The XVIII Republican Festival of youth press “Altyn kalam – Golden Feather” collected 308 applications from participants. The organizers report that 118 people have qualified for the next stages of the competition. Now the participants are waiting for educational intensive courses, lectures from famous speakers, competitive tests and the traditional final festival.

The audience was most interested in such areas as “Television”, “Podcasts”, “Print Journalism in Tatar and Russian” and SMM. The new direction “Student Media” has collected 32 applications.

“Participants will not only be able to exchange experiences, gain practical skills, but also become the personnel reserve of the Tatarstan media system. I’m sure that the competition program will help to further search for young people in the profession and personal development,” said Rinat Sadykov, Minister of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Traditionally, the festival will select the winners of the Grand Prix, which provides a certificate for studying at a university in a media related field.

The festival is organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Republican Agency for Press and Mass Communications Tatmedia, the Union of Journalists of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, universities of Tatarstan, the TV and radio company Novy Vek and the youth magazine Idel.