"It was a long and interesting journey": finalists of the "Dreams of the Future" contest prepare for the award ceremony at the National Centre RUSSIA

The award ceremony for the winners of the II Video Essay Contest "Dreams of the Future" will be held on 7 June at the National Centre RUSSIA. Ahead of the final, teams from across the country and neighbouring countries gathered in Moscow to meet offline, see one another’s works and find out the names of the winners.

For the finalists, the path to this day has become a real test of hard work and perseverance. Maria Savinova, a member of the "Young Journalists of the Future" team, admitted that a short video involved a great deal of inner work.

"Of course, it is very exciting, and our whole team is nervous. We spent a long time preparing, calling each other, debating how best to do it, reshooting — it was a long but very interesting journey. I believe in our victory because we really tried hard and put a lot of effort and time into the video. What I remember most is the filming itself: it was fun, and we were constantly coming up with something new. We even have our own little traditions: ties as a distinctive sign, and mascots that we take with us. The other teams are also very strong, and the contest is highly competitive, but we believe in one another and hope to win," the participant said.

For the children, the final day is not only about the announcement of the results. The programme also includes team introductions and communication, the solemn award ceremony, a workshop, tours of the expositions of the National Centre RUSSIA and an opportunity to see the "future" through the eyes of their peers from other regions.

The "Dreams of the Future" contest is a major conversation with teenagers aged 12 to 18 about how they see tomorrow. This year, schoolchildren from all 89 regions of Russia and 10 neighbouring countries united into 935 teams. Their videos feature living homes that take care of the environment themselves, quantum communicators for communication with Mars, new methods of treating diseases and interplanetary travel. But the main thing in all the stories is people: true friendship, family, readiness to help and faith that technology should not replace humans, but help them.

For the National Centre RUSSIA, the "Dreams of the Future" contest is an important part of its educational and upbringing work. Through projects, expositions and special formats, the Centre helps teenagers talk about what matters to them: the role of science, responsibility for the planet, how technology can change our lives and why the future is impossible without human involvement.

You can watch the broadcast of the award ceremony on the website of the National Centre RUSSIA.