We were greeted very warmly in an unseasonably cold (and snowy) Moscow! The local Youth for Human Rights group surprised us at the airport with a welcoming party replete with flowers, flags, a human rights banner, and plenty of cheering young people! This was a great start to a really successful tour stop.
Human rights has been a contentious subject in Russia for a long time. The country has come a long way since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, but abuses are still commonplace. Nonetheless, we were well received by everyone we met, from government authorities to NGOs, schools, and community groups. All were interested in our message and clearly determined to improve human rights in Russia. Education was a major focus everywhere we went and we saw plenty of great initiatives to improve the lives of children.
We visited several schools during this five-day tour stop and were presented with some wonderful music and dance performances. One group we visited is devoted to excellence in the performing arts. Their students have won quite a few awards and have toured all over the world. They loved our United music video and PSAs and were clearly excited to have us at their school. We also visited another city arts school whose choir director is a big supporter of YHRI. After giving us a moving performance, the choir picked up our banner and sang a beautiful folk song as an encore. This was a special treat for sure. Have a look in the video below!
We also squeezed in a visit to the Red Square and were able to see many of the iconic images of Moscow. It is truly a spectacular city and we are proud that Youth for Human Rights is becoming a major presence in Russia.
Human rights has been a contentious subject in Russia for a long time. The country has come a long way since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, but abuses are still commonplace. Nonetheless, we were well received by everyone we met, from government authorities to NGOs, schools, and community groups. All were interested in our message and clearly determined to improve human rights in Russia. Education was a major focus everywhere we went and we saw plenty of great initiatives to improve the lives of children.
We visited several schools during this five-day tour stop and were presented with some wonderful music and dance performances. One group we visited is devoted to excellence in the performing arts. Their students have won quite a few awards and have toured all over the world. They loved our United music video and PSAs and were clearly excited to have us at their school. We also visited another city arts school whose choir director is a big supporter of YHRI. After giving us a moving performance, the choir picked up our banner and sang a beautiful folk song as an encore. This was a special treat for sure. Have a look in the video below!
We also squeezed in a visit to the Red Square and were able to see many of the iconic images of Moscow. It is truly a spectacular city and we are proud that Youth for Human Rights is becoming a major presence in Russia.
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