"Quantum physics is getting closer": the NAUKA 0+ Festival opens at the National Centre RUSSIA
The International NAUKA 0+ Festival has officially opened at the National Centre RUSSIA. It is the world’s largest educational science project and one of the key events of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia.
"Many thanks to the Ministry of Education and Science, the Moscow Government, and Lomonosov Moscow State University for choosing the National Centre RUSSIA as the venue to celebrate the major anniversary of the important NAUKA 0+ Festival. Here, the exposition "Your Quantum Universe" is opening today. Everyone will have a chance to explore the future and the latest technologies, and to understand what a quantum is and why it matters. We know this field is extremely popular today — children are dreaming about it, and our scientists are advancing quantum research. What was once someone’s dream has now become reality," said Anastasia Zvyagina, Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA.
She reminded the audience that this year the first regional branch of the National Centre RUSSIA opened in Vladivostok. Soon, new spaces will appear in Khanty-Mansiysk and Krasnoyarsk. Anastasia Zvyagina invited the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia to collaborate on developing the programmes for these venues and proposed holding the NAUKA 0+ Festival there as well.
"It is important that more and more children and young people across Russia take part in this festival each year, discovering something new and helping our science move forward," she emphasised.
As part of this year’s NAUKA 0+ Festival, the immersive exposition "Your Quantum Universe" is taking place. Right from the entrance, visitors are greeted by interactive activities open to all. Art objects and installations explain complex ideas such as the principles of superposition and uncertainty in an accessible way. In the "Quantum Maze" zone, guests can feel like quantum particles and literally "step into" the laws of the microworld. The aim of these experiments is to demonstrate that quantum particles have "superpowers": they can move in several directions at once, interact at a distance, and even pass through walls.
"I’m genuinely envious of today’s children. Firstly, because they’re taught quantum physics — an incredibly complex topic — in such a clear and engaging way. When I was little, this was impossible. Secondly, talented young people are now actively being drawn into research and development. And thirdly, it’s wonderful that the National Centre RUSSIA has become a partner of almost every major science event — science is always present here, and that’s just great," said Ali Asadov, Deputy Director of the Department of State Policy in the Field of Scientific and Technological Development of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia.
Leonid Gusev, Vice-Rector of Moscow State University for Informatisation, Event Organisation and Support, and Head of the NAUKA 0+ Festival Directorate, noted that the festival is being held for the 20th time in 2025. It was first launched in 2006 on the initiative of MSU Rector Viktor Sadovnichy, who proposed explaining science to the public in a simple and engaging way.
"Over the past 20 years, thanks to the efforts of the MSU rector, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Moscow Government, the NAUKA 0+ Festival has grown from a university project into a large-scale international celebration of science. In 2023, it went beyond Russia for the first time, and this year events will be held in 10 friendly countries," said Leonid Gusev.
The festival’s programme includes a wide range of open lectures with leading Russian scientists, researchers, and experts in quantum technologies, as well as in the natural and social sciences. Representatives of MSU, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Russian Quantum Centre will discuss the development of quantum computing and communication systems, the philosophical aspects of knowledge, and the future of Russian scientific research.
The topics include the application of quantum technologies in industry and education, the language of science and its influence on understanding complex concepts, biomedical research, life of organisms in extreme conditions, and the prospects of virtual reality. The lectures aim to show how modern discoveries are transforming our view of the world and bringing the future of science closer.
Admission to the exposition is free. Visitors can dive into the world of quantum physics, try themselves as explorers of the microworld, and discover how breakthroughs in this field are already changing technology, science, and everyday life.
Event photobank
From 14 to 19 October, the National Centre RUSSIA will host a thematic week dedicated to the Nenets Autonomous Area.
