The President’s visit, the Congress meeting, and the launch of projects: how the IV Congress of the Movement of the First unfolded at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The IV Congress of the Movement of the First took place at the National Centre RUSSIA from March 26 to 28. More than two thousand participants from all regions of Russia took part in the special program. Over three days, they worked on defining the current directions for developing educational initiatives for children and youth in Russia.

The solemn opening ceremony of the IV Congress of the Movement of the First was attended by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. The head of state addressed the Congress participants and guests from various regions, welcoming them to the National Centre RUSSIA. The President emphasized the significance of the Movement of the First in shaping the younger generation.

"The main goal, one of the main goals of the movement, is to help young people, the younger generation — as you and your peers are often addressed — find their place in life. Because if a person, at the very beginning of their journey, finds the right path toward their goal, the one that suits them best, it becomes the key to success. And almost everyone wants to succeed. Even if someone thinks they don’t need anything and everything is fine as it is — deep down, everyone strives for success," said Vladimir Putin.

One of the key events of the Congress was the meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Movement of the First, chaired by Vladimir Putin. The head of state spoke with members of the Movement — children, their parents, and mentors from various regions of Russia — who shared their ideas with the President. He also listened to a report by Hero of Russia, participant of the "Time of Heroes" program, and Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First, Artur Orlov. He provided a detailed overview of the organization's achievements over the past two years and outlined future plans.

On March 27, the Congress meeting of the Movement of the First took place. It was attended by more than 1,000 people, including delegates from 89 regions of Russia, members of the Federal Council of the First, the Coordination Council, and the Board of the Movement of the First.

"The Congress of the Movement brings together all of Russia — 1,060 delegates from 89 regions, from Kaliningrad to Chukotka. Young members of the Movement, together with their adult mentors, reviewed the 'Book of Values' and approved the concept of the Year of Friendship within the Movement. They also summarized the results of the 'New Year Tree of Wishes' initiative and discussed new joint projects. Ahead lies significant work that will further expand opportunities for the development and self-realization of children and youth in the coming years," noted Hero of Russia, participant of the presidential program "Time of Heroes," and Chairman of the Board of the Movement of the First, Artur Orlov, during the Congress meeting.

The participants discussed the Movement's key achievements in 2024, outlined goals for 2025, and voted on amendments to the organization's Charter. Delegates of the Federal Council presented the program for the Year of Friendship, which was announced following the III Congress in November 2024. The Congress also determined the winner of the mascot contest for the Year of Friendship. Out of more than 1,200 submitted designs, the winning entry was the puppy "Lapa" ("Paw") created by Gordey Vasilyev from the Chuvash Republic. Additionally, the kids spoke about the "Book of Values" — a collection of the 11 core priorities of the First.

Based on the adopted "Book of Values," members of the Federal Council of the First developed a social media flash mob. As part of this initiative, each participant is invited to record a video sharing which value is most significant to them, how it helps them make the right decisions, and what it means to be First.

At the IV Congress of the Movement of the First, a session of the Scientific and Methodological Council was held, dedicated to the scientific and theoretical support of the Movement’s development. Experts discussed the implementation of priority areas for developing and introducing programs within the Movement of the First, the results of studying regional experiences of youth and children's organizations, and research on educational practices. Based on the session’s outcomes, an analysis will be conducted, and plans will be outlined for the scientific and theoretical support of the Movement's development.

At the platform of the Congress, the First also celebrated World Theatre Day. On this day, a press conference in the format of a roundtable was held, focusing on the development of school and youth theatres. The participants summarized the results of the previous seasons of the flagship project of the Movement of the First, "School Classics," discussed future cooperation, and approved a work plan for creating and developing school and youth theatres in the regions of Russia until 2028. Also, on March 27, the traditional All-Russian campaign "Theatrical Backstage" began. The First will visit famous theatres in more than 50 regions of Russia and meet with experts in the theatrical field, helping them choose their future professions. 

"Currently, the all-Russian registry contains information on over 41,000 school theatres. Since the beginning of 2019, more than 760,000 children have been enrolled in them. The roadmap for creating and developing school theatres in the regions of the Russian Federation will help systematize our work and make the activities of such organizations more public. I would like to emphasize that, in terms of educational work, school theatres are just as important as patriotic clubs and school museums," said Alexander Bugayev, First Deputy Minister of Education of the Russian Federation.

The Congress also hosted a working meeting on the development of the International Association of Children's Organizations (IACO). The event brought together more than 50 participants, including representatives of the Movement of the First, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo, as well as international partners and IACO members. Participants came from Russia, Abkhazia, Algeria, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, and Serbia. One of the key issues discussed at the meeting was the development of IACO as a platform for international youth cooperation. The participants emphasized the importance of creating an inclusive environment for cross-cultural communication and supporting youth initiatives, as well as worked on the association's concept.

During these days, the participants had a productive program. At motivational meetings and lectures, they had the opportunity to engage with well-known and outstanding individuals, Heroes of Russia, actors, athletes, and politicians. The participants met with Maria Zakharova, Director of the Department of Information and Press at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who, during an open lecture titled "Russia in the Global Information Space," shared her unique knowledge about mechanics that shape Russia's image abroad, how international media work with information, about the technologies used in modern information warfare, and how youth can participate in protecting national interests in the media space.

The Firsts also met with the State Secretary — Deputy Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) Denis Ashirov, Deputy Director General of the National Centre RUSSIA Anastasia Zvyagina, figure skater, director of world shows, producer of "Ice Age" Ilya Averbukh, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Olympic Champion Nikita Nagorny, Russian theater and film actor Vyacheslav Chepurchenko, blogger Aidar Kalimullin, Russian figure skater, Olympic Champion Roman Kostomarov, Russian figure skater, bronze medalist at the Vancouver Olympics Oksana Domnina, Russian theater, film, and dubbing actor, artist of the Moscow Art Theatre named after A. P. Chekhov Viktor Khorynyak, Honored Coach of Russia, member of the International Hockey Hall of Fame, President of the CSKA Hockey Club Vyacheslav Fetisov, Russian journalist and TV presenter, member of the Academy of Russian Television, host of the "Vesti at 20:00" program on the "Russia-1" TV channel, director of the "First Academy of Media" at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics Ernest Matskavichus, Director General of JSC "Centre for Biometric Technologies" Vladislav Povolotsky, and others.

At the "100 Answers from Heroes" session, which brings together the stories of the heroes of our time, participants of the presidential program "Time of Heroes" – Acting Minister for Youth Policy and Social Communications of Yakutia, Hero of Russia Igor Yurgin, and Director General of the Scientific and Production Center for Unmanned Aerial Systems "SAMARA" Konstantin Yashin — shared with the Firsts the essence of heroism, courage, and why they chose the path of serving the Fatherland. The heroes shared their stories of feats and how their service experience continues to guide them in their current activities.

At the Congress, the winners and laureates of the All-Russian competition "Prize of the Firsts" were awarded. Over 30 projects and organizations from 19 regions of Russia were honored. The awards were presented by Hero of Russia, participant of the presidential program "Time of Heroes", and Chairman of the Board of the First Movement, Artur Orlov. He thanked the participants for their activity and dedication, noting that the success of the First Movement was achieved thanks to the initiatives of children and the support of the entire society. The results of the All-Russian campaign "New Year Tree of Wishes" were also announced during a themed press conference. This year, nearly 112,000 children's wishes were fulfilled, with many children facing difficult life circumstances. Over the past seven years, more than 320,000 dreams of children from across the country have been realized as part of this campaign.

On the final day of the Congress, the new season of the Drone Piloting Championship "Pilots of the Future" was launched. This initiative aims to introduce young people to modern technologies and innovative devices, as well as to popularize engineering professions.

Participants of the All-Russian competition "Native Toy," representing 89 regions of Russia, gathered in the Business Zone of the First Movement Congress to share a piece of their homeland. Each participant brought a toy symbolizing their region. The young participants proudly talked about their mascots, sharing the stories of their creation. Afterward, a masterclass on creating "Native Toys" took place for the Firsts. These toys, representing various regions, will be showcased at the finale of the competition organized by the First Movement and the Russian society Znanie.

In addition, several agreements were signed during the Congress. The First Movement signed a cooperation agreement with the Institute for the Development of Vocational Education, a cooperation agreement with the All-Russian Public Movement for the Promotion of Patriotic and Sports Education "Healthy Fatherland," and a roadmap for cooperation with the Rosatom State Corporation. 

On the final day of the Congress, March 28, a panel discussion titled "The Future through the Eyes of the Firsts" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA. This session marked the culmination of the Congress, summarizing the discussions, joint actions, and ideas formulated during the business part of the event. The speakers included Arthur Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the First Movement, Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), Artem Metelyov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy and Chairman of the Board of the Association Dobro.rf, and Dmitry Pokrovsky, Chairman of the Russian Youth Union.

During the discussion, one of the performers of the global hit "Sigma Boy," Maria Yankovskaya, was welcomed into the Movement of the First. Following a proposal from Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), Maria will take on an important mission as a consultant and broadcaster of youth values for Rosmolodezh.

On the final day of the IV Congress of the First Movement, the sixth season of the All-Russian competition "Bolshaya Peremena" ("Big Change") was launched. The ceremony was attended by the winners and finalists from previous seasons of the project, mentor-teachers, leaders of ministries and departments, as well as representatives from major Russian corporate partners. This year, the launch ceremony of "Bolshaya Peremena" took place for the first time in the format of an immersive performance, where schoolchildren and college students shared their successes after participating in the competition and had the opportunity to meet with leaders of ministries, departments, and representatives of major Russian corporate partners.

The distinguished guests of the Congress also included Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Head of the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation; Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Irina Pleshcheva, Head of the Department of Projects and Programs in the Field of Youth and Child Education of the Executive Office of the President of the Russian Federation; Lyubov Glebova, First Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Construction; Yekaterina Altabayeva, Deputy Chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education, and Culture; Vladislav Grib, Deputy Secretary of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation; Natalia Kravchenko, Chairperson of the Commission on Education and Upbringing of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation; Konstantin Kolpakov, Head of the International Sports Youth Cooperation and Tourism Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia; Alexander Sidyakin, Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and Coordinator of the federal party project "Historical Memory;" Yevgeny Knyazev, Rector of the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute; Yelena Ilaltdinova, Head of the Laboratory for Scientific and Methodological Support of Children's and Youth Organizations and Communities at the Russian Academy of Education; Inal Gablia, Minister of Education of the Republic of Abkhazia; Taslim Hansen, Vice President of the Indonesian Youth Fund; Mohammed Hadjoui, Chairman of the Moroccan Children's Pioneer Organization of the Kingdom of Morocco; Dmitry Uvarov, Director of Strategic Partnerships at VK; Yevgeny Danchikov, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Main Control Department of Moscow, Member of the Central Coordination and Review Committee of the Movement of the First; Tatyana Terentyeva, Deputy Director General of Rosatom; Maria Afonina, Deputy Chair of the Board of the "Dobro.rf" Association; Anna Khramova, Head of the Music Direction at the Tavrida Art Cluster; Yelena Ulyanova, author and producer of the "Rodniki" National Project Competition; Tatyana Ivanova, Director of the Oksana Fyodorova Foundation, Organizer of the All-Russian Festival "My Russia: Musical Journey;" Oleg Kivokurtsev, co-founder and co-owner of the robotics company Promobot; Roman Dunayev, Head of the ANO "Union of Young Innovators" and the children's project group OKAS; Vadim Filippov, founder and CEO of the company LLC "Association of Cognitive Associative Systems"; Olga Zenina, Head of the educational institutions and career guidance department at SuperJob, President of the Association of Organizations and Experts in Career Guidance.

The Congress was also attended by Anna Kuznetsova, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma. She emphasized that the connection between generations and mentorship is of great importance for the country's development.

"Mentorship can become one of the driving forces that unites generations. Today, we all talk about values, and the connection between generations is one of the key values. A tree without roots dries up, but when we all walk forward holding hands, it provides a strong foundation for the present and the future," said Anna Kuznetsova, Deputy Speaker of the State Duma.

The IV Congress of the Movement of the First took place from March 26 to 28 at the National Centre RUSSIA. This is the highest governing body of the Movement, which creates a space for co-creation among the main participants of the educational process — children, parents, and mentors. The IV Congress brought together more than two thousand participants from 89 regions of Russia on a single platform. The events vividly showcase the ideas of the Movement of the First, where schoolchildren and students are the initiators of projects and also transmitters of the country's traditional values.