The first participants of the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg have been identified

From September 11 to 17, Yekaterinburg will host the International Youth Festival (IFM-2026), which will bring together 10,000 young leaders from Russia and abroad. The first thousand participants have already received cherished invitations from the organizers. This was announced on July 14 by the press service of Rosmolodezh.

"Our experts are conducting extensive analytical work on the selection of applications. In a highly competitive environment (14 applicants from foreigners and eight from Russians), we will have to select 10,000 of the best questionnaires: 5,000 from each category. The key evaluation criteria are professional expertise, achievements and the availability of successfully implemented projects in one of the eight areas: public administration; media; science and education; entrepreneurship; digitalization and IT; creative industries, culture and creativity; civic engagement; sports and health, as well as the candidate's motivation to develop international cooperation and intercultural exchange" Dmitry Ivanov , Director General of the Directorate of the World Youth Festival, said.

The application campaign for the International Youth Festival lasted four months and ended on May 31. As a result, the organizers received 113 thousand applications from 191 countries. For the first time in the history of festivals, applications from foreigners were received by more than 30 thousand more than Russians — almost 72 thousand. At the same time, only 4 thousand of them came from foreigners living in the Russian Federation, the main number came directly from abroad, the department notes.

Zolgerel Ochgerel, an engineer, EdTech blogger, and participant of IFM-2026 from Mongolia, said that she had long dreamed of participating in the festival, as she considers it an opportunity to represent her country, develop her own project, find new partners, and share experiences with participants from different countries.

"I would also very much like to visit Yekaterinburg to learn more about Ural Federal University and its international community, because many students from Mongolia study there and have close ties with this university. I hope to meet with local representatives, get to know the city and culture, and experience its inspiring atmosphere," she shared.

Applications from Russian participants were received from all 89 regions of Russia, as well as the federal territory of Sirius and Baikonur. About 550 compatriots from abroad expressed their desire to participate in the festival.

According to Vladimir Kurzakov, head of the robotics group at an IT company and a participant in the festival from the Chelyabinsk region, he is particularly interested in new professional contacts, joint projects and the exchange of experience with young people from other countries, including discussions on the development of initiatives and interaction with the state.

"I've been to Yekaterinburg before, and I appreciate its businesslike atmosphere and hospitality. During the festival, I am sure it will open up in a special way — as a space for ideas, communication and new opportunities. I want to show Russia as a country of opportunities and strong youth, to talk about the development of technology, support for initiatives and real projects that are being created in our region. It is important to convey that ideas here do not remain words, but turn into concrete results," he shared.

The selection process — for both Russians and foreigners — takes place within the framework of an open competition. The decision on the invitation is made by the experts of the competition committee of the Directorate of the World Youth Festival, assessing the personal qualities of the applicants.

Applications from participants permanently residing in Russia are evaluated by specially created Regional Competition Commissions. They are represented by experts in the field of youth policy and international relations, representatives of the Chamber of Young Legislators at the Federation Council, as well as experts in eight thematic areas represented by the participants of the festival.

However, it is the directorate that approves the final composition of participants from each region, after which it transmits the lists to the relevant regional authorities for the formation of delegations. To evaluate the applications of foreign participants, the directorate conducts an expert examination of its numerous foreign partner organizations. This approach guarantees transparency: a place in the delegation is obtained due to proven competence and motivation.

When submitting the application, the participants went through two competitive stages. On the first one, they wrote a detailed essay. In addition to the standard biographical information, it was necessary to describe in detail professional and personal achievements, present projects that have already been implemented or are under development, justify their potential contribution to the development of international youth cooperation, and clearly demonstrate their personal motivation to build relationships with other participants.

According to Juan Ignacio Moyano, Director of Public Relations at the Observatory of International Relations of the Victoria Foundation from Argentina, when preparing the application, it was important for him to show his personal history and professional experience at the same time. In his work, he also explained why international cooperation and youth dialogue are important to him.

"While writing the essay, I reflected on my experience in the field of public policy, participation in youth projects and international relations. In the video, I wasn't trying to make a perfect speech, but focused on speaking naturally and showing genuine motivation. I have carefully prepared for both stages and I am sure that sincerity played a crucial role," he said.

The second stage was devoted to the creation of video visuals. In this format, the participant had to present himself and his initiatives in a vivid and structured way, and most importantly, convincingly prove his right to participate in the festival. Everyone faced a difficult task: not just to tell about themselves, but to truly inspire the expert on the other side of the screen. The experts assessed sincerity, leadership potential, ideas, the ability to "package" the meanings of their initiatives and genuine interest in participating in a global international youth event.

As Jamila Gergokova from the Karachay-Cherkess Republic pointed out, recording a video message took the most time when preparing the application, while the essay was written quickly enough. When writing, she tried to express her thoughts in such a way as to keep the meaning and meet the limit. At the same time, we had to find the right lighting for the video and organize the filming process.

"We applied together with colleagues, and when one of them wrote that she had passed the selection, I immediately checked my personal account. With great excitement, I opened the result and saw that my application had also been accepted. It was a moment of great joy, although there was still a little excitement inside until the confirmation," the girl shared.

The selection is scheduled to be completed in early August, when the last participant will receive their invitation. The first thousand notifications have already been sent out.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 9 that Russia would welcome guests from different countries at the International Youth Festival in 2026 after the previous festival, held in 2024, proved the absence of any isolation of the country.

He added that the Russian Federation would be glad to receive guests from both near and far abroad. According to him, the last forum and the activities of international associations created as a result of it proved that young people are ready and willing to work for the benefit of the harmonious development of the whole world.