Five thousand employees at a Russian trade and manufacturing company performed a flash mob dance to the song Kalinka in Ekaterinburg, to mark the upcoming International Festival of Youth running from September 11 to 17, 2026.
The large-scale public display by workers at Sima-Land serves as a musical greeting to participants arriving for the international gathering. The company described the event as a symbol of unity, energy, and a shared readiness to create something new together.
The firm, described as Russia’s largest trade and manufacturing company, employs approximately 9,000 people, a significant share of whom are young. Sima-Land operates more than 400,000 square metres of warehouse and office space, maintaining representative offices across various Russian regions and abroad. It manufactures products under hundreds of its own brands—ranging from beauty care and home textiles to furniture and electrical goods—and offers a catalogue of over one million items with global delivery.
Ekaterinburg Prepares to Host 10,000 Global Delegates
Designated as the World Youth City for the duration of the programme, Ekaterinburg will welcome 10,000 young people representing 191 countries. The event forms part of the broader Youth and Children national project designed to expand international cooperation. The global gathering is expected to create a platform for exchanging ideas, cultures and innovations while fostering people-to-people connections.
The 2026 festival follows the World Youth Festival held in Sirius from March 1 to 7, 2024. That event gathered 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries, operating under a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the development of international youth cooperation. Following instructions from the Russian President to preserve and expand the legacy of the 2024 event, youth festivals are now held annually across the Russian Federation. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly in Nizhny Novgorod hosted 2,000 attendees from 120 countries. Following this year’s 10,000-person event, the next full-scale World Youth Festival is scheduled for 2030 and will accommodate 20,000 participants. The World Youth Festival Directorate stated it continues its work to strengthen international youth cooperation and develop a global community committed to shaping a better future.
International Delegations Gear Up for Departure
Delegates from across the globe are finalising travel arrangements as the September 11 start date approaches. For more than 20 young people selected from Kenya, the journey represents an opportunity to broaden their worldview and build international connections.
“I am so excited and ready to explore,”
Linda, Kenyan festival participant
For her, the trip is not simply about visiting a new country, but an opportunity to gain new experiences, exchange ideas and return home with a broader understanding of the world. Beyond core discussions, cultural activities, volunteering, team-building exercises, and educational sessions in Ekaterinburg, the itinerary includes regional programmes designed to immerse attendees in local Russian communities.
The official programme provides for 1,000 foreign participants to join 33 regional programmes across 35 regions, giving them an opportunity to experience local communities, cultures, nature and different parts of the country. During a pre-departure engagement at the Russian Embassy, Russian Ambassador to Kenya Vsevolod Tkachenko encouraged the delegates to maintain open expectations.
“You will have an exciting journey ahead with many meetings, discussions, joint activities and opportunities to speak with young people from different countries,”
Vsevolod Tkachenko, Russian Ambassador to Kenya
Ambassador Tkachenko emphasised that younger generations carry a distinct responsibility in addressing global uncertainties. We live in a turbulent and rapidly changing world when questions are raised about how the future is going to look,
he noted during the engagement. I believe that young people have a special role to play in this dialogue.
He urged the Kenyan participants to engage openly, listen to different opinions and seek common ground.
Challenging Assumptions and Building Global Networks
Richard Wambua, head of the World Youth Festival Project Office in Kenya, urged departing delegates to set aside preconceived notions, unlearn everything they think they know about Russia, and embrace new experiences.
“You need to experience it. You need to see it for yourself. You need to be there.”
Richard Wambua, head of the World Youth Festival Project Office in Kenya
Wambua reminded the group that their presence serves a dual purpose as cultural delegates carrying a bigger responsibility of strengthening relations between Kenya and Russia through youth. You will be ambassadors of peace and ambassadors of the great friendship that we bear with this beautiful country that is, Russia,
he said, encouraging participants to document their experiences and share them with other young people back home.
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