The Yandex Education Cup final in informatics wrapped up in Moscow on March 21-22, 2026, bringing together 74 top school students from 39 regions across Russia. This three-stage Olympiad for grades 5 through 11 attracted 200,000 participants nationwide, culminating in an intense individual and team competition held at Yandex’s headquarters.
While four students took top honors in the individual contest testing programming, logic, and data skills, a joint team from Yekaterinburg and Kaliningrad took the spotlight by winning the team hackathon focused on AI-powered robotics.
- Finalists: 74 students from 39 regions
- Individual winners: 4
- Team winners: Yekaterinburg and Kaliningrad coalition in AI robotics hackathon
- Prizes include up to 10 extra points for university entrance exams (the Russian Unified State Exam or EGE) for IT-related fields
The competition’s second round narrowed the field from 5,600 students to those 74 finalists. They first faced individual challenges involving programming, theoretical informatics, logical reasoning, and data processing.
AI robotics hackathon challenges students to build autonomous delivery robots
Following the solo rounds, finalists teamed up for a hackathon centered on programming portable delivery robots equipped with sensors. Their goal: develop algorithms for autonomous navigation by integrating computer vision with motion logic.
Students built datasets from the robots’ camera feeds, crafted Python scripts linking perception and control, and tested their creations on a dedicated track. Judges evaluated how effectively the robots recognized road conditions and completed assigned routes.
The winning team combined talent from Yekaterinburg and Kaliningrad, showcasing cross-regional collaboration in advanced AI robotics.
University admission perks for Yandex Education Cup winners
Top performers in the individual final will receive up to 10 extra points added to their scores on the Russian Unified State Exam (EGE) when applying to IT-focused university programs. Additionally, they secure automatic entrance to the finals of the ”Industrial Programming” track in the ”Higher Trial” Olympiad for the 2026/27 academic year.
Winning that track guarantees either a perfect score (100 points) on the informatics portion of the EGE or admission without entrance exams at select universities. Each institution sets its specific benefits for these winners.
All winners received certificates, with top-prize recipients awarded Yandex Station Mini smart speakers and other gifts from Yandex.
Yandex Lyceum designs problems for final round
The final round problems were designed by Yandex Lyceum, an educational initiative by Yandex aimed at nurturing students’ passion for technology, programming, and AI robotics.
The Yandex Education Cup is a three-stage contest engaging students from grades 5 through 11 in programming and theoretical informatics. Tasks are crafted to appeal to all skill levels and promote creative problem-solving with practical applications.
AI robotics, the hackathon’s focus, belongs to the physical AI field – building intelligent autonomous systems that perceive their environment and make decisions independently. This technology is increasingly important in logistics, manufacturing, materials science, and healthcare.
With the rising importance of AI and robotics worldwide, such competitions help identify and sharpen the next generation of talent who will drive innovation in these vital sectors.