The International Youth Festival has kicked off in Yekaterinburg in Russia’s Urals, bringing together thousands of young people from around the world.

The festival runs from 11th to 17th September, with its main programme featuring discussions, expert sessions, workshops, cultural events and other activities. The official opening ceremony was held on 13th September.

More than 113,000 applications were submitted for the festival, with organisers selecting 10,000 participants from 191 countries, including 5,000 Russian and 5,000 international delegates.