Youth festival participants plant 50 trees in Yekaterinburg
Participants in the 2026 International Festival of Youth planted 50 trees near the main building of Ural Federal University in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The initiative was called the “Avenue of the Cultural Code.” Young people, officials, and representatives of major companies and organizations took part, MyJoyOnline reports.
Avenue near the university
Sergey Novikov, head of the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects of the Russian Federation, an aggressor state, said during the ceremony that the avenue should become a lasting reminder for students of young people from different countries who attended the festival in 2026.
Sergey Nikonov, deputy governor of Sverdlovsk Oblast, said that planting the trees should leave a festival legacy for future generations. According to him, tens of thousands of talented and energetic people gathered in the region, while the trees can grow for several generations.
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Participants and program
Two-time Olympic champion and nine-time world champion in artistic gymnastics Svetlana Khorkina also took part in the ceremony. Earlier, as part of the festival, she held a master class for more than 500 children and teenagers. The ceremony was broadcast on outdoor digital screens in Yekaterinburg and Moscow.
Apple trees, bird cherry trees, and hydrangeas were selected for the avenue. The organizers associate the apple tree with fertility, love, and knowledge; the bird cherry tree with purity and youth; and the hydrangea with warmth and hospitality. European classical music was played during the ceremony, while Latin American dances and African folk songs were performed.
The festival is taking place in Yekaterinburg from September 11 to 17, 2026, under the slogan “Follow Your Dream.” It brings together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries: 5,000 from Russia and 5,000 international participants. The program also includes 1,000 teenagers aged 14 to 17, half of whom represent Russia and the other half other countries.
