The Words of the Officerov Family |
Novosibirsk, Russia -- The first Folk Festival for Happy Families was launched in Novosibirsk in the commercial court of the local department store "Russia" on August 12, International Youth Day.
At the opening ceremony, representatives of public organizations and members of the organizing committee of the festival addressed the audience.
For this year's International Youth Day, the UN chose the theme "Youth and Migration." Speakers came not only from Novosibirsk but also from Africa. Collins from Nigeria said that Nigerian families also desire to give their children a good education so that they can be prosperous rather than live poverty. He was educated in Novosibirsk and is now facing a choice of where to live and work. He would like to create a strong family with many children, but first of all he needs to find a good job. In Novosibirsk he sees good prospects for career growth and raising a family.
The participants of the event were captivated by the performance of the youth folk ensemble "Courage" (headed by Yulia Kondratova) of the cultural-and-entertainment center named after K.S. Stanislavsky (Leninsky district), starring in the magnificent Russian costumes and singing Russian and Belarusian folk songs. The Glinka Conservatory student, Martinez, performed three solo trombone pieces and then expressed a wish that all those present, including young people, can find happiness in their families and not be afraid of moving to new places.
The festival organizers offered the citizens an entertainment program that included interactive talks on the themes of "Friendship" and "Reconciliation," participation in a photo session, a skit on the theme of "Happy Marriage," and the jacket, "Happy family man". Representatives of the Center for Spiritual Development invited the participants to test their "degree of kindness" in the framework of a social project for the youth "I choose benevolence!" The representatives of the NGO "Humanitarian Project" shared about their "Project 15" for parents and teenagers, aimed at promoting responsibility and integrity.
On the first day of the festival, Dmitry Officerov, secretary general of UPF-Siberia, gave an educational presentation to young people on love and infatuation, the importance of chastity until marriage, and pure love. Young people made a vow to follow these principles and build their family happiness accordingly. All participants who made a pledge of chastity before marriage were given balloons with the words "I choose chastity."
The opening ceremony of the Day of Happy Families ended with singing songs about family, love, and fidelity.
The final day of the festival will be September 11.
Co-sponsors of the festival included UPF-Siberia; the Family Council association; Novosibirsk regional NGO Women's Initiative and Creative Association; Novosibirsk city NGO Center for the Promotion of Parental Culture "Ozarenye"; the regional NGO "Siberian Academy of Traditional Folk Culture"; the interregional NGO "Creating and Preserving Families"; studio of inspiring projects "Be!"; the Siberia regional center "Family Ark"; and the public corporation "ExpoNsk."