Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg Ends with Global Participation
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernenko reported to President Vladimir Putin on the results of the International Youth Festival, which took place from September 11 to 17 in Yekaterinburg at the campus of the Ural Federal University.
Consensus
- The International Youth Festival took place from September 11 to September 17, 2026.
- The festival was held in Yekaterinburg at the campus of the Ural Federal University.
- Over 50,000 people attended, including more than 10,000 participants from 191 countries.
- The festival included lectures, discussions, masterclasses, concerts, sports events, and exhibitions.
- Participants expressed positive impressions of Russia and reported that misconceptions about the country were dispelled.
- After the festival, foreign guests traveled across Russia, including for the first time to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
- The festival was reported to have generated 20 million views of opening and closing ceremony broadcasts.
- The event was described as significant and historic by participants and officials.
- The next major youth events in Russia are scheduled for 2028 in Krasnoyarsk and 2030 in Sochi (Sириус).
Points of divergence
- More than 1,500 participants independently paid for their trip to Yekaterinburg. — vedomosti
- 95% of participants had a positive attitude toward Russia after the festival, with nearly 70% rating it as very, extremely, or maximally positive. — vedomosti
- The share of participants rating Russia as 'very positively' increased by 25% over five days. — vedomosti
- 98% of guests left the festival with a feeling of gratitude. — tg_government_rus
- Some participants expressed a desire to stay in Russia to study and work. — tg_government_rus
- Participants from the United States numbered 344, from Europe 290, from Africa 629, from the Asia-Pacific region around 1,000, from the Middle East around 1,000, and from neighboring countries over 1,000. — vedomosti
- The largest number of attendees came from Asia, the Middle East, and neighboring countries. — vesti
- The festival had over 100 partners and a 30,000 sq. m exhibition showcasing key achievements and development directions of Russia. — tg_government_rus
- The preparation of the festival used experience from the 'Russia' exhibition at VDNH. — vesti
- After the closing ceremony, participants shouted 'Russia!' and did not want to leave. — vedomosti
- The closing ceremony featured a vibrant show with star performers. — tg_government_rus
Coverage (3 sources)
- Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko reported to President Vladimir Putin on the results of the International Youth Festival — Правительство России
- Chernyshenko: after the closing ceremony of the MMF, participants chanted 'Russia!' — Ведомости
- Chernyshenko spoke about impressions from the International Youth Festival — Вести