"More than a Trip" program presented tour routes of the International RUSSIA EXPO in Moscow

The excursion program of the International RUSSIA EXPO was presented at the VDNH on October 26. More than 2 thousand guides - participants of the contest "Guides of Meanings" - will help the guests to learn about the achievements and successes of their native country. They were selected and trained in the course of the educational program specially developed by the experts of the Rosmolodezh program "More than a Trip".

The International RUSSIA EXPO will be opened on November 4 and will run until April 12, 2024. Visitors will see expositions of 89 Russian regions, leading federal agencies, corporations and public organizations. An extensive educational, cultural and business program is planned during the exposition.

"Rosmolodezh program "More than a Trip" and the «Directorate of the Exhibition of Achievements "Russia"» have organized a contest for the selection and training of tour guides "Guides of Meanings" specially for work at the VDNH. The work of these industry specialists determines the tourists' perception of a particular territory or a visited object, in our case - the site of a significant event for our country. In total, thousands of people will be going to the International RUSSIA EXPO through the program "More than a Trip". They are activists of the "Movement of the First", participants of the project "Leaders of the Region - 2023" and other ambitious young people. It is important that both the guides and the guests include representatives of new regions. Thus, we plan to send young people from Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions to Moscow to visit the exposition", - said Oleg Makarov, advisor to the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh).

In addition to the mentioned excursion routes, an immersive tour around VDNH is planned for the guests. It represents the tour under the Rosmolodezh program "More than a Trip" based on the experience of its participants. It is a theatrical performance in the format of a multi-voiced audio play featuring actors. The premiere will take place at the First Youth Tourism Forum "More than a Trip", which will be held from November 13 to 17 within the framework of the RUSSIA EXPO. Such excursions will take place twice a month in the format of a special project.

About 100 Moscow schoolchildren and representatives of the federal media had the opportunity to be first to follow the designed excursion routes at VDNH.

"We had an ambitious task - to make sure that the achievements of all 89 subjects of our country were presented at the exposition and that everyone who comes to the RUSSIA EXPO as a guest learns about them. That is why we came up with the "Guides of Meanings" contest. Not only professional guides, such as museum employees or self-employed people from Moscow and the Moscow region, took part in it. The competition attracted about 2.5 thousand participants from all over the country, including students and people working in fields related to tourism. The first shift of guides, who will work on the routes of the exposition, will start on November 3", - said Olga Yurakova, head of the excursion projects department of the program "More than a Trip" and the contest "Guides of Meanings".

During the International RUSSIA EXPO a guest center will be organized at the entrance of the VDNH. It will be supervised by representatives of Rosmolodezh "More Than a Trip" program. About 50 specialists, including participants of the contest "Guides of Meanings", will work with visitors every day. Tour guides will tell about the thematic pavilions, the event program, recommend excursions and answer visitors' questions. In addition, more than 20 information desks will be installed in the pavilions of the exposition to guide visitors through the participants stands and expositions. Besides the guest center, the opportunity to register for excursions will also be available on the website of the International RUSSIA EXPO.

Tours of the exposition will be available in 6 languages: Russian, English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Arabic. Oksana Chekhovskaya, an accredited Moscow guide-interpreter, told about the educational program of the contest "Guides of Meanings" and her own preparation for the excursions. The girl will work with Spanish-speaking visitors.

"Foreign audience is different from Russian-speaking guests. Overseas visitors have their own idea of Russia, often very stereotypical. It is important for me to try to show them our culture, our history as it is. To tell them about latest developments, to share successes in various industries, to refute myths. We have a lot to be proud of, and this information should be shared with foreign guests. In this sense, the educational program of the contest "Guides of Meanings" has greatly expanded the information material that we traditionally use in tours of the capital. And it's great", - said Oksana Chekhovskaya.

The tour outline of the International RUSSIA EXPO program also includes independent routes for visitors accompanied by an audio guide created in partnership between the "More than a Trip" program and the Russian Society "Knowledge". 

In addition, the "Knowledge" Society has prepared two versions of exclusive author's tours. Thus, exposition visitors with children can take family excursions - this is a unique opportunity to pass the route together with favorite characters of famous cartoons. The program will be interesting both for the youngest visitors and their parents. The excursion is available in two formats: audio guide, in which popular characters will escort the whole family through the exhibits of the exposition, telling fascinating stories and asking questions in a playful way, and thematic walking routes with a guide and an animator. Prominent opinion leaders, famous artists and public figures will tell visitors about the key achievements of the country in the XXI century within the framework of the "Excursions with Knowledge" project. The first tour of this kind around the RUSSIA EXPO will be led by Konstantin Bogomolov, director and artistic director of the Moscow Drama Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, on October 27.