Russian-German youth cooperation is carried out in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of youth cooperation of December 21, 2004.
One of the priority areas for the implementation of the Agreement is the holding of joint youth events in the field of sports (meaning mass sports since the Agreement does not address issues of youth exchange in the field of elite sports).
In 2017 in order to intensify bilateral youth cooperation in the field of mass sports, the Russian Coordination Bureau for Youth Cooperation with Germany initiated the creation of a partnership between the Russian Student Sports Union and the German Sports Youth Association Deutsche Sportjugend (dsj) im Deutschen Olympischen Sportbund e.V. (the corresponding cooperation agreement was signed on September 14, 2017 in Rostov-on-Don).
Traditional events within this area of bilateral cooperation have become joint forums of sports youth exchanges organizers aimed at creating partnerships between Russian and German organizations for the further implementation of youth exchange projects in the field of mass sports. The first forum was held from September 24 to 29, 2017 in Berlin, the second – from October 7 to 12, 2018 in St. Petersburg, the third – from September 22 to 27, 2019 in Dortmund, the fourth forum because of the Covid-19 pandemic took place online on September 14, 15, 21, 2020.
At the XVI Meeting of the Russian-German Council in the field of youth cooperation it was decided to hold the fifth forum in 2021 in Russia, Astrakhan and Elista.
Goals and objectives of the forum:
- Informing about possibilities of Russian-German youth cooperation,
- Acquaintance with the system of sports work with youth in Russia and Germany,
- Creation and development of partnerships for the implementation of Russian-German youth exchange projects in the field of mass sports.
Participants: Representatives of partner sports organizations from Russia and Germany, already implementing youth exchanges in the field of mass sports as well as representatives of organizations wishing to find partners for such exchanges. The Russian delegation included representatives of sports organizations from Vladikavkaz, Vsevolozhsk, Yekaterinburg, Yelets, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Karachaevsk, Magnitogorsk, Moscow, Novorossiysk, Orenburg, Omsk, Ryazan, St. Petersburg, Pyatigorsk, Tikhoretsk and Chelyabinsk, representatives of organizations assisting the development of Russian-German youth cooperation. In total 74 people participated there.
Outcomes: As a part of the forum program in Astrakhan participants got acquainted with possibilities of Russian-German youth cooperation in general, the system of sports work with youth in Russia and Germany, discussed possibilities and features of conducting sports youth exchange projects in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants were trained at seminars and master classes on the topics "Intercultural education and upbringing through sports. The role of sport in the social development of the individual and society", "Methods of organizing Russian-German sports youth exchange", "Financing of Russian-German sports youth exchanges". They also visited the Turbo Sports Academy and the Patriot martial arts club.
In Elista participants met with the Head of the Republic of Kalmykia B.S. Khasikov, visited sports departments of the Regional Sports Training Center and the Oirat-Arena Sports Palace, tried their hand at national sports for the Republic of Kalmykia such as archery, horseback riding and others. On the way back from Elista to Astrakhan forum participants visited the Memorial complex in the village of Khulhuta dedicated to soldiers of the 28th Army, solemnly opened the historical park of military graves and visited a place that was significant for events of the Second World War – the well of "life" in the village of Khulhuta. The key point of the program was the work in partner groups as a result of which 19 sports youth exchange projects were developed. They would be implemented in 2022.
