Today, on December 5, the Volunteer Day is celebrated around the world. The Russian Geographical Society calculated that about 20,000 volunteers took part in its actions over the last year.
The International Day of Volunteers in the name of economic and social development appeared at the initiative of the UN General Assembly in 1985. The number of volunteers in Russia is growing every year. According to the "Public Opinion Foundation", about one third of Russian people helped strangers — helped with the cause, things, money, or foodstuffs. Among the most popular areas of volunteering are help to seriously ill children and adults, orphaned children, people in difficult life situations, the elderly, as well as organizing children's leisure activities.
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Among the Society's volunteers are schoolchildren, students and young professionals. They help to carry out such popular projects as the RGS Days in Moscow parks, the Geographical dictation and the Society's Award. A record number of volunteer assistants participated in the RGS Festival in 2018 - there were about 350 people.
Besides assistance during events annualy volunteers go to the RGS expeditions - they take part in archeological excavations, arrange ecological pathways in national parks, study foreign countries's geography.
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Volunteers are people who prefer to have a rest with benefit. Thanks to volunteering at the RGS, they can visit unique expeditions, meet leading scientists, collect data for their scientific work and find themselves in remote places in Russia and the world.
RGS volunteers are telling:
Elena Monchenko: “Being at school I dreamed of becoming the RGS member! I was always sure that this is a great organization that would help to fulfill my dreams of traveling and scientific achievements. In the 11th grade I took part in the first Geographical Dictation, and I helped to organize the second Dictation already as a volunteer. This summer I took part at the internship in Serbia, and then in the archeological and geographical expedition to study the Tungnugh barrow. These are unforgettable impressions. There are incredible nature, joint work, very different and interesting people! "
Ksenia Gasitsa: “The RGS opened for me all the benefits of volunteering. This is a good opportunity to meet interesting people, visit wonderful places, attend lectures and master classes of leading experts in the field of geographical science. I really enjoy doing media-volunteering photography. This year I took part in the international internship in Serbia and in the educational volunteer camp in the Alaniya National Park.
Anna Khokhlova: “I applied for participation in the Kostenkovskaya Historical and Geographical Expedition in the spring of 2016 - and I was admitted. Since then, I participated in many events and expeditions of the Russian Geographical Society as a volunteer. I fond of traveling, nature, geography, history. And the RGS provides an opportunity to learn a lot about Russia and the world!"
Anyone from 18 to 35 years old can become a RGS volunteer. You need to fill out a questionnaire on the website of the Youth Club of the Society. In addition, you have the opportunity to do an internship at the RGS, take part in the Society's expeditions, and even open the Youth Club in your region.
In the Russian Federation has been declared the Year of the Volunteer by the Decree of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin in 2018. Within its framework, the legal base of volunteer activities is being improved, organizations for supporting volunteering in the regions of Russia are being created, large-scale actions and competitions are being held. In order that anyone could learn about volunteer projects and take part in them, добровольцыроссии.рф website was launched.
We sincerely thank our volunteers! We wish the guys interesting projects and conquering new heights!