brazil and Italy. As a reminder: in September 2024, Nizhny Novgorod will host the World Youth Festival Assembly, bringing together 2,000 young people from Russia and abroad.
In the Chukotka Autonomous Area, Russian and foreign participants of the International Friendship Club together watched the Sunrise of Wishes – early in the morning everyone made their dearest wish.
In the Republic of Karelia, the International Friendship Club together with the Trade Union of the Institute of Biology, Ecology and Agricultural Technologies organized winter fishing. International students learned fishing traditions, how to cook fish soup, and spent time together in a natural environment.
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.