INRTU Students Take Part in International Festival of Youth in Ekaterinburg

Fourteen INRTU students took part in the International Festival of Youth 2026 in Ekaterinburg. INRTU student Ilya Kupriy served as a volunteer at the large-scale event.

The International Festival of Youth (IFY-2026) was held in Ekaterinburg on September 11–17 as part of the Youth and Children national project. It brought together 10,000 young leaders fr om 191 countries and all 89 regions of Russia, with 2,000 volunteers helping to run the event. The Irkutsk Region sent a delegation of 45 young people, including 15 INRTU students.

According to Margarita Tsyganova, Minister of Youth Policy of the Irkutsk Region, the region was represented at the International Festival of Youth by active young people, experienced volunteers, representatives of public organizations and young entrepreneurs. She noted that the delegates not only made their mark in the educational and cultural programs, but also introduced participants from around the world to the Irkutsk Region, its ethnic diversity, culture, local brands and opportunities for young people.

The festival was held under the motto “Follow Your Dream.” IFY-2026 featured educational, cultural, sports, excursion and children’s tracks. Participants attended lectures, discussions, workshops and sessions on international cooperation, science, technology, education, volunteering and mentoring, along with talk shows, cultural events and excursions exploring Russia’s historical and cultural heritage. Meetings with prominent Russian and international experts were another major part of the program, with guests including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and public officials Maria Zakharova and Sergey Kiriyenko.

Second-year student Daria Kirillova took an active part in a wide range of IFY-2026 events. She studies Chemical Technology at INRTU and, outside her classes, works as a photographer for the Student Media Center (SMC). Daria first heard about the festival back in 2024, but at the time she was unable to apply:

“This April, I finally decided to act on my dream of attending such a huge youth event. I wrote a detailed essay related to my field of study and filmed an introductory video.
I received the answer right in the middle of INRTU’s “PROFDVIZHENIE” Summer School for Student Activists: my application had been approved. I could hardly believe I was actually going to Ekaterinburg, the World Youth City! I was overjoyed and, to be honest, a little surprised. At first, I didn’t think my track record was impressive enough to make it through the selection process, but the organizers saw my potential, and it all worked out”.

According to Daria, the festival had an incredibly friendly atmosphere:

“Wherever you went, everyone was incredibly open and always ready to help one another. The multilingual environment was one of the most interesting parts of the whole experience. One moment you’re speaking Russian, the next English, constantly switching back and forth as you talk to people from every corner of the world.
I had already attended large-scale events like this when I was at school, but back then most of the people I met were from the Siberian and Far Eastern federal districts. This time, the geography was on an entirely different level. I met people from all over Russia, as well as young people from South America, including Peru and Colombia, and from Asia, particularly Indonesia. It was an extraordinary experience in cross-cultural communication”.

Daria managed to fit an impressive number of activities into her festival schedule:

“I attended meetings with some remarkable people, including actor Milos Bikovic, journalist Vladimir Solovyov, cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and many others.
I also took part in lots of creative workshops and came home with an entire collection of fantastic merchandise and souvenirs from many of Russia’s leading companies, from Russian Railways to Kaspersky.
I even made it to a morning stretching session with Alina Zagitova and managed to bring home a branded yoga mat”.
Each day wrapped up with live music from Tavrida.ART.
“We saw major headliners including Natalia Oreiro, Uma2rman, Egor Kreed, Zveri and Agatha Christie, while Alex Gaudino took over the DJ booth.
The festival gave me an incredible boost of energy and inspiration. I came back with a wealth of new knowledge, valuable contacts from all over the world and, of course, new close friends from the Irkutsk Region.
Now I’m ready to put all of that energy to good use. I’m returning to my studies with renewed motivation and plan to bring the experience, fresh ideas and creativity I gained at the festival into our Student Media Center,”

Daria said.

Third-year student Ilya Kupriy is enrolled in INRTU’s Mechatronics and Robot Systems program. He has been involved in volunteering since his first year at university. To join IFY-2026 as a volunteer, Ilya had to make it through a highly competitive selection process: only 2,000 people were chosen from nearly 22,000 applicants.

“This was my second time volunteering at an event of this scale and my first time doing so in another region. I had previously volunteered at the Baikal International Youth Forum, which brought together participants from 40 countries. IFY-2026 had representatives from 191 countries.
My assigned role at such a large event was helping create a welcoming festival atmosphere. During my shifts, I worked at the sports and food festivals. For example, I played mini-volleyball with participants and guests at the sport federation’s area and told them more about the game. I also helped deliver merchandise and equipment for volunteers and participants to the accreditation desks. Between shifts, I helped direct people around the venue. Since I’m originally from Uzbekistan, I was also able to help international guests find their way around the festival and get wherever they needed to go,”

Ilya said.

He also attended an open dialogue with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, wh ere participants discussed the upcoming elections and raised a wide range of issues important to young people.

While volunteering at IFY-2026, Ilya also managed to collect autographs and record short videos with honored guests and celebrities, including popular Russian comedians, improv performers and TV hosts Anton Shastun and Dmitry Pozov. He also attended concerts by NILETTO, Dima Bilan, Vanya Dmitrienko, Zveri, Zivert and many other popular artists. Ilya thanked INRTU and the Student Trade Union Committee for giving him such a vibrant student experience:

“I came away from IFY-2026 with nothing but positive impressions and emotions. The experience exceeded my expectations by 200%.
I applied to the volunteer corps six months earlier and had been waiting for an answer ever since. When the acceptance came at the end of August, I didn’t hesitate for a second: ‘Yes! I’m going!’ With such an intense workload and all the preparations, there were times when I got only two or three hours of sleep, but I don’t regret any of it. I got to be part of an incredible event. Huge thanks to INRTU and the Student Trade Union Committee for making my student life so exciting and rewarding. Without that experience and support, I would never have made it to IFY-2026 or gained something so invaluable”.