November 5 marks the end of the regional programme for participants of the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum SHUM of the Rosmolodezh.Events platform. It was organized by the World Youth Festival Directorate.
As part of the regional programme, international journalists, bloggers, copywriters, social media managers, PR specialists and other media representatives traveled around four Russian cities: Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov and Saint-Petersburg.
“Over 40 media representatives from 35 countries participated in the regional programme and got to know Russia better. Each region offered them a unique programme which helped our foreign friends learn about not only the specifics of the media industry in our country, but also its distinct identity, national cuisine and traditions. They saw real Russia with their own eyes – a country that has little to do with the stereotypes that are being imposed, a hospitable country with a unique culture and history,” notedDaniil Bisslinger, Advisor on International Affairs to the Head of Rosmolodezh, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
Regional programme participants got to know the work of Russian media and gained unique experience and professional skills. For example, in Pskov, foreign journalists and bloggers visited a regional news agency, the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (GTRK) representative office and the Tolk media center. In Saint-Petersburg, they visited the VK headquarters and a publishing house. In Nizhny Novgorod, they learned about the work of the Regional Information Center, and in Murmansk, they met representatives of the local office of the Russian Union of Journalists and visited mass media editorial offices.
“Thanks to the Forum and regional programme, I met journalists from Russia and other countries. These days it’s really important because most media outlets express only one point of view, while this event allows you to form your own opinion and share it freely. In Italy, they speak a lot about Russia and its policies in the media, thus putting the relations between our countries at risk. After I came here, I realized once again that I’d become a journalist not to express a mainstream opinion, but to restore the old friendship between Russians and Italians,” said Carlo di Martino, columnist for the Italian newspaper Forza Lavoro.
During the regional programme, foreign participants learned about the culture, history and landmarks of Russia, visited museums, took part in master classes.
“The regional programme of the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum SHUM is a wonderful experience for me. I’ve visited the Arctic for the first time, and Murmansk has left me with the most positive emotions. We saw the Northern Lights and I can’t even find words to describe it. As a journalist, I was interested to know how Russians live and what they think about. I noticed that people in the city are very polite and they love helping foreigners. I will share this with my 40,000 subscribers and definitely come back here again,” noted Sanket Janardhan Gawhale, regional programme participant from India.
Kudzai Tinago from Zimbabwe, Chief Executive Director of the Tigzozo Media project, also shared his impressions:
“They say one can become wiser only by travelling and seeing the world. I saw snow for the first time in this beautiful country. Moreover, I learned a lot about the world and the history and culture of Russia, which is very important in terms of economics and politics. As a journalist, I noted how patriotic Russians are as I saw many people, including media representatives, who are proud of their history and country, which is something that is not really common in Africa. This is exactly what I want to bring home with me”.
Additionally, young media representatives got to know the distinct features of education in Russia and met with local university students.
“Thanks to the regional programme, we met with young people of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. We saw how students love their region and create projects to develop it. And I would like such active and talented guys to cooperate with youth from other regions and countries, including Cuba. Despite the language barrier, young people from our countries can communicate thanks to modern technologies and artificial intelligence. I want our interaction to continue: Russian students will learn from Cubans and we will learn a lot of new things from them. Together we can create joint projects,” said Dania Diaz Hijuelos, forum participant, Specialist in Culture and International Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cuba, photographer and graphic designer for the Travel Trade Caribbean magazine.
Participants of the regional programme include representatives of Spain, Italy, USA, Serbia, Canada, Czech Republic, Mexico, Argentina, Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Egypt, Zimbabwe, South Ossetia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Armenia, Bolivia, India, China, Costa Rica, Transnistria, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Cameroon, Bahrain, Cuba, Lebanon, Pakistan, Morocco, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Ecuador and Sri Lanka.
“I have been interested in Russia and its history for a long time. And finally, I came here, met with young people and gained knowledge on their culture, lifestyle and society. In today’s world, when the country is under an information blockade, we shouldn’t forget that many people around the world stand with Russia,” said Pablo Borda, regional programme participant, blogger, author of a history channel on Youtube.
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 International Youth Festival, and in between, international themed gatherings and events will be held under the auspices of the WYF. 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.
