The Moscow Youth Financial & Legal Literacy Program of 2025 has redefined what educational impact means for an entire generation — blending technological innovation, expert mentorship, and hands-on civic participation to empower thousands of young minds across Russia’s capital. Orchestrated by the Moscow Government in partnership with iVenturer Foundation, STOlica, and Capitals Academy, this ambitious initiative isn’t just a series of events — it’s a full-scale cultural phenomenon, igniting a renewed passion for practical knowledge and future-shaping skills in every participant.
Relentless Growth: Turning Ambition into a Movement
With over 100 energetic events and training sessions scheduled throughout the year, the program forged partnerships with more than 25 elite speakers and mentors — each chosen for their groundbreaking contributions across finance, business leadership, law, technology, and civic engagement. The events stretched far beyond lecture halls, filling the creative spaces of Moscow like Design-Factory FLACON’s iconic CUBE, the vibrant Moscow Youth Headquarters, and pop-up venues at leading universities and colleges. This creative approach broke down barriers, making expert-led education available and appealing to every style of learner.
In each location, students experienced a dynamic blend of interactive workshops, competitive hackathons, business simulation games, startup pitch contests, legal debates, and deep-dive masterclasses. The sheer diversity of formats created viral momentum, with trends spreading across student Telegram channels, viral TikToks, Instagram stories, and campus vlogs — ensuring no young visionary was left out of the conversation.
Massive Reach and Tangible Social Value
Drawing in over 10,000 applicants and attendees, the program turned financial and legal literacy into one of Moscow’s most sought-after youth experiences. Far more than facts and figures, participants walked away with new mindsets:
Practical budgeting and money management for students and young professionals, taught through real-life simulations
- Debt avoidance and credit mastery — lessons that demystified the financial system and gave students the power to negotiate their futures
Active investment workshops — guiding students from foundational concepts to hands-on strategies, with guest experts showing real portfolio examples
- Legal workshops — students learned to protect their consumer rights, draft essential contracts, negotiate for housing, and navigate online security in the digital age
Startup readiness: “From idea to launch”—sessions helped students validate concepts, build prototypes, and understand the legal and economic realities of entrepreneurship
Unrivaled Expert Access: Russia’s Top Leaders at Your Fingertips
With over 25 headline guests, sessions became unforgettable opportunities to learn directly from CEOs, fintech founders, investment bankers, digital transformation specialists, outstanding lawyers, public policy advocates, and government reformers. Notable organizations included Sovcombank, Indigo Kids, NOOSPHERE, SSB Worldwide, plus rising stars of Moscow’s tech and business scene.
Speaker Highlights:
Real-world Q&As and advice from company founders on navigating uncertainty and seizing opportunity
- Industry mentors who offered personalized feedback on student investment plans, startup pitches, and legal challenge solutions
Coaches on negotiation, critical thinking, and digital professionalism — giving attendees the edge in future work environments
“Live case” hackathons where teams collaborated with experts to solve urgent finance and legal problems for local communities
Main speakers, experts and guests
Yaroslav Chereshnev
Sovcombank PJSC — Managing Director of the Digital Bank (2020 – present) • Management of the Digital Block: Product, Partnerships, Analytics, Customer Service, IT, and Marketing
Evgeny Boev
Head of committee of standartisation and International collaborations at RSPP, Founder at Repka Group
Aleksei Brycheev
Head of CIS Intermational Innovation Founadation
Timofey Ra
CEO of Indigo Kids is one of the most successful international developers of online children's games in the world from Russia. Founder of Vimana Aero - development of UAVs, Founders Institute - mentor.
Aleksey Petrovsky
Head of analytics at RAMBLER GROUP, AKAR, RUSSCIENCE FOUNDATION aka "Runet's Chief Analytic"
Elena Volodina
Founder and CEO of Volodina.LAB - PR & Marketing solutions and services.
Artem Malakhov
Managing Partner at "Intelligent Trading Systems", CEO at SnabHub and ConsulTrade, International Trading expert with over 15 years experience.
Armen Khanoyants
Launch and promotion of InnoKid - EdTech equipment for children Development and commercialization of VoiceBook multimedia children's books, including those with augmented reality
Nikolay Ponomarenko
President of NOOSPHERE JSC, President of LUDI JSC. Member of the Board of Trustees of the Future People Charitable Foundation
Irina Bokova
Marketing and product development expert with over 13 years experience
Andrey Demidov
Russian expert in data analysis and visualization, development of data analysis products and solutions for POCHTA RUSSII, ROSATOM, GAZPROMNEFT, TELE2, BEELINE, X5, and EVRAZ.
Ruslan Musin
Serial entrepreneur, ex-banker, Founder of SpeakUs, BurnGram, ExtraGPU and others
Ruslan Mamedov
An expert on personal and career growth. An international business coach, who has produced more than 100 projects He has purchased property worth more than 3 billion rubles
ARTEM VARKULEVICH
Founder and Head of ONTO, Visionary, BigData expert
ANDREY PANGAEV
Founder fo Biotech Alliance, Sl.Pharma, MedCan, president of APPK association, head of Sechenova University lab.
Alexander Pro
Crypto-enthusiast, investor, entrepreneur
Kirill Perchenko
Art Collector and expert, Owner of Perfectum ART Gallery, Music Producer
Ksenia Kozlova
Business-woman, speaker, blogger, founder of SSB Worldwide.
Nikita Anisimov
Entrepreneur, Legal Advisor, Speaker.
Tatyana Stepchenkova
An acting teacher, director and expert in the development of public speaking and communication skills. She aksi is the artistic director of the Moscow Theater.
Creating Civic Champions: Driving Impact Beyond the Classroom
The program didn’t just build financial and legal knowledge. It cultivated civic awareness and leadership, encouraging social impact projects and community building. Participants contributed to public initiatives — from advocacy for fair youth banking policies and legal reforms to launching digital platforms for peer education.
Empowered with these skills, graduates are now taking charge, leading student clubs, nonprofit startups, and high-profile campus projects. Their success stories are broadcast across social media — motivating others to elevate their personal literacy and pursue change.
Why Is It Important?
Surveys show that 67% of Russians aged 18–25 lack confidence in managing finances, while 1 in 3 has fallen victim to scams due to legal blind spots. This program bridges theory and practice: participants dissect real cases, draft contracts, and even simulate startups.
“Literacy today isn’t just about reading books – it’s about turning opportunities into achievements. We’re empowering Moscow’s youth with the confidence to lead, to decide boldly, and to shape futures with unstoppable clarity.”
– Aleksei Olin, the Organizer of the educational program and Managing Partner @ iVenturer Foundation
Where Education Meets Culture: Creative Spaces, Trendy Venues
By hosting flagship sessions at trendsetting venues like FLACON, CUBE, and the city’s buzzing youth headquarters, the program became an experience — equal parts education, networking, and inspiration. Pop-up masterclasses and “Fintech Fridays” at design spaces, student business labs, and open market events brought theory to life through engaging challenges and networking mixers.
The Main Topics Of The Program:
- Digital finance and e-banking tools
- Personal budgeting for students and young adults
- Smart saving strategies and building an emergency fund
- Introduction to investing: stocks, bonds, and fintech platforms
- Understanding credit systems, credit scores, and loans
- Preventing financial fraud in the digital era
- Student legal rights: contracts, employment, and tenancy
- How to read and analyze financial statements and bills
- Social media safety and protecting your finances online
- Navigating taxes and personal deductions
- Banking fundamentals: types of accounts, fees, and mobile apps
- Entrepreneurship bootcamp: from business idea to launch
- Real estate basics: renting, buying, and legal aspects
- Insurance essentials for students: health, travel, and property
- International money transfers and currency exchange
- Investment case studies: stories from success and failure
- Debt avoidance and responsible repayment
- Building a business plan and presenting ideas
- Career skills: negotiation, networking, and personal branding
- Civic engagement and finance: supporting social projects
- Financial planning for further education and scholarships
- Digital identity and keeping your financial data secure
- The gig economy: freelancing, part-time jobs, and legal rights
- Everyday financial decision-making and critical thinking
- The future of money: cryptocurrencies, AI, and tech trends
Endless Ripple Effect: A New Generation Steps Forward
This program’s digital content — including masterclass recordings, social media campaigns, live event streams, and interactive quizzes — extends its legacy across wider circles, fueling trending hashtags and viral educational memes nationwide. The national conversation about financial and legal literacy, once dull and bureaucratic, is now bold, memorable, and full of potential. Other cities are seeking to replicate Moscow’s approach, and alumni are inspiring a cascade of new initiatives.
Why this is more than education:
- A launchpad for ambitious ideas and responsible citizenship, forging Moscow’s reputation as a center of youth innovation
It’s a movement driven by creativity, competition, and youth leadership
- The gold standard for educational programming in 21st-century Russia — a model that proves “learning” can be viral, relevant, and transformative
Every young person who joins is not just attending an event—they’re building a new future for themselves and for Moscow. The program stands as a testament to what happens when bold ideas, committed partners, and inspired participants come together — a blueprint for the next chapter of youth empowerment across Russia.
What’s Next?
Plans are underway to scale the project nationally and launch online courses, ensuring accessibility beyond Moscow. Stay tuned via STOлица and iVenturer Foundation channels—more transformative content is coming!
Ready to join? Follow updates from the Moscow Government and program partners!
