Warming actors at the first Meeting of the WFM

John Perkins.

The World Youth Festival is taking place in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025. This is the main event of the year in the field of international youth cooperation. It was organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), co—organized by the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and operated by the Directorate of the World Youth Festival.

This gathering is the first in the modern history of the festival movement. He aroused great interest among young people all over the world. Applications for participation in the Rally were received from more than 62 thousand young activists, representatives of the fields of media, sports, education and science, public administration, entrepreneurship, IT, creative industries from 175 states and 89 regions of the Russian Federation. 

The organizers note the "huge request from abroad" for participation in the event, and genuine interest in it in many countries. For example, a month before the Meeting, there were more than a thousand applications from the United States and European countries. Residents of Morocco, Uzbekistan, India, Ethiopia, and Pakistan were very active in applying for participation in the event. In August, the telegram channel of the World Youth Festival reported that students from South Korea showed interest in the Gathering during a meeting with representatives of the WFM directorate, where they discussed the system of year-round youth educational centers (CMOC). Many of the representatives of the Universities of Koryo, Hanyang, Kookmin, Seoul National University and Korea Cyber University expressed a desire to attend the WWM Meeting. 

It is no secret that young people are characterized by the greatest sociability, the ability to actively establish creative horizontal ties and expand the arsenal of public diplomacy. Therefore, a large number of young people reacted with interest to the Rally's motto: "Russia warms." As a result of the selection, 2,000 young leaders (from 14 to 35 years old) became its participants. Among them are 1,000 Russian citizens and the same number of foreign representatives from all continents, from 120 countries. Among them, 200 of the youngest participants of the event, aged 14 to 17, will gather in Nizhny Novgorod: 100 Russians and 100 foreign guests.

Two thousand young people representing all macro-regions of the world have the opportunity to verify the truthfulness of the laconic motto of this Rally. In other words, guests can feel how, during the period of geopolitical cooling, Russia warms the atmosphere of friendly relations and cooperation, the noosphere, and the new shoots of a future multipolar world. Moreover, it is these young leaders who, with their extraordinary energy and desire for self-realization in creative fields of activity, contribute to the warming of world relations. The organizers urge each participant to become a co-author of a common future.

It is noteworthy that billboards with invitations to the World Youth Festival Meeting appeared in different cities of the world during the preparation of the event. For example, they were located in the center of New York, Tokyo, the Nigerian city of Lagos. And the commercials of the WFM Meeting were broadcast on big screens in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. These videos on social media have thousands of views all over the world. 

Let's pay attention to the fact that the number of countries represented at the WWF Meeting is three times higher than the number of countries with direct flights to Russia this year. This indicates that the demand for openness and warming of relations is stronger than the sanctions policy. The concept of the Meeting says: "Russia is a center of friendship, cooperation and unlimited opportunities." It is symbolic that the path to unlimited opportunities for many guests begins with overcoming borders and sanctions obstacles that have extended to flights with Russia. Thus, the young participants of the Gathering, who may someday have to shape the agenda of the future multipolar world, are already demonstrating their priorities today. 

The organizers note: "The program of the WFM Meeting is built around the In Russia concept. This is the main semantic message that invites young people from all over the world to be in the present, respect the past and build the future together with Russia. The concept involves foreign and Russian participants in a joint understanding of the role of our country as a strategic partner for a new generation and allows everyone to express their attitude and vision."

During five days in Nizhny Novgorod, young leaders will gain many useful acquaintances in Russia and abroad. They will participate in discussions on topical youth topics, workshops, cultural and sports events. 

Foreign guests are offered a program of exploring the regions of Russia from September 21 to 27. Thus, many of them will be able to extend their visit to the country for a week and get to know it in more detail. Thus, the Regional Hospitality Program (under the motto "Borders are on the map, hospitality is unlimited") provides an opportunity for 200 selected foreign participants to visit 10 regions of Russia: Ivanovo Region, Omsk Region, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Khakassia, St. Petersburg, Sakhalin Region, Chelyabinsk Region, Chechen Republic, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District district, Yaroslavl region. 

The participants of the meeting have the opportunity to develop their competencies and skills during workshops, case studies and master classes; present their startup and find an investor; audition for creative labels in a production center; visit a media workshop and learn how to produce content; test themselves in extreme sports; create the biggest picture in the world. 

It is significant that the traditional territory of the famous Nizhny Novgorod Fair today also provides a platform for a fair of fresh ideas, knowledge, constructive intentions, healthy competition, and youth creativity. 

Rosmolodezh's program "More than a journey" became a partner of the excursion and regional programs of the Rally. During the five-day event, members of the community "Guides of Meanings. Guides" will conduct guided tours for participants, distinguished guests and delegations. The "More than a Journey" program provides cultural, business formats and a unique exhibition that will introduce young guests to the most attractive sights of Russia. Guided tours of Nizhny Novgorod will introduce the participants of the WWF Meeting to the Fairground, the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin and Strelka, one of the main natural attractions of the city at the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers. On September 19, immersive readings "Travels in Words: Stories from Trips to Russia" with Lorenzo Bagnati will be held in the Dignity Hall.

It is noteworthy that the WWF Meeting aroused interest not only among potential participants, but also among volunteers of all ages. 520 volunteers from 54 regions of Russia are involved in the preparation and holding of the event. In total, at the selection stage, more than 3,700 volunteers applied to the volunteer corps of the WFM Meeting. Let's pay attention to the most senior volunteers. Natalia Kosyreva, 78, from St. Petersburg, who speaks English and studies French, is the same age as the first World Festival of Youth and Students (WFYS). Vladimir Kalmykov, 75, from Nizhny Novgorod, is a lecturer at the Linguistic University of the capital of the Volga region, who is fluent in English, Spanish and Arabic. As you can see, the young warming energy of the Gathering attracts elderly people with extraordinary life experiences, who are able to inspire creative creativity among its young participants.

Recall that the first World Youth Festival (not to be confused with the WFYS, which has been held since 1947) was held from March 1-7, 2024 at Sirius in accordance with the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to develop international youth cooperation. 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries took part in it. According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WFM will be held on a regular basis — once every six years. In between these events, international thematic meetings will be held under the auspices of the WFM for two thousand participants from Russia and abroad. 

So, the first Meeting of the WFM has started. And his warming and creative mission can already be felt and appreciated by young envoys from 120 countries.