"Dreams of the Future" contest by the National Centre RUSSIA attracted nearly four thousand participants
The
National Centre RUSSIA has completed the submission stage for the All-Russian
video essay contest "Dreams of the Future". A total of 792 team
applications were registered, each consisting of five members.
The main
goal of the project is to spark the younger generation’s interest in the work
of science fiction writers. The competition continues the effort to revive
society’s engagement with future-oriented thinking, which began at the
International Symposium "Inventing the Future." The event is held as
part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
The
competition includes school and university students from all 89 regions of
Russia. Twenty teams will advance to the finals, six of which will be named winners
and prize-winners. All finalists will be invited to Moscow on 1 June. The
winners will be announced on International Children's Day during an official
awards ceremony at the National Centre RUSSIA. They will receive valuable
prizes such as laptops, headphones, and smartphones.
The
competition was held in two age categories: 14–16 and 17–18 years. The majority
of submissions came from participants in the 14–16 age group — 608 teams.
Top 10
regions by number of team applications:
1. Stavropol region
2. Lugansk People's Republic
3. Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra
4. Rostov region
5. City of Moscow
6. Moscow region
7. Donetsk People's Republic
8. Krasnodar region
9. Republic of Dagestan
10. City of Saint Petersburg
Participation
in the contest required the creation of a video essay starting with the words
"We want to create a future where...", with a mandatory reference to
works of Soviet and Russian science fiction from a recommended list.
Top 10
selected books:
1. Ivan
Yefremov. Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale (novel)
2. Alexander
Belyaev. Amphibian Man (novel)
3. Alexander
Belyaev. Professor Dowell's Head (novel)
4. Alexander
Belyaev. Leap into Nothingness (novel)
5. Sergei
Lukyanenko. Labyrinth of Reflections (novel)
6. Alexander
Belyaev. Ariel (novel)
7. Alexander
Abramov, Sergei Abramov. Riders from Nowhere (novel)
8. Alexander
Abramov, Sergei Abramov. Paradise Without Memory (novel)
9. Ivan
Yefremov. The Bull's Hour (novel)
10. Grigory
Adamov. The Mystery of the Two Oceans (novel)
"Science fiction is the most important genre, essential for scientific and technological development, expanding the prospects for planning. And children's fantasies and dreams can become the foundation for future discoveries and achievements. It is especially valuable that children from all regions of our country participated in the competition," emphasized the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Denis Sekirinsky.
"Nine out of the ten top books belong to the golden legacy of Russian science fiction, specifically from the Soviet period. Since the release of "Aelita" in 1923, themes, protagonists, and narrative styles in Soviet science fiction have evolved. What has remained unchanged in the works of genre masters and veterans is the aspiration not only to entertain readers but also to prompt reflection on the problems and challenges faced by humanity. In addition to that, they reminded us of the human ability to overcome both imagined fears and real hardships on the path to a dream and a better future. Today, science fiction has almost entirely become an entertainment genre. However, the teams’ choices clearly show that genuine interest in the genre lies not only in thrilling plots and astonishing discoveries but also in its capacity to reflect and dream about the future. And this is undoubtedly a good sign," said Sergei Shikarev, critic, science fiction historian, author of the books "13" and "Coordinates of Fiction," and compiler of the science fiction anthologies "Futuriada" and "New Future."
The list
also includes works by writers such as Sergei Lukyanenko, Alexander and Sergei
Abramov, Vasily Golovachev, Yevgeny Voikunsky, Isai Lukodyanov, Alexander
Gromov, Anatoly Dneprov, Yevgeny Gulyakovsky, Alexander Kazantsev, Anton
Karelin, Vladislav Krapivin, Olga Larionova, Georgy Martynov, Alexander Mirer,
Vladimir Mikhailov, Vladimir Obruchev, Sergei Pavlov, Vadim Panov, Vyacheslav
Rybakov, and Sergei Snegov.
The contest
is held as part of the Decade of Science and Technology with the support of the
Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the
Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Movement of the First, the
Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in Science and Education under the
Presidential Council for Science and Education of the Russian Federation, the
Russian State Library for Young Adults, the Council for Science Fiction and
Adventure Literature of the Union of Writers of Russia, the Federal Agency for
Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh), the ArtMasters autonomous non-profit
organization, the ANO "Russia – Land of Opportunity," the All-Russian
festival "NAUKA 0+," the Innovation Centre for the Development and
ANO "Upbringing of Children and Youth," the technological conference
Startup Village, and the National Cyber-Physical Platform "Berloga."
The
literary partner of the contest is the Eksmo-AST publishing group, the official
bookstore chain is Chitai-Gorod, the social content partner is "YOUF —
Your Media About Reading", and the analytical partner is VCIOM.
Participants
will also be able to compete for an additional nomination based on readers’
votes — a year’s supply of books from Chitai-Gorod and the youth media outlet
"YOUF — Your Media About Reading."
As part of
the contest, the National Centre RUSSIA has prepared a series of practical
workshops, during which registered participants were able to go through the
entire process of video production — from idea development to final editing.
Starting
from 1 May, these sessions will be available to everyone in a dedicated section
on the website dream.russia.ru.
The lecture "Russian Architecture in the Global Context" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on May 30.
On May 30, the declaration on the establishment of the International Association of Children's Organisations (IACO) was signed at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The workshop "Apartment Planning Through a Child’s Eyes" took place on May 30 as part of the educational programme of "The Birth of Scale" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA.