In Yekaterinburg, 1,000 teenagers take part in youth festival program — MyJoyOnline
In Yekaterinburg, Russia — an aggressor state — 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17 from 99 countries are taking part in the children’s program of the 2026 International Youth Festival. Among the participants is 16-year-old Moroccan Hssain Akram. As MyJoyOnline reports, the participants were selected from nearly 16,500 applicants worldwide.
Program for teenagers
The program, under the slogan “Follow Your Dream,” was launched by the Movement of the First. Its stated goal is international cooperation, cultural exchange, and the development of youth initiatives. During the program presentation, Akram spoke positively about the reception of foreign participants after their arrival in Russia.
He also noted that cooperation between young people and specialists with different educational and professional experience can help create well-considered solutions for various sectors. Arthur Orlov, chairman of the board of the Movement of the First, said that the organizers seek to bring together children from different countries to develop and promote joint initiatives.
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Laboratories and projects
According to Orlov, 60 laboratories and workshops are planned for participants in science and education, digitalization, information technology, creative industries, culture, sports, health, media, public administration, and entrepreneurship. The organizers expect the teenagers to develop around 60 projects, which experts and partner organizations will assess for possible implementation in Russia and other countries.
The children’s program includes more than 250 events involving 120 partner institutions, including universities, technology companies, cultural organizations, and state-owned enterprises. Physical challenges, esports master classes, cultural and off-site events, a children’s editorial team for creating social media content, the “City of the Future” exhibition, and an ethnographic village are also planned. The festival runs in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, 2026, and, according to the organizers, has brought together 10,000 youth leaders from 191 countries.
