At the Baikal International Youth Forum, the World Youth Festival Directorate (WYFD) has presented best practices in international youth collaboration and in the development of International Friendship Clubs (IFCs). During the forum, the WYFD and the Irkutsk Region's Ministry of Youth Policy signed a cooperation agreement on IFC initiatives for the first time.
The Directorate also held a project session for 50 participants on the forum venue. They developed the practice-oriented projects across five tracks, ranging from science and education to sport, entrepreneurship, digitalization, and civic engagement. The two best initiatives will be presented to Andrey Yuzhakov, Vice-Chairman of the Government of Irkutsk Region. Following the pitching session, the winning project were EduBuddy.RU – a gaming platform designed to introduce the prospective students to the Russian culture and everyday life in the country, complemented by the mentorship system for learning Russian – and a joint initiative combining the RuRu and Bridge projects – a unified digital portal for the international students, where one may find the up-to-date information and find like-minded peers.
One of the forum’s highlights was the Spirit of Baikal event. The participants staged it as part of the Cultural Mentorship program, most of whose activities will be carried out at the International Festival of Youth – 2026 venue in Ekaterinburg. The Irkutsk Region presented candles scented with the fragrance of the legendary Lake Baikal to partner countries Finland and Jordan. The initiative will continue at the site of the IFY – 2026: the Irkutsk Region will present 20 more such candles to its partners. The Cultural Mentorship program is aimed at strengthening ties between young people from Russia and other countries. At the IFY – 2026 venue, the representatives of IFC and of Russian regions will help international guests learn more about the traditions, culture, and history of the Russian state.
"International Friendship Clubs are a platform where young people from different countries can build projects together and find common ground. It is especially meaningful for us that this engagement continued through the Cultural Mentorship program. The Irkutsk Region was able to share its culture and traditions with partners, and the Spirit of Baikal event became a symbol of friendship and connection between the youth of our countries," said Anastasia Petukhova, Director of the Project Management Department at the World Youth Festival Directorate.
More than 650 young people from every region of Russia and 21 countries took part in the Baikal Forum, held in the Irkutsk Region from August 10 to 14. As part of the partnership, participants of the Festival and the Forum joined forces to advance international youth cooperation and prepare joint initiatives.
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.