Photo: Nizhny Novgorod welcomes participants of the World Festival of Youth gathering.

      17 September 2025, 15:09

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      Society. In Nizhny Novgorod, the reception of guests and participants for the World Youth Festival Gathering (12+) has begun. Representatives from 120 countries will take part in the international event. The venue will bring together 2,000 young leaders: 1,000 from Russia and 1,000 from other countries. Their goal is dialogue, exchange of experience and jointly shaping the future, the regional government press service said.

      The gala opening of the gathering will take place on 18 September. Eighty-six events in seven areas have been prepared for participants: media, creative industries and arts, public administration, entrepreneurship, sports, education and science, and digitalization and IT. More than 200 Russian specialists and about 60 experts from 39 countries will speak in the business program.

      To engage participants, instead of traditional panel sessions there will be interactive lectures, talk shows, case sessions and workshops.

      On the very first day there will be a talk show titled "The Soft Power of Youth, or How New Generations Change the World." Representatives from different countries will discuss exactly how young people are changing the modern world through culture, education, digital technologies and civic engagement, influencing global processes.

      A landmark event will be the launch of the BRICS international business mentorship program. As part of the case session "The Power of Mentorship" there will be an official opening ceremony of the initiative and a discussion on the role of mentors in the development of entrepreneurship and leadership qualities. Experts from Russia, Indonesia, Iran and other countries will share their experience and personal success stories.

      One of the most anticipated formats will be trend battles. In the discussion "AI: Assistant or Enemy?" views will be presented by the founder and CEO of BinBishr, global digital transformation expert Aisha Bin (UAE), and Russian psychotherapist, actor and TV host Alexander Rapoport. The discussion will be moderated by Belarusian journalist Grigory Azaryonok.

      Fifty foreign participants of the media track will take an educational course organized by the festival directorate and the New Media Workshop. The three-day intensive will help them master current trends in the media sphere, learn to work with neural networks and acquire fact-checking skills. Graduates will create an international content center for exchanging experience and promoting materials about Russia to a youth audience.

      A special program has been prepared for teenagers aged 14 to 17. In addition to the main program, they will take part in events of the Movement of the First. Each day will be dedicated to key values — intercultural dialogue, teamwork, respect for different opinions and joint creativity. A unique part of the program will be participation in the immersive theater performance "Play Theater," where there are no pre-written scripts or rehearsals, allowing participants to show creativity and improvisation.

      In addition to the business program, guests can expect cultural and sports activities: immersive shows, neuro-races, concerts and house concerts. The gathering will also host the Phygital Games 2025, where participants can try phygital dancing and basketball.

      The presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" will create an atmosphere of Russian hospitality for guests: master classes in folk crafts, a tea party with a samovar, postcards to anywhere in the world and photo zones. An unusual space with a "magic mirror" will be created, and there will also be a live mass-hugging event.

      The Bank of Russia will introduce participants to topics of financial literacy, cybersecurity and financial technologies. Experts will talk about the "Resident of the Capital of Financial Culture" project, where people can earn points for studying useful information and exchange them for souvenirs or event tickets. Lectures, business games and a meeting of young central bank staff are also planned.

      Participants of the gathering will live in new dormitory buildings of the IT campus "NEYMARK." This educational ecosystem is being created in Nizhny Novgorod as part of the national project "Youth and Children."

      Earlier it was reported that more than 60,000 people from around the world had applied to participate in the World Youth Festival Gathering.

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