19th World Festival of Youth and Students
The 19th World Festival of Youth and Students was opened on October 14, 2017 in Sochi, Russia. The festival attracted 20,000 people from 180 countries. The opening ceremony of the Festival was held in the arena of the Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi. The official slogan of the festival is "For peace, solidarity and social justice, we are fighting against imperialism - respecting our past, we are building our future!". This was the 3rd World Festival of Youth and Students on Russian territory, with the 6th and 12th festivals being held in Moscow in 1957, and 1985.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the All-Russian Youth Educational Forum criticizing the coverage of the festival saying that "it is necessary to avoid politicizing the festival and devote it to young people".
