Child participants from ten countries flew from Moscow to Yekaterinburg aboard a specially liveried charter flight to join the Children’s Programme of the International Youth Festival.
A Themed Journey to the Festival
Young delegates from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, China, Morocco, Nepal, the UAE and Serbia travelled together aboard a Rossiya Airlines Superjet 100 decorated in the livery of the Movement of Firsts youth organisation. Movement of Firsts Chairman Artur Orlov said the flight became an early bonding experience for many delegates, noting that for several foreign guests their first exposure to the Movement came en route to the festival itself.
Cabin crew welcomed the young passengers and briefed them on the Movement of Firsts and the programme awaiting them in Yekaterinburg. Participants said they used the flight to get acquainted, exchanging first impressions of Russia and hopes for the week ahead.
A Packed Programme Ahead
Once in Yekaterinburg, delegates join 17 interactive workshops spanning science, sport, creative industries, media, IT, entrepreneurship and public administration. The programme builds toward a closing Festival of Projects, where participants will present 60 youth-led initiatives developed alongside experts from Russian companies, alongside a meeting of the Coordination Council of the International Association of Children’s Organisations.
For some delegates, this marks a continuation of earlier involvement with Russia’s youth festival programming, including the 2024 World Youth Festival held in Sirius, which several participants credited with shaping their subsequent academic and career interests.
About the Movement of Firsts
The Movement of Firsts, organiser of the festival’s Children’s Programme, describes itself as Russia’s largest youth movement, with more than 16 million participants and over 55,000 local branches operating across 89 Russian regions. It runs 26 federal projects and more than 1,100 regional initiatives as part of the national “Youth and Children” programme.
Sources: IYF-2026 Media Center
