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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
The event will feature a presentation of a collection of essays written by participants of the international project "Open Dialogue: The Future of the World. New Platform for Global Growth."