"This will never be forgotten!": The delegates of YKSUG returned from the XIX World Festival of Students and Youth in Sochi and shared their impressions
Veranika Kazhaneuskaya, 4th year student of the Faculty of Pedagogy:
– Emotions that I felt at the festival just do not convey in words. Everything was bright and rich! For me festival started a little earlier than for everyone. It was a great honor for me to be a delegate from Belarus at the parade of youth and students in Moscow. There we really became a huge, friendly, international family. All together we sang "Katyusha", danced "Kalinka-malinka", told about traditions, national cuisine of our countries. A gift for us was a river excursion in the "Russian style" in Moscow on a closed boat, where we tried dishes from all over Russia. Then each of us felt the scope and breadth of the Russian soul. On the boat in front of us were the creative teams of Russia and together with them we learned several dances. Every day was filled with new impressions. For the participants of the festival were organized dance floors, competitions, sections on interests. We got up at 6 am and went to bed late at night to participate in various activities. We brought so many new impressions from the festival that probably this will never be forgotten!
Yauheny Shydlousky, Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Office at the Education Internationalization Center:
- After the XIX World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi ended, there were only positive emotions, I was amazed and delighted with the level and scale of the festival, the opening and closing ceremonies, the organization of thematic events, the number of top-level speakers, the number and quality of the discussion areas. As a participant in such a large-scale event, together with delegates from other countries, I was able to discuss global world problems and successfully launch a new international exhibition brand "YOUTH EXPO". Here together with the students of our university we represented the education system of the Republic of Belarus, in particular, the potential of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. Everything was great!
Alena Yanko, 2nd year student of the Faculty of Economics and Management:
- I was really lucky to become a part of such a grandiose event! All the days passed by in one breath. I had the honor to represent Belarus at the exhibition and tell about our national nobility suit. How pleasant it was to hear from everywhere warm words about the Belarusian cordiality and peace. I visited scientific, cultural and sports grounds, got acquainted with a huge number of people. These acquaintances will stay with me for life. The experience I've acquired will help me continue to glorify our favorite university. It is impossible to convey in words the feeling that you are part of something new, something huge. I am immensely grateful to the university administration and to all who gave me the opportunity to get to the festival and glorify my native Belarus!
Aliaksandr Lapatneu, 5th year student of the Faculty of Philology:
- The festival was insanely exciting and cognitive for me! Only in time, looking back, I understand that I became a participant of a grand historical event. During my eight days in Sochi, I was able to visit a huge number of workshops and trainings, seminars and lectures, and most importantly - I established many contacts with young people from many countries of the world. For example, I met Giuseppe Sampadelli, who is responsible for academic exchange programs in ESN Italy - the International Network of Students as part of the Erasmus exchange program in Italy. We discussed the features of education systems in Italy and Belarus, the processes of internationalization of education of the two countries and a number of other topical issues. I am very glad that at the festival it was easy to find any occupation for yourself: from skating to taking part in panel discussions with the rector of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University Viktor Sadovnich and the first persons of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. I want to say a big thank you to our alma mater for supporting my initiative and the opportunity to participate in the XIX World Festival of Youth and Students!
Karyna Mlynouskaya, 4th year student of the Faculty of Pedagogy:
- The World Festival in Sochi has filled my life with positive, diverse, unforgettable and interesting days. I managed to visit several discussions on the civil development platform aimed at activating youth in the system of self-government. There I learned how the work of student government in China, Russia and India was organized and met with a representative of the UN volunteer organizations. Especially memorable were the meetings with famous people who have great life experience and came to share with the festival participants - young people from dozens of countries. We had the opportunity to talk with the motivational speaker Nick Vuichich, the director Fyodor Bondarchuk, the actor Sergei Bezrukov, the politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the French writer Frederik Begbeder. These meetings allowed me to get motivated to realize my plans. In general, such a festival is a great opportunity to find friends from different parts of the world, to get acquainted with the mentality of another country, its culture and people, and finally even for a while feel themselves a part of them. I am very grateful to the University and the country for the opportunity to participate in the World Festival of Youth and Students!
Information
The World Festival of Youth and Students was held for the 19th time. The venue was the Russian city of Sochi. The event brought together more than 25,000 participants from 150 countries. Among them were representatives of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno. During the week, from October 14 to October 20, the students took part in discussion, cultural, scientific, educational and sports programs with the participation of world-class professionals, attended numerous master classes and creative workshops, communicated with like-minded people and colleagues from around the world. The festival is aimed at consolidating the youth world community, strengthening international relations and developing interethnic and intercultural interaction.
