GSB Summer Fest’25: A Celebration that United Generations
The annual summer festival, organized by the HSE GSB Student Affairs Office and the StudTeamGSB team, transported guests through time with the help of artifacts, music, fashion, and everyday habits. The theme of "Generations" united the cultural codes and trends of several decades — from baby boomers to Generation Alpha. Interactive routes, quests, and performances allowed participants to compare cultural contexts, find common ground, and discuss differences. Vivid decorations and recognizable hits from different decades enhanced the immersive effect, conveying the spirit of youth from each era and highlighting the continuity of student culture.
The campus space was divided into several thematic zones, each dedicated to a different generation. The registration zone, organized by festival partner Avito, greeted guests at the entrance and distributed commemorative participant bracelets. Along the main alley, stands and art objects represented five key generations: baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, zoomers, and Generation Alpha. A graffiti zone welcomed creative minds, where everyone could contribute to a collective art piece based on the festival theme. Throughout the day, guests could relax in the cozy food court and enjoy a variety of snacks and drinks provided by event partners.
For active lifestyle lovers, an outdoor sports area was set up. The program included the annual Capitals Cup 3×3 basketball tournament, finals of GSB’s regular table tennis and chess tournaments, and sports activities from partner companies and GSB communities. Among them: the GSB Running Club (which organized a run in collaboration with Finn Flare), the GSB Volleyball Community, and the GSB football team, all with thematic activities.
The festival’s central event was a dynamic stage program that gathered numerous guests for a series of vibrant and diverse performances. The stage opened with dance battles from the student organization HSE DANCE — over 200 people participated in both individual and team performances. Another highlight was the award ceremony for the Shabolovka Star 2025 — a prize awarded to outstanding students for their contribution to extracurricular life at HSE GSB. The winners in professional, sports, volunteer, and leisure categories were chosen by the students themselves.
The stage remained lively throughout the day: more than 20 concert performances were delivered by student vocalists and musicians. The event concluded with a fiery DJ party, performed by student DJs who had gone through auditions and rehearsals over the course of a month.
Corporate partners of HSE GSB played a key role in creating the festival’s atmosphere by preparing creative and interactive locations in the styles of different eras. The GSB Summer Fest’25 partners included: Avito, Trust Technologies, EkoNiva, Alfa-Bank, B1, Pyaterochka, Arnest UniRus, SberMobile, Level Group, Rosselkhozbank, Chernogolovka, JTI, Philip Morris International Russia, Wildberries, Kept, Krok, World Class, TagClo, Luch, Gorilla, Reboot.
Student organizations and participants of the GSB Student Group Project Competition also contributed to the festival activities, presenting their clubs in a dedicated area: StudteamGSB, GSB Sports Club, Way Up GSB, GSB Ambassadors, GSB Student Council, HSE Business Club, Volunteer GSB, GSB Business Games, HSE Investment Club, Product Hub, Stileru, L&A Evening, Movie Club, I’m In, BI Student Activity, Growth & Evolution Club, Obstoyatelstvo, InGroupSTS, GSB Merch, Pautinka, Chain of Success, UpClub, Marketing Meetups, Informal Interview, and others.
GSB Summer Fest’25 once again confirmed its status as the main summer event in the extracurricular life of HSE GSB. The organizers express sincere gratitude to all partners, student organizations, volunteers, and guests. Special thanks to the Career Center of HSE GSB for assisting in communication with partner companies, and to the HSE GSB Video Production team at the Center for Digital Educational Technologies for creating the atmospheric video report from GSB Summer Fest’25.
Alexander Gabrielov
Deputy Director, HSE Graduate School of Business
“The festival has become a beloved tradition for students: the diverse program, interactive booths by partner companies and student organizations, as well as the large number of participants and guests, confirm the ongoing interest in this event. I especially want to recognize our amazing students who actively participate in organizing and running this large-scale celebration.”
Regina Gareeva
Director of the Career Center, HSE Graduate School of Business
“GSB Summer Fest’25 brought together different generations and remains the most loved student event at HSE GSB. The Student Affairs Office and the StudTeam GSB successfully wrapped up the academic year with a vibrant festival covering all areas of student life. The program included a creative concert, student award ceremony, student organization booths, immersion into generational identity recreated with the help of partner companies, intellectual and sports games, workshops, and even the GSB Capitals Cup 3×3. It’s incredibly valuable that each year we scale up this event, attract more participants and organizers, and fine-tune the program and activities so everyone can find something they enjoy, showcasing the full spectrum of student opportunities at GSB!”
Yulia Danilicheva
Internship Program Manager, Avito
“As the students would say, the Summer Fest has that ‘plus vibe!’ Avito has joined the event before, but the emotions are just as bright and wonderful every time. This year we played board games, tried our hand at ring toss, took mirror selfies, caught rubber ducks, ate cotton candy and popcorn, and gave away loads of merch to students, their parents, siblings, and friends. We were absolutely energized and can’t wait to see the students again!”
Nadezhda Shchukina
HR Manager, Talent Pool Department, EkoNiva Group
“The GSB Festival is a fantastic start to the summer! The unique festive atmosphere, the wide variety of zones, and of course the awesome food court — all of it filled us with warmth and charged us with positive energy (even despite the rain). It was EkoNiva’s first time at the festival, but we hope our raclette becomes a cherished tradition of this early-summer celebration at GSB!”
Elizaveta Pashchenko
2nd-year bachelor’s student, Marketing and Market Analytics program; Festival Student Organizer
“GSB Summer Fest’25 was my first major extracurricular project at GSB. Our team aimed to bring something new and take the event to the next level in terms of scale, visuals, and content — and we managed to make it feel like one of the biggest festivals in Moscow! I’d like to thank the Student Affairs Office for helping us bring our vision to life!”
Maksim Senchenko
2nd-year bachelor’s student, Business Informatics; Organizer of the GSB Capitals Cup 3×3 Tournament
“GSB Summer Fest’25 was the best event of the year by GSB — no other event had such a range of activities and ways to spend time. At the fest, we held one of the largest 3×3 tournaments in the history of HSE basketball, featuring teams from St. Petersburg. I want to thank the organizers who saved the Capitals Cup from the rain by reacting quickly and helping return the tournament zone to a ‘dry’ state, making this celebration unforgettable.”
Yaroslav Nivitin
4th-year bachelor’s student, Business Management program; Winner of “Shabolovka Star 2025”
“Every year, GSB Summer Fest becomes more massive and brings new activities. It’s such a joy to welcome summer on our beloved campus together with friends, classmates, professors, and staff! Special thanks to everyone who voted — it was incredibly gratifying to receive this award.”
