"Let's Start the Future Together!": a teleconference connected Artek residents with the World Youth Festival site

On March 4, a teleconference uniting the country's largest children's centers: Artek International Children's Center, Orlyonok All-Russian Children's Center, Zubrenok National Children's Educational and Recreational Center (Belarus) and Sirius Federal Territory, where the World Youth Festival is currently taking place. The participants of the teleconference discussed how their shifts are going, what unites Artek and the World Youth Festival, as well as organized an open microphone with invited guests.

The guests of the teleconference were First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Sergey Kirienko, First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian FederationAlexander Bugaev, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Ksenia Razuvaeva and Director of the Artek International Children's Center Konstantin Fedorenko.

Sergei Kirienko held an open microphone with the participants of the meeting and said that for the first time in the history of the World Youth Festival, those under 18 years of age took part, totaling 1,000 people: 500 Russians and 500 foreigners. He also shared the rich program of the festival and asked the participants of the platform what improvements of the festival they can offer.

"The festival will end, but there is no program. There is an exhibition "Russia". It was supposed to end on April 12. But since so many people want to go to it (2 million people visit the exhibition every month), the President decided to extend it until June 8. You may have heard, the President said in his address that he instructed to create a separate national project "Youth of Russia", so the remaining three months will be dedicated to you - schoolchildren, youth, programs for the development of the future", - said Sergei Kiriyenko.

The speaker announced the intention that all children who go to the children's center through Moscow should visit the exhibition-forum "Russia".

The First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration and the First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation promised to give vouchers to Artek to all participants of the meeting who are still not Artek residents.

"Artek International Children's Center is a unique educational and creative project with almost a century of history, it has been and remains a place of attraction for children and teenagers not only from our country, but also from different parts of the world. The Artek experience is an experience of constructive cooperation, inspiration, friendship and gaining new knowledge, skills and abilities. Many initiatives born at Artek have been reflected in the activities of educational organizations in Russia. And it is very important that this experience is adopted by colleagues from other children's centers, teachers from all regions, educational advisors to school and college principals, and representatives of children's and youth public associations. I am sure that the interaction will expand in the future", - said the First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Alexander Bugaev.

"I came to the World Youth Festival in order to exchange experience, find new friends and show participants from other countries that Russia is a land of opportunities not only for its residents, but also for foreign citizens. The program here is incredible, I want to see the whole airport and visit all the sites," said Artyom from WYF site from the Perm Territory.

What unites Artek and the World Youth Festival? Artek residents told about it. The pupils of the children's center noted that the atmosphere of friendship, happiness and joy are common! The children told about the events of their shift and their impressions of the Country of Childhood.

"I remembered greatly the trips around the Crimea. During the shift we visited the Memorial to the victims of fascism "Concentration Camp "Red" in Simferopol, visited the palaces of the Southern coast of Crimea. The Artek branch in Sevastopol and the Korsun Children's Center made a huge impression. I recommend everyone to visit Crimea and see with their own eyes its natural and architectural monuments, get acquainted with the history of this amazing peninsula," said Ali Sayed, Moscow region.

"I would like to tell about our profile film squad. From the very first days we became more than just a team, we became a family. All the events held for us and by us left unforgettable emotions and influenced the cohesion of our team. But the most memorable classes were our profile. There we were taught to hold a camera, write scripts, we learned acting skills. We also tried to make a movie in one day. In the end, the product of our shift will be a professional movie that will be watched by the whole camp," said Valeria Shashko, the city of Ussuriysk.