Anastasia Starchenko, a fourth-year UMTE student majoring in Advertising and Public Relations, has become a participant in the International Youth Festival 2026.
From 11 to 17 September, Yekaterinburg is hosting the International Youth Festival 2026. The event brings together 10,000 young leaders from 191 countries, representing science and sport, education and culture, public administration and business, media and technology. The Festival serves as a platform for international dialogue, introducing international participants to Russia’s rich culture and contemporary projects across a wide range of fields.
The scale of the Festival is impressive: more than 800 events, 450 speakers and 421 partners, ranging from federal agencies and regional authorities to educational institutions, public initiatives, non-profit organisations and businesses. The programme is built around seven key areas of life: human development, the source of life, technological leadership, pathways of the future, cultural code, modern life and everyday activities.
Anastasia Starchenko:
“During my second year at university, I learned that the World Youth Festival was being held in my hometown of Sochi. My friends volunteered there and shared their impressions with me, and their stories inspired me to become a participant in such a large-scale event one day.
I found out that participation in the International Youth Festival requires passing a competitive selection process and having a strong record of extracurricular activities. So, over the past year and a half, I have taken part in forums and events, developed my skills, and collected certificates and diplomas.
When I saw the long-awaited email in my inbox, I could hardly believe my eyes. I was incredibly happy that I had successfully passed the selection process.
I would like to tell other students: do not be afraid to try new things, take part in projects and continue developing yourself. Opportunities like these help you gain valuable experience, meet like-minded people and move closer to your goals.
At the Festival, I have already attended a lecture by cosmonaut Sergey Ryazansky. His lecture inspired me to dream bigger and believe in myself. His story reminded me how important self-confidence, determination and everyday effort are. I was especially impressed by the opportunity to see the beauty of our planet from space — it is truly fascinating and makes you look at the world from a completely different perspective. I am very happy that I had the chance to attend his lecture. It was not only informative, but incredibly inspiring as well!
I also attended a lecture by Mitya Lyovin, Content Director at VK Video, Nikita Nichkalyuk, Marketing Director at VK, and Arseny Popov. The lecture focused on promoting emerging content creators and competing with major bloggers. The speakers emphasised that success depends not only on the number of followers, but also on the quality, originality and consistency of content.
At first, I thought that Arseny Popov, as a successful professional, might be far removed from the challenges faced by aspiring creators. However, it turned out that he also encounters difficulties when promoting videos on VK and openly raises the current concerns of content creators with representatives of the platform. The lecture helped me gain a better understanding of promotion, monetisation and advertising integrations on VK, and also inspired me to search for my own style and develop my personal brand.
The International Youth Festival is only just beginning! I am sending greetings to UMTE from participants from different countries! After the official opening of IYF 2026, I met a participant from Vietnam. There are still many new people to meet, vivid impressions to experience and valuable lessons ahead — and I will definitely share them!”
Video greeting to the university featuring representatives from different festival participating countries:
