From Benin to Russia: How Culture and Creativity Can Shape Global Understanding

When I first stepped into the world of international youth gatherings from Tavrida Art School to the World Youth Festival Assembly 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod I didn’t just discover new people.
I discovered a new way to connect cultures through creativity.

As a designer and communication strategist from Benin, West Africa, I have always believed that creativity is more than an artistic skill , it’s a bridge. A bridge between identities, histories, and futures. And in Russia, during the World Youth Festival Assembly, that belief took on a new, deeper meaning.

A Meeting of Worlds

The WYF Assembly brought together hundreds of young leaders, artists, and innovators from across the globe. I had the privilege to be one of the African participants and to share my vision on how culture and design can drive collaboration in today’s multipolar world.

Through discussions, performances, and creative exchanges, I witnessed how powerful it can be when different traditions, languages, and ideas meet with mutual respect.
Russia, with its rich cultural heritage and growing creative industries, offered the perfect backdrop for this dialogue.

 

The Birth of an Idea: Ornaments of the Countries as a Cultural Code

During my experience at Tavrida Art School earlier in 2025, I was inspired by the beauty of visual symbols, ornaments, patterns, colors that carry meaning across generations.
Every country has its own design language.
Every pattern tells a story.
And I began to imagine what would happen if we brought them together.

That idea has now become a concrete initiative:
“Ornaments of the Countries as a Cultural Code.”

This project will bring together designers and researchers from ten countries including Russia, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Singapore, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Mexico to collect, document, and publish cultural ornaments that reflect the soul of each nation.

These ornaments are not just decorative art.
They are a language of identity. A bridge of understanding.
By decoding and sharing them, we can help young people from different regions see how culture connects us and how creativity can become a new form of diplomacy.

A New Chapter in Cross-Cultural Collaboration

The “Ornaments” project is more than a book , it’s a collaborative journey. It’s about bringing young creatives together, fostering dialogue, and giving visibility to cultural narratives that too often remain local or invisible.

It’s a continuation of what Tavrida and WYF stand for: a space where ideas don’t just meet  they evolve into action.

Russia’s openness to cultural collaboration has shown me how art and design can become tools for mutual respect and shared progress.
Through this initiative, I hope to contribute to that same spirit of dialogue, where every pattern, color, and symbol tells a story of unity.

 

Looking Forward

Our generation has a mission: to turn creativity into impact.
What began as a dream at Tavrida is now growing into an international project that connects continents through culture.

As young people, we have the power to use our talents not just to express ourselves — but to build bridges, open minds, and redefine how the world communicates.

Culture is not a relic of the past; it’s the foundation of our shared future.

“When we understand the language of culture, we don’t just design , we connect.”
Dumas Houessinon

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About the Author
Dumas Houessinon is a designer and communication strategist from Benin. He works at the intersection of creativity, culture, and digital innovation, helping brands, organizations, and young people express their identity and impact. He is the founder of the initiative “Ornaments of the Countries as a Cultural Code,” launched after his participation in the Tavrida Art School and the World Youth Festival Assembly 2025 in Russia.