Ismail Abdulazeez Reporting
The spirit of unity and service came alive in Nizhny Novgorod as the volunteer program for the World Youth Festival Assembly officially launched, bringing together young people from 54 regions of Russia.
At the opening ceremony, Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, praised the overwhelming response from young people across the country. Out of 3,700 applications, 520 were selected to join the volunteer corps—450 at the main venue and 70 at Moscow’s airports and train stations.
“The launch of the volunteer corps marks the imminent start of the World Youth Festival Assembly,” Ivanov declared. “Volunteers are the foundation of any event: you create its atmosphere, ensure smooth operations, and embody Russian hospitality to our foreign guests.”
Svetlana Anufrieva, Minister of Youth Policy of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, emphasized the central role volunteers will play in shaping the Assembly’s success. “It is the volunteers who are the face of the Gathering. They will welcome and assist international participants, creating comfortable conditions for them. We will support our volunteers every step of the way,” she assured.
The 520 volunteers will work across nine functional areas, including transportation, logistics, media, accreditation, protocol service, catering, program support, language assistance, and guest information services.
Prior to the launch, they underwent online training covering the volunteer code, interaction guidelines, and the festival’s core values, followed by practical sessions at the venue.
The launch ceremony was marked by vibrant cultural performances. Rising local star KOZ.A (Anastasia Mokrushova) performed her popular anthem “V Nizhnem tvorit” (Create in Nizhny), while Anastasia Baukina, winner of a Presidential Fund initiative for audiovisual creators, captivated the audience with her song “Yasno Solnyshko” (The Sun is Shining).
The program is supported by the “Volunteers 800” project, alongside a strong network of partners including Russian Music Union, Russian Railways, Phygital Games, RT, ANO “Dialogue Regions,” VK, Rosatom, Soyuzmultfilm, Sovcombank, the Central Bank of Russia, and others.
The Assembly, organized by the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) in partnership with the Nizhny Novgorod regional government, is part of Russia’s national project “Youth and Children.” It builds on the legacy of the historic 2024 World Youth Festival in Sirius, which gathered 20,000 young people from 190 countries. Looking ahead, Russia will host annual Assembly events for 2,000 participants, an International Youth Festival in 2026 for 10,000, and the next World Youth Festival in 2030 with 20,000 participants.
