Almost 500 kilometres for a dream: second season of the "Young Tour Guides School of Russia" launches in Yugra
The second season of the "Young Tour Guides School of Russia" project has launched at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra. This year, 24 teenagers are taking part, including Lyubov Stepasyuk from Nefteyugansk. Every week, she will travel almost 500 kilometres each way to attend classes in Khanty-Mansiysk, learn more about Yugra and try her hand at being a tour guide.
"I love history and want to learn more about Yugra. I want to improve my speaking skills, learn to tell stories in a way that interests people and gain more practical experience. My parents supported me immediately and suggested travelling to Khanty-Mansiysk themselves. You cannot improve without practice and mistakes. So I have my sights set on the goal, and no obstacles will stand in my way," said Lyubov Stepasyuk.
Lika Kosterina from Khanty-Mansiysk has her own reason for joining the School. Her mother, Yevgenia, works as a tour guide, and Lika has watched her lead groups and turn facts into compelling stories since childhood. After taking a guided tour of the National Centre RUSSIA, Lika decided to try the role herself.
"I have seen my mother conduct guided tours. She speaks knowledgeably and engagingly, and people want to listen to her. I became interested in trying it too. I came here to work on my speech and learn to talk to people in a way that makes them want to listen to me," said Lika Kosterina.
The second intake opened with a "Night at the Museum". That evening, the branch of the National Centre RUSSIA was open exclusively to the young participants. They met one another, spoke about their favourite places in their cities and then embarked on an immersive tour of the "See Yugra — Fall in Love with Russia!" exposition. They followed the route in reverse, from their "landing" in Khanty-Mansiysk in the aircraft-themed hall to the space where the story of Yugra begins. Performers from the Academy of Dance took part in the production.
A surprise awaited the young participants after the tour: their parents joined the dancers in performing the National Centre RUSSIA production "Unity Circle Dance" before inviting the children into a shared dance. Every child felt that they had support by their side.
Anna Prikhodchenko, the mother of one of the project participants, believes that the Young Tour Guides School will give her daughter an opportunity to learn more about the history of her home region and experience the profession first-hand. She is confident that the project will help young people become more self-assured when communicating with others and overcome their inner barriers.
"It is important to me that Valeria made the decision to join the School herself. She loves history and enjoys communicating with people, but she wants to become more confident. Here, a child can experience real work, learn to speak in public, meet new people and overcome inner barriers. It offers both career guidance and an opportunity to develop skills that will be useful to her in the future," said Anna Prikhodchenko.
At the School, the teenagers will learn to work with information, structure a story, speak in front of an audience and create their own routes. At the end of the programme, they will conduct guided tours of the exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra themselves.
The Young Tour Guides School of Russia is an original project created by the National Centre RUSSIA as a continuation of the school of the same name at the International RUSSIA EXPO. Today, it is a large and close-knit community that brings together more than 100 children and mentors from across the country around shared values. The project operates at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow, the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area — Yugra, the Krasnoyarsk Territory and the Primorye Territory.
Follow news from the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra on its official VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, MAX and Telegram accounts.
