EKATERINBURG – Participants of the International Festival of Youth planted 50 trees to form the “Alley of Cultural Code” near the main building of Ural Federal University (UrFU) in Ekaterinburg.
The event was attended by representatives of federal and regional government bodies, business leaders, and the heads of various organisations. The planting ceremony was broadcast live on outdoor digital screens in both Ekaterinburg and Moscow.
Sergei Novikov, Head of the Presidential Directorate for Social Projects, opened the event by addressing the preservation of the festival’s legacy.
“This alley will keep growing and blossoming – students coming to Ekaterinburg and UrFU from all over the country will walk along it and remember that you were here, the young people from around the world who came to the Festival in 2026. That’s what makes this such a symbolic event,” Novikov said.
Sergei Nikonov, Deputy Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, stated that the trees would serve as a multi-generational legacy for the region.
“We are glad that our region has become the place where tens of thousands of talented, energetic people, eager to love, to make friends, and to show the best in themselves, have come together today,” Nikonov said. “But of course, the Festival should leave a legacy, and a tree is something that lasts across several generations. An oak lives for hundreds of years; the Russian birch is a tree that gives the soul something of itself. It does not matter what exactly we plant – what matters is that we are giving the world a piece of our warmth and our Ural spirit.”
The selected flora carried specific meanings: the apple tree represented fertility, love, and knowledge; the bird cherry symbolised purity and youth; and the hydrangea stood for warmth and hospitality.
Two-time Olympic and nine-time world champion gymnast Svetlana Khorkina attended the ceremony after leading a master class for more than 500 children and teenagers earlier in the day. She likened the training session to the tree planting, stating both initiatives provided motivation to the younger generation.
“They received motivation, and I believe these are the seeds of our future bright champions, who will surely shine on the Olympic stage and defend the honor of our great, boundless Russia,” Khorkina said. “Thank you to everyone for supporting our projects centered on mentorship and on love for the Motherland – it is what makes us strong, what makes us one team moving toward victory.”
The ceremony included a concert featuring European classical music, Latin American dance, African folk songs, and works by Isaac Dunayevsky. The instrumental quartet “B-A-C-H” performed pieces by Mozart, Strauss, and Paul Mauriat. The saxophone-and-guitar duo “B-A-C-H,” featuring Grigory Raspopov and Anatoly Prikhodko, played works by Piazzolla and Jobim, and the musical programme concluded with a performance by the Valery Kopanev “Domestik” Choir.
