Sergey Saenko, international observer

In Sochi, on the federal territory of Sirius, the World Youth Festival (WYF-2024) was held from February 29 to March 7. I would like to immediately note that the event is not related to the World Festival of Youth and Students (WFYS, to avoid confusion and sanctions), held by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFYD) and the International Union of Students (ISU). Representatives of the WFYM and MCC are not included in the organizational structures of the WFYM and are currently preparing a new WFYD, which will take place this year in Mexico.

It should be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on April 5, 2023 on holding WFM-2024 in Sochi. In July last year, the Russian leader, in his speech at the online summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), noted that the Youth Council of the organization makes its contribution to expanding interaction between SCO countries in culture, humanitarian issues, science, education and tourism. At the same time, Vladimir Putin invited young people from the SCO countries to take part in the World Youth Festival in Sochi.

“This will be the largest international youth event that will bring together active, caring young people from all over the world,” the head of state said then. It was the President of Russia, at a ceremony on March 2, who announced the opening of WFM-2024 via video link and expressed confidence that “the festival will give peers from different countries the opportunity to discuss dreams of what a safe, just world can and should be”.

Foreign citizens aged 18 to 35 came from 188 countries, including all SCO member countries. Guests from a number of Western countries also came to the festival. Many participants from the so-called unfriendly countries faced pressure in their states: both threats and outright lies. They were dissuaded from going to Russia, frightening them with various myths about our country, but this did not stop the guys, and they still came to Sochi. And, one must think, they did not regret it. By the way, there were attempts at provocations during the festival, but Russian security forces stopped them.

Among those who came to the festival were leaders of youth NGOs, representatives of political parties, young diplomats and scientists, experts in the field of international relations, journalists, entrepreneurs, cultural figures and students. It should be noted that for the first time in the history of the youth movement, teenagers from 14 to 17 years old, representing various children’s organizations and associations, participated in the festival in Sochi.

  One of the largest delegations came from India. They felt Russian hospitality already at the airport: they were greeted with national songs and dances. It is important to note that five thousand volunteers from all regions of Russia were involved in organizing and holding the festival.

The WFM-2024 program, importantly, was built on the values of unity, equality, justice, mutual assistance, teamwork and mercy. The organizers of WFM-2024 decided to focus on a format in which everyone will have the opportunity to voice their opinion and hear the positions of similar young people from other regions and countries. And, it should be noted that they fully succeeded. Feedback from foreign participants of the festival was enthusiastic, and during WFM-2024 one could often hear: “You turned out to be completely different!” and “We return home with love for Russia.”

Much attention at the festival was paid to the sports and cultural components of the festival, Russia’s achievements in the field of youth development were shown, and there was also an opportunity to do common useful and good deeds. Older festival participants said that the holiday atmosphere at WFM 2024 was reminiscent of the Olympics, which took place in Sochi exactly 10 years ago. In general, the festival included an unprecedented number of different formats for youth involvement: part of the program went beyond the main Sirius site.

For example, during the WFM 2024, a large-scale international exhibition and forum “Russia” took place in Sochi, where the most important achievements of our country in various industries were demonstrated. For festival participants, it became one of the points of the program and an important element in getting to know Russia. In total, during the festival, participants attended more than 800 master classes, concerts, performances, and business meetings. Young diplomats and scientists talked about the global – about what worries the whole world today: ecology, space, history. By the way, the regional program of the World Youth Festival will be held from March 10 to March 17, 2024, the participants of which will visit 26 cities of Russia.

It can also be noted that the participants of WFM-2024 were invited to study at the first joint Russian-Chinese University. Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Beijing Polytechnic Institute (PPI) in Shenzhen became a synergy of fundamental, classical science and an engineering university. It should be noted that this university was created on the joint initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of Beijing’s large-scale “One Belt, One Road” initiative and opened its doors in 2017. Today, more than 2,500 students study at the university, 250 of them are Russians. This figure is growing every year. Thus, the university management plans to increase the total number of students to 5,000 in the near future, of which 40% will come from Russia.

However, let’s return directly to WFM-2024. The Sochi Youth Festival clearly showed that our country is still capable of successfully hosting major international events. Despite all the events of the last two years, Russia remains a significant player in international affairs. And this is a signal, first of all to the West, that we are not isolated, that people are coming to us, including from the countries of the European Union, and even from the United States.

It is appropriate here to cite the opinion of festival participant, independent journalist and political analyst from the United States, Christopher Joseph Helali, who noted that the World Youth Festival is organized at an incredible level, and its holding destroys the myth of Western propaganda that Russians suffer from food shortages and the pressure of sanctions. “The festival was a dream comes true. The quality and organization are simply incredible. We are grateful to Russia for the amazing opportunity to meet and discuss everything with Russians and young people from all over the world,” Helali said.

He is echoed by the head of the American delegation at WPF 2024, Caleb Maupin, who said: “The Russians are very happy to see the Americans. This shows that the hostility comes not from Russia, but from the United States, from American leaders who intend to use NATO and other forces to impose sanctions, threaten, and put Russia in a situation in which it must defend itself and new territories by military means”. According to Maupin, the “real America” would like to be part of the emerging global economy, in which the BRICS countries and the EAEU participate.

It is no coincidence in this regard, speaking at the closing of the festival on March 6, Vladimir Putin said that the dominance of the United States is not liked by most countries of the world. Many of Washington’s allies do not approve of this state of affairs, but they are forced to remain silent due to great dependence, for example, in the economic sphere and others. At the same time, President Putin added that the United States, remaining the only superpower after the collapse of the USSR, “failed to cope with this burden of responsibility that fell on their shoulders”.