World Youth Festival Directorate

After the Festival — new routes, new encounters, and new discoveries on the IFY–2026 regional expedition program ❤️

In Yugra — family dinners and conversations around the same table. In Arkhangelsk Region — Pinezhye and the northern wilderness. In Kaluga Region — space and technology. In Karachay-Cherkessia — horseback traditions and the culture of the Caucasus peoples. In Kalmykia, Vologda Region, Saransk, Omsk Region, and Abkhazia — encounters with local culture and memories worth sharing with the whole world.

💡 Every trip becomes a continuation of the Festival’s story: new friends, shared memories, and places you’ll want to come back to one day!

IAPEE welcomes 14 new members from 14 countries around the world 🎚️

On September 15, members of the International Association for Political and Electoral Expertise (IAPEE) gathered once again at the International Festival of Youth. Experts, researchers, and public figures from different countries came together to discuss political systems, elections, and international observation.

🌸The meeting closed with a welcoming ceremony for IAPEE’s new members. Representatives from 14 countries joined the Association, bringing new professional and regional perspectives to the international community.

💚 The ceremony was led by Areg Agasaryan, Head of the Center for International Interaction and Cooperation, Deputy Chairman of the Public Council under Rossotrudnichestvo, and member of the IAPEE Governing Council.
For the Association, expanding its membership means bringing together specialists with diverse professional backgrounds and experience, and strengthening international dialogue.

“We ended up in the same place at the same time, and now we have a shared story”☀️

That’s exactly what participants wrote in their videos about the Festival — and honestly, we couldn’t agree more!

❤️ We want to say a huge thank you to every single one of you.
Our team watches and reads every post with so much love, and we can see it — this really came together!

What’s the regional expedition program of the IFY–2026 really like? 🌏

The answer is right in this post! Right now, participants are traveling across Russia’s regions, the federal territory of “Sirius,” as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia — discovering their history, culture and traditions, and meeting local young people.

And this is just the beginning. Here are the first stops on the map, with the latest updates:

📍Vologda Oblast 13 international participants are getting to know Vologda: visiting the Lace Museum, St. Sophia Cathedral, “Semyonkovo,” Ferapontov Monastery and other landmark sites. The program also includes a traditional doll-making workshop, an ATV expedition, and a meeting with students from Vologda State University.

📍Novgorod Oblast The region has already welcomed its international participants, who are now exploring the history and culture of the Novgorod land.

📍Omsk Oblast 25 young people from 18 countries set off to explore Omsk and its history. The program includes the pedestrian Lyubinsky Avenue, Omsk Fortress, the renovated “Derzhava” globe sculpture, and a trip to “Starina Sibirskaya” in Bolsherechye.

📍Karachay-Cherkessia 29 international guests are discovering the region’s culture, traditions and unique character. They’re meeting with young people and Cossack community representatives, learning about youth policy, and exchanging experiences.

📍Republic of Kalmykia Participants have already been welcomed here, with a full program lined up to introduce them to the region and Russian culture.
From Vologda to Kalmykia, from Siberia to Ugra — it’s one big expedition, helping people see Russia through its people, cities, traditions and real encounters.

🔥Stay tuned — there are even more stories on the way!

Ekaterinburg is saying “See you soon!” in a big way 🥹❤️

Across the city, screens are sharing warm messages from the IFY–2026 participants — including creators from our International Content Center.

Together with our partner MAER, these messages are seeing off the guests who became part of one big family over these unforgettable days.

Keep following us — the Festival may be over, but there are still so many stories, faces and memories we want to share with you ⭐️