The youth forum "Key to Start" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA

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On April 12, participants of the "Key to Start" forum, held at the National Centre RUSSIA, learned how to make breakthroughs in science, launch their own businesses, and find their calling in serving the country. The event was part of the presentation of the national project "Youth and Children," launched at the initiative of the President of Russia. The organizers — the Russian society Znanie and the Roscosmos State Corporation — invited renowned cosmonauts, musicians, military personnel, athletes, and entrepreneurs who shared their success stories and life experiences with the participants.

At the opening of the "Key to Start" forum, the General Director of the Russian society Znanie, Maxim Dreval, reminded the participants of the limitless opportunities available to every individual in Russia.

"Sixty-four years ago, on this day, Yuri Gagarin made the first space flight in human history aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. This is the result of the work of thousands of engineers, and today it is a source of pride for the entire world. Yuri Gagarin came from a simple family, and he is a shining example of the fact that in our country, every person has countless opportunities to realize themselves and achieve any heights. This is exactly the topic of our forum today, 'Key to Start,'" emphasized Maxim Dreval. "Outstanding figures — athletes, scientists, businesspeople — will be speaking to you, and I want you to feel free to ask them questions. Ask them how they built their path, and build your own path. Alongside the forum, a large-scale educational campaign dedicated to Cosmonautics Day is taking place across the country from April 7 to 20. Schoolchildren and students are meeting with cosmonauts, scientists, researchers, journalists, and bloggers to learn about the achievements of the domestic space industry, and you too can become participants in this campaign."

During the first week of the campaign, over 300 thematic meetings were held in the regions, with more than 7.5 thousand young people participating. The campaign began in Kaliningrad with a lecture by aerospace engineer and popularizer of cosmonautics Denis Prudnik. In other regions, the youth met with Hero of Russia, test cosmonaut Sergei Prokopyev, test cosmonaut Oleg Blinov, Deputy Director General for Communications at SR Space, Darya Chudnaya, and many others. The campaign will run until April 20. More details about the activities can be found on the website of the Russian society Znanie.

The "Key to Start" forum program on Cosmonautics Day combined several areas. How to bring dreams to life and conquer space was shared with the young people by test cosmonaut and Hero of the Russian Federation Oleg Artemyev, as well as his colleagues Alexei Zubritsky, Kirill Peskov, and Hero of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryzhikov, who joined the live broadcast from the International Space Station.

Creative flights, sources of inspiration, the resonance of jazz and space were discussed with the young people by the artistic director of the Moscow Jazz Orchestra, director of the Jazz Academy, People's Artist of Russia Igor Butman, and the soloist of the Moscow Jazz Orchestra Konstantin Boytsov. The musicians agreed that they are inspired by the results of their creative work, expressed in the admiring looks of the listeners and loud applause, as well as the constant process of learning, the opportunity to rehearse, improvise, and improve their skills.

"In any endeavor, it is important to believe that you chose it for a reason, believe in yourself, not be afraid to make mistakes, ask questions, and, of course, persistently pursue your goal. No one will do anything for you, no one will go to hell for you — only you yourself. And you must believe that the more you give, the more everything you dream of will come back to you," — advised Igor Butman to the young people.

Innovative ideas and the prospects of Russian science were discussed with the young people by the managing partner of the 3D Bioprinting Solutions laboratory, Yousef Heswani, managing director for data research at Sber, Denis Dimitrov, and professor of the Department of Neurotechnologies, director of the Research Institute of Neurosciences at Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N. I. Lobachevsky, and head of the Neuromorphic Computing Center at the ANO "Neimark," Susanna Gordleyeva from Nizhny Novgorod.

Business trends of the present and future were addressed by the head of the RuStore app store, Dmitry Pankrushev, president of the "Roslegprom" association, founder of the Putin Team Russia brand, Dmitry Shishkin, and co-founder and director of development at Promobot LLC, Oleg Kivokurtsyev. Successful entrepreneurs shared their experiences on how to convey love for Russian culture through business, promote new projects, and where to get support at the start.

The topic of Russia's cultural ties with foreign countries was discussed by the head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Yevgeny Primakov. At the forum, he explained how the federal agency, with cultural centers in 69 countries, collaborates with compatriots abroad, not only expanding connections in the field of culture but also strengthening historical memory and promoting international development. Yevgeny Primakov emphasized that, under the Russian Federation's quota, 30,000 young people from other countries come to study in Russia annually. They receive an excellent education, return home, and make their countries more successful in business, science, and the political and social spheres. And of course, they become reliable friends of Russia.

Personal records and the path to success were discussed with the youth by Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Angelina Melnikova, and Olympic champion in hockey, Ilya Kovalchuk. On how to unlock their creative potential, the singer and songwriter Akmal spoke with the young people.

The topics of heroism and serving the Fatherland were addressed by the Chairman of the Movement of the First, Hero of Russia, Artur Orlov, and the Deputy Head of the Tyumen Higher Military Engineering Command School named after Marshal of Engineering Troops A. I. Proshlyakov, Hero of Russia, Rustam Sayfullin.

As part of the forum, the official presentation of the new national project "Youth and Children" took place, along with the official launch of the International Civil Participation Award #WeAreTogether.

Around 1,000 alumni of the Rosmolodezh forums, representatives of regional organizations responsible for implementing the national project, winners of the Rosmolodezh grant competition, and young participants of the Movement of the First gathered for the presentation of the national project "Youth and Children." They were introduced to the key ideas of the national project, innovations in upcoming forums, and the national values that form the foundation of Russia's cultural code. The event is organized by Rosmolodezh in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Russia, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, the Roscosmos State Corporation, the Russian society Znanie, the ANO "National Priorities of Russia," the presidential platform "Russia – Land of Opportunity," the Movement of the First, the National Centre RUSSIA, and Dobro.rf. Partners of the outreach program include: Gazprom-Media Holding, the Food Bank Rus charitable foundation, the Krutitskoye Patriarchal Compound of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Mosvolunteer Resource Centre, and the interactive museum "In Silence."