The eighth international session "Artek Gathers Friends" is starting at the International Children's Center. The participants are over three thousand children, including schoolchildren from all regions of the Russian Federation and more than a thousand kids from 67 countries. The international session's participants include Russian-speaking teenagers living abroad, aged 14-17. Among the participants are winners of the International Competition "Artek – The Capital of Childhood" by the "Commonwealth" Foundation, the Poetic International Competition of Young Readers "Living Classics", the International Action "People of Artek", and the All-Russian Competition "Big Change". Participants of the session can expect an extremely rich program and a diverse range of creative activities aimed at transforming their knowledge and creative abilities into potential for self-development. From July 30 to August 2, the main event of the session will take place – the International Children's Festival "Artek – The Capital of Friendship". The festival will include the grand opening ceremony, the celebration of national cultures "The Language of Peace – The Language of Friendship", and a festive concert.