On Cosmonautics Day, the Russian society Znanie and Roscosmos opened the forum "Key to Launch" at the National Centre RUSSIA

The career guidance forum "Key to Launch" began on 12 April at the National Centre RUSSIA with the presentation of the national project "Youth and Children," launched on the initiative of the President of Russia. The forum is organised by the Russian society Znanie and the Roscosmos State Corporation. Throughout the day, outstanding figures of the country will share their experience, knowledge, and inspiration with young people.

The programme was opened by the General Director of the Russian society Znanie, Maxim Dreval.

"Sixty-four years ago on this day, Yuri Gagarin made the first flight into space in human history aboard the spacecraft Vostok 1. It was 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 vivid example that in our country every person has a huge number of opportunities to fulfil themselves and achieve any heights. This is the main theme of our forum 'Key to Launch'. You will hear from outstanding personalities — athletes, scientists, entrepreneurs — and I encourage you not to be shy about asking them questions. Ask how they built their paths, and build your own. In addition to the forum, a large-scale educational campaign dedicated to Cosmonautics Day is taking place across the country from 7 to 20 April. Schoolchildren and students are meeting with cosmonauts, scientists, researchers, journalists, and bloggers to learn about the achievements of the Russian space industry — and you can also become part of this campaign," said Maxim Dreval. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Grigory Gurov also spoke at the forum’s opening, thanking the Russian society Znanie for the opportunity to talk about our country and the limitless prospects available to young people. After all, children and youth are a national priority for the country.

"Today is a special day — a day of dreams. The great Russian dream of flying into space. And we must congratulate the people who are engaged in this amazing work — those in the rocket and space industry. There’s a parallel with spaceflight — each of us has our own opportunities, our own destiny, our own life. And it’s up to us how we realise them. Russia gives us limitless opportunities. Our task is to fulfil ourselves for the good of our families, our cities, our regions, and our entire country," said Grigory Gurov. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The first event of the forum was a meeting with test cosmonaut and Hero of the Russian Federation Oleg Artemyev, who shared how his dream of flying into space came true. He waited 11 years for his first flight to the ISS, and when he saw Earth from orbit, he realised that all those years of preparation for this important mission had not been in vain.

During this conversation, there was a live broadcast from the ISS, where forum participants spoke with test cosmonauts Alexei Zubritsky, Kirill Peskov, and test cosmonaut and Hero of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryzhikov. The forum attendees asked questions, and the cosmonauts shared details about their daily routine — their workday starts at six in the morning and ends at ten in the evening — and explained how functional duties are distributed within the team. They also talked about the perception of time, the experiments being conducted on the ISS, and the protection of the station from space debris. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The forum programme will also feature well-known athletes, military personnel, musicians, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Through their personal stories, they will show the young audience that it is absolutely possible to be a pioneer in a new field, make a significant discovery, set a sports record, launch a promising startup, or fill a hall with their music — as long as they are passionate about their idea and dedicated to making it a reality.

In addition, the forum will mark the official launch of the new national project "Youth and Children.".Around one thousand participants will take part in its presentation, including alumni of previous Rosmolodezh forums, representatives of regional organisations responsible for implementing the national project "Youth and Children," winners of Rosmolodezh’s grant competition, and young members of the Movement of the First. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The goal of the event is to present the core ideas of the national project "Youth and Children," introduce upcoming forum innovations, and showcase nationwide 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.ru. 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."