Rukami is an international annual festival of ideas and technologies that brings technology enthusiasts together and inspires them to create the projects of the future. Visitors engage in technical creativity, invent weird and wonderful things, and pass on their skills and knowledge to others.

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic made offline events impossible. We were faced with the challenge of shifting the festival online and creating a completely new experience.

We designed a virtual space, divided it into areas with online activities, and gave each visitor their very own identity in the universe.

Lectures, concerts, and masterclasses; the project exhibition; and photo booths can now be accessed from any device. New event formats – previously inconceivable offline – have thrived. Go on an interactive quest or take control of a live-streamed avatar, wherever you are.

The new format drew tens of thousands of people and boosted participation in workshops dramatically.

While the audience of the festival is the general public, spanning children from 6 years old to parents (30-45), the core audience is teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years old. To keep them engaged, the entire festival was moved to the sprawling virtual city of Metapolis.

The journey to the city begins with a visually-stunning immersion experience, gradually pulling you deeper into Metapolis. As you go, you answer questions – and the answers begin to shape your identity within the universe.

Once you have found your virtual incarnation, you are ready to star in one of five movies, where your first task awaits you.

After completing the quest, you unlock the main area of the festival, with all its many different locations and online activities.

The festival streams masterclasses and keynote speakers from the lecture halls, and all video content is themed according to their district in Metapolis. Each area has its own unique name and logo – and even font.

During broadcasts, you can chat and interact by sending emojis especially designed for the event.

The site’s specially composed music changes according to the district you are in.

Anyone who’s hankering for an adventure can use the Metaport, where you get to take control of a live-streamed avatar.

Visit the Tribune, where you’ll find an exhibition of technological projects from people all over Russia.

Stop by at Selfipark and use one of the photobooths to capture the memory of your journey through the universe.

There’s even a guide, a bespectacled Metapolisian who can help you to find your feet. He appears at your side, as if by magic, exactly when you need his help.

- In 2020, the number of participants in workshops increased to 72,830 participants;

- 60,000+ viewers attended masterclasses, and lectures by writers, scientists, engineers and futurologists.

- The events were attended by people from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkmenistan, USA, Netherlands, Spain, Germany and other countries;

- 140+ speakers presented at the festival;

- 220+ online activities took place in the city of the future;

- Project submissions to the All-Russian competition quadrupled from the previous year, with 870 technological projects from 66 regions of Russia;

- 50+ articles about Rukami Cyberfestival in Russian publications

Key social media metrics:

- 72,669,670 – total coverage of the campaign in social networks;

- 29,652,529 – audience coverage on Rukami’s channels;

- 283,798 – user engagement;

- 5,450 authors;

- 11,253 mentions.