Press releases

MOSCOW, 14 September (BelTA) – The official opening ceremony for the 13^th international festival Youth for the Union State took place at the Maxim Gorky Academic Drama Theater in Rostov-on-Don, Moscow on 13 September, BelTA learned from the press service of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) of the Belarus-Russia Union State.

Deputy Chairman of the PA Commission on Social and Youth Policy, Science, Culture and Humanitarian Affairs Alexander Segodnik read out the greetings to the participants and guests of the festival from First Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko. “The events of the kind demonstrate the readiness of the youth of the Union State to become a conductor of the Union State integration ideas, to take over the baton from the older generation,” the greetings say.

The participants of the festival were also greeted by Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly, First Vice-Speaker of the State Duma of Russia Ivan Melnikov, State Secretary of the Union State Grigory Rapota, Governor of Rostov Oblast Vasily Golubev.

The opening ceremony featured young and well-known pop artists from Belarus and Russia: Stas Piekha, Ilona Bronevitskaya, Valery Skorozhonok, Irina Savitskaya, Alexander Elovskikh, Provokatsiya and Respublika bands, and others.

The festival will last through 18 September. The program of activities will cover Rostov-on-Don and the cities of Rostov Oblast. The International Competition of Youth Song Performers, the main event of the festival, will take place on 14 September. Taking part in it will be more than 20 young singers who have passed national selections in Belarus and Russia. The same day will see parliamentary hearings on the Role of the Youth Chamber at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus-Russia Union State in Cooperation between Youth Organizations of Belarus and Russia, and also a meeting of the PA Committee on Social and Youth Policy, Science, Culture and Humanitarian Affairs and the PA Commission on Legislation and Regulations.

On 15 September, the festival participants will tour the cities of Shakhty and Taganrog with a special program. An evening of humor will take place in Rostov-on-Don. A sport marathon and a concert will be held on 16 September.

The Youth for the Union State festival is annual event held on the initiative of the Parliamentary Assembly and with the support of the Union State Permanent Committee. The organization of this year’s event was also supported by the government and the Legislative Assembly and the Youth Policy Committee of Rostov Oblast.