From September 16 to 21, 2025, following the success of the 2024 edition in Sochi, the general assembly of the World Festival of Youth was held in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, on the banks of the Volga River. The event brought together 2,000 young participants, including 1,000 Russians representing various regions and autonomous republics, and 1,000 foreigners from more than 120 countries around the world with their respective delegations.
More specifically, this forum was founded in 1957 as a tool of cultural and political diplomacy dedicated to the world’s youth, with the aim of promoting cultural exchange and international relations through the open discussion of various topics directed at building a common future. For example, this year’s agenda included fact-checking as a tool against disinformation; the use of AI in technological, artistic, and educational industries; the development of collaborations in the field of nuclear physics; initiatives stressing the need to safeguard Russian culture in European countries in the face of cancel culture threats; and the role of international tourism, among others.
In Nizhny Novgorod, the falsehood of claims regarding Russia’s political, economic, and cultural isolation—allegedly suffered since the start of the special military operation, according to Western media—was once again highlighted. In fact, the hypocrisy of NATO countries in believing that their decisions are unilaterally and necessarily shared by all nations of the world is exposed in the presence of a forum where delegations from Asian, African, North and South American, as well as European countries, embody the purest union of peoples beyond political ideology. It is worth noting that the forum was repeatedly accused last year by Western newspapers and bloggers of being a propaganda event of the Russian Federation, a soft power tool aimed at influencing the young participants admitted to the program through the promotion of traditional and political values of Russia.
