Strong in Spirit: World Youth Festival to Host Events Dedicated to New Russian Regions

As part of the World Youth Festival, a number of events dedicated to the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions will be held. WYF 2024 participants will learn about the history and culture of the inhabitants of these Russian regions.

The Without Borders. Artists of Donbass exhibition will be open during the Festival. Festival Participants will see young artists' reflections on the geopolitical confrontation. The project will prove that art can be a real support for people in difficult times. It can give them faith in a better future. The exhibition will feature works of artists from Donbass representing various fields of art: painting, graphics, video art and others. 

"Art can communicate a lot. You can use images and artistic techniques to communicate how you feel, what you are going through, and what is around you. It is like keeping a diary but with pictures that you can share with the world. My works reflect my experiences, but they are meant to make everyone see a piece of themselves. The exhibition is worth visiting to see how artists and ordinary people live in our region and to feel that, no matter what happens, it is necessary to create and bring light. Rather than horrifying, many of these works are full of light and creativity," said Ekaterina Galichaia, exhibition participant.

Festival participants will also learn about the life of people in Donbass thanks to the Real poetic project. Famous poets, musicians, artists, and residents of the Tavrida art cluster will perform for Russian and foreign guests. They will perform poems and songs reflecting the feelings and experiences of those living in the new Russian regions.

"First of all, when we go on stage, we show our own country how lyrics and civic poetry can go together. After all, we were separated a lot. Secondly, we show that front and rear people should be together. There is no other way. It will be easy for us to use the language of Russian poetry to show the world that we will not be torn apart. Neither from each other, nor from the world. The Russian soul, after all, has a universal responsiveness, as Dostoevsky said. The Real will prove it," said Mark Leshkevich, poet and project participant.

Another event of the WYF 2024 will be the Song of Donbass: Dedication to the Unconquered People multimedia concert. It will be performed by French composer and pianist Nicolas Celoro, graduate of the Paris Conservatoire and the Versailles Conservatoire, expert of the All-Russian Composer Competition and speaker of educational programs of the Tavrida art cluster. The performance will include piano works accompanied by documentary footage on the history of Donbass. Nicolas Celoro will play 11 pieces for Festival participants.

"The feeling that gripped me when this piece of music came to me was a feeling of pain, corresponding to the tragedy inherent in war, where human life comes into contact with death, but must also gain strength and heroism, no matter what," French pianist Nicolas Celoro said about the pieces.

As part of the WYF 2024, Nicolas Celoro will also host a creative discussion with Festival participants. Young people from all over the world will get to know the process of creating professional musical works and the art of composing at all stages of development, from idea to realization. They will also learn more about the creative path of the French composer.

Overview:

The World Youth Festival will take place in 2024 according to the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. At the first meeting of the Organizing Committee chaired by Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, it was decided to hold the Festival in the Sirius Federal Territory early next year.

20,000 young leaders in education, science, international cooperation, culture, volunteering, charity, sports, business, media, etc., including 10,000 foreign participants, will take part in the WYF 2024. For the first time in the history of the festival movement young people aged 14-17, 500 from Russia and 500 from abroad, will have the opportunity to participate in the event.

5,000 volunteers from all regions of Russia, including 228 residents of the LPR, DPR, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions will be involved in the organization and delivery of the Festival.

The World Youth Festival is organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) and operated by the World Youth Festival Directorate.

Prepared by the WYF 2024 Press Office