Movement of the First Festival was held in the new regions of Russia

Children, parents, teachers and mentors from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as from the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions became participants of the Movement of the First Festival in their cities. Useful masterclasses, family activities, educational games, meetings with famous speakers, concerts and much more were organized for all guests.

The Movement of the First Festival was held in 89 regions of Russia. Thousands of the First, their parents, mentors and teachers joined the events in different cities. Also, the events in different subjects were visited by regional heads, ministers of various departments, mayors of cities, heads of regional branches of the Movement, famous artists, public figures and many others. Thus, the guests of honor at the main event of the Festival across the country were: Governor of the Orel region Andrei Klychkov, Head of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Governor of the Kamchatka region Vladimir Solodov, Governor of the Astrakhan region Igor Babushkin, Governor of the Krasnodar region Veniamin Kondratiev, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Irina Potekhina and many others. The Governor of the Chelyabinsk region Alexei Teksler yesterday visited the Festival site, and today handed passports to activists of the Movement of the First from schools of Nagaybaksky district, who became participants of the All-Russian program "We are citizens of Russia".

The main theme of the holiday was the dream and the opportunity for every child to realize it in Russia - the land of opportunity. Together with adults and the Movement of the First, the dreams of schoolchildren and students turn into real achievements that benefit children, society and the country. All participants of the Festival joined the campaign "Drawing Dreams on the Asphalt": with brightly colored crayons, adults and children decorated the asphalt in their cities with pictures of themselves and their loved ones in the future, their desired goals. 

Solemn ceremonies of handing over passports of the program of the Movement "We are the Citizens of Russia" were held in new regions within the Festival, during which thousands of Firsts received the main document of a citizen. For example, in Starobelsk, at the passport handover ceremony, everyone was given a passport cover and a First badge as a souvenir.

Children from the Councils of First took part in the organization of festive events in the regions. Together with adults, they launched mass events for local residents and opened platforms for the exchange of experience between generations. One of the principles of the Festival is to do things together with children, so the events include team and family formats. That way, the Movement unites different generations: it gives children an opportunity to express themselves, and parents can spend time with their children.

At the thematic sites, which were opened on June 1 and 2, the guests of the Festival learned more about the Movement of the First and found an activity to their liking. Together with their parents the children visited the sites of the projects "Media Attraction", "School Classics", "Pilots of the Future", "Accelerator ''Height'". Communicating with mentors motivated many children to become a part of one of the projects and develop for future work.

In Lugansk, for example, the First learned more about the All-Russian project "Media Attraction", visited a real photo exposition, and met bloggers and representatives of Donbass Media LPR. At the stand of the theater project "School Classics" the guests of the Festival took part in a masterclass on acting and performed exercises on the development of stage speech. At the "Pilots of the Future" UAV piloting contest, the children acquired skills in the field of unmanned technologies and tried to control drones with the help of a virtual game. At the stand of the "Accelerator ''Height'" project, participants learned how to develop social and entrepreneurial projects.

"I am very glad to have become part of the Movement of the First Festival. For all the First, this is one of the main events that provides unforgettable emotions. Here we can find friends, acquire useful skills, and participate in interesting activities. I am confident that this celebration will become larger each year and will become a true tradition for all citizens of our country," said Valeria Surikova, a participant of the Movement from LPR.

In the Kherson region, the venue for the Festival was the Genichesk City Park of Culture and Leisure named after T.G. Shevchenko. All the guests of the Festival participated in a dance flash mob "If You Exist, Be the First", the quest game "Adventure in the Movement", and team-building activities "Confusion" and "Circle of Trust." Festival partners also presented their stands at the event. For example, representatives of the "All-Russian Student Rescue Corps" taught guests how to provide first aid and explained how to act when rescuing a drowning person. The Patriot Center "Warrior" presented an exposition, and volunteers from the Movement of the First and "Young South" organized games for small children on the playground.

The festival venues in the DPR included the cities of Khartsyzsk, Mariupol, Shakhtersk, Yenakievo, as well as the Starobeshevo district. In Shakhtersk, the First and their parents attended 15 masterclasses, made friendship talismans, drew dreams with chalk, completed tasks, and more. In Mariupol, the First participated in interesting quests and painted pictures on children's faces and hands. In Khartsyzsk, children and their parents took part in useful activities and masterclasses, after which they received prizes – a book from the Movement of the First. In Ilovaisk, Movement activists created collages from newspaper and magazine cutouts, conveying how they want to spend their holidays.

Kids from the new regions also came to Moscow, to the main venue of the Movement of the First Festival, which takes place at the RUSSIA EXPO at VDNH. They became important participants in the key events of the festival, including the Dreamers' Procession and the #WeRememberTogether campaign. From the Main Street Stage, the Pioneers thanked the participants of the Special Military Operation and organized a flash mob in support of the defenders of the Motherland, raising their phones with flashlights.

The Movement of the First Festival takes place on June 1 and 2 and is the main event of International Children's Day. The theme of the celebration is the dream and the possibility for every child in Russia to fulfill their cherished wishes. The Festival will cover all regions of the country, with the main venue being the RUSSIA EXPO. Participants can look forward to a rich program with useful masterclasses, family activities, and educational games. The Festival's media partners are the "Moscow 24" TV channel, MAER Media Holding and Children's Radio.