News

Fund News

FPLB took part in the Russian Geographical Society’s Festival

07.11.2014

From October 31 to November 6, 2014 Central House of Artists hosted a major event for almost 170-year history of the oldest Russian public organization - Festival of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS). Large and bright events like this that covers most important scientific and research topics are the ones that lacked both for scientific community and simply interested in history, geography and nature public.

President of the Russian Geographical Society Sergey Shoigu, at the beginning of the festival, said: “This day, of course, will go down in the history of the Russian Geographical Society. It will be known as a birthday of a new tradition. I say thanks to those, who came to share our holiday, including colleagues from foreign geographical societies, whom we are delighted to see here. Special words to that people, who helped in festival organization, our partners and associates, our trustees. Due to these inspired people, the Russian Geographical Society got an opportunity to show widely and clearly its results”.

The opening ceremony was also attended by First Vice President of the RGS, President of the FPLB Arthur Chilingarov, First Vice President of the Russian Geographical Society, Dean of the MSU Faculty of Geography Nikolay Kasimov, deputy of the State Duma of Russia, Chairman of the FPLB Board of Trustees Mikhail Slipenchuk and other officials.

A special place in the festival area was occupied by expeditions. Presentations of researches, stands with lifted up from the depths artifacts, pavilions with sensational discoveries – such as mammoth Yuka. All this and much more attracted thousands of visitors.

Stand of the FPLB was one of three sites that represented pearl of Siberia – Lake Baikal. Throughout the festival partners of the Fund presented their fascinating presentations on the FPLB stand and main stage. Photographer Olga Kamenskaya presented her new photo project “Baikal. Kingdom of ice and water”. Representatives of environmental project “Save Baikal” made a speech about current and future volunteer activities on Baikal. The Buryat culture was represented by the Buryat culture society “Uryaal” and singer Namgar on the main stage of the Festival.

Presentation of Russian-Swiss scientific expedition “Trans-Eurasian flight: Leman – Baikal” was one of the highlights. Mikhail Lychagin as a participant of the research and associate professor of the MSU Faculty of Geography, made a report on the progress of the expedition and its first results. He told visitors of the festival about two previous seasons of expedition, its goals and objectives, showed photos from the ULMs and shared plans for the final season of research in 2015.

The demonstrations of documentaries “To depths of Baikal” (directed by A. Kanevich), “Beyond the Ice” (directed by G. Petrosyan), “Baikal without borders” (directed by M. Chumak), “Huns” (directed by L. Sitnikov) were organized for “deeper” acquaintance with mysteries of Baikal in the DNK hall.

At “Day of travelers” the FPLB introduced two major projects – international research expedition “Mirs at Lake Baikal” and expeditionary flight in balloon “Holy Russia” over the anomalous area of Baikal. Diving to the bottom of the lake in “Mirs” led to a number of outstanding scientific discoveries, flight “Holy Russia” – set a world record that was pointed in “Guinness Book of Records”.

In addition to research at the festival a broad cultural program was organized. Sergey Petushkeev and representative of the Buryat RGS office Eduard Batortsyrenov from Kyakhtinsky museum made a presentation of the project “History of the Tea Road”.

Thus, the RGS festival brought together, unique scientific achievements, combined multinational culture of the country and paved invisible “bridges” between visitors and scientific community. The Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal made extremely full overview of its achievements in the field of prevention of technogenic impact on the ecosystem on one of the greatest lakes in Russia and confirmed its intention to continue participation in such colossal events.