Today, the 8th of February, at the Moscow Head Quarters of the Russian Geographical Society there took place the first in 2017 meeting of the Media Club. Its meetings are being traditionally held in a press-breakfast format, during which the heads of the expeditions and the projects of the Russian Geographical Society are speaking to the journalists and answering the questions of the representatives of the media. To watch the video
The President of the Society told about the most striking of the 600 projects, which are being executed under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society in 2017. Sergey Shoygu began his speech from the announcement of the brief summary of the All-Russian Geographical Dictation.
All-Russian Geographical Dictation
As Sergey Shoygu noted, there took part almost 190 thousand people in this action. This figure is more than 11 times higher than the number of students, who wrote the Unified State Exam on geography in 2016 (about 17 thousand people).»
Unfortunately, in spite of the increase in the total number of participants, the average score for Dictation somewhat deteriorated, continuing to balance on the verge of «D-» and «the deuce». And every fifth participant got the score for the Dictation not less than 30, that is very sad. The average score was 52 out of 100 possible (in 2015 the figure was 53.8 points).
The percentage of people who masterly know the geography has almost not changed – 413 people got the maximum score of 100 points (191 people in 2015), or 0.45% (0.44% in 2015). The participants with a degree coped with the tasks of dictation best of all. But even candidates with doctorates did not come in the honors, their average score is 71.1 – «score four».
«The maximum score was got by 413 people, they are mostly the candidates and doctors of sciences and our academicians. I was lucky, I got into this number because I was sitting between them», - Sergey Shoygu joked.
Then the President of the Russian Geographical Society announced about the start of the photo contest of the Russian Geographical Society «The most beautiful country».
The third photo contest of the Russian Geographical Society «The most beautiful country»
If the geographical dictation – is a check of knowledge about our country, the photo contest – is a real show of enchanting beauty of Russia.
An acceptance of the works starts today and will last till the 31rd of July, 2017 inclusively.
There are added in 2017 such works as «The cultural heritage of Russia», «From the sunset till the dawn», «The caves of Russia» and «Russia at bird's-eye view» to such familiar nominations as the «Landscape», «Birds», «Macro» and «The Underwater World». One more innovation – is that each year every participant can provide for participation in the photo contest not only 20 works, as it used to be, but 25.
«We hope very much that thanks to your participation people will get to know more about the beauty of our country», - Sergey Shoygu noted.
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The contest for the media grants of the Russian Geographical Society
The 6th of February of this year the Chairman of the Media council of the Russian Geographical Society Dmitry Peskov gave a start to the media grant contest of the Society, Sergey Shoygu reminded. The application campaign will last until February 26. A significant component of the media contest is the support of the initiatives of the Russian Geographical Society. It is very important that films or other projects offered by the applicants for grants would tell about the expeditions of the Society, its history, the unique geographical potential and the heritage of Russia.
The winners of the grant contest will be chosen and announced according to the results of the meeting of the Board of trustees of the Russian Geographical Society this spring.
The expeditions of the year of 2017
The Russian Geographical Society jointly with the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation will carry on the research of the Matua Island, which was started in 2016.
Among the objectives of the expedition there are the following: search and study of objects of military equipment and fortifications of the Second World War period, preparation and evacuation of military equipment discovered during the first phase of the expedition in 2016. Within the frames of the expedition there is also planned to map the territory of the island with the compilation of a series of new or refined maps of nature (geological, geomorphological, soil, vegetation, landscape, landscape-geochemical). Based on the received materials a number of applied problems related to the assessment of the possibilities for further development of the island will be solved. Those problems are the following: mapping of dangerous natural phenomena, analysis of alternative energy sources, chemical composition of natural waters, potential fertility of soils, etc. Experts will also study the features of the development of the island at different stages with emphasis on the mysteries and the Japanese stage of colonization.
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One more scale project was started last year - compilation of electronic cadastre of caves of Russia.
Within the frames of this project there have been held 10 expeditions to the Republics of Altai, Dagestan and Crimea, Kabardino-Balkarian and Chechen republics, and the one foreign expedition to the Republic of Abkhazia. An expedition to the Pinego-Kuloi speleological area (Arkhangelsk region) is being prepared as well.
Information retrieval system (IPS) «The Caves» has been created as the result, there has been collected information about almost 1800 underground spaces. It is posted on the resource http://speleoatlas.ru , it has become possible to make materials for caves for speleological clubs and individual speleologists-enthusiasts (more than 60 people), there is being executed work on the functionality and design of the site.
Alexey Shelepin, Co-Chairman of the Speleology and Karstology Commission of the Moscow City Department of the Russian Geographical Society, told about information cards of caves, where not only the length and depth of underground spaces are recorded, but also their exact location, the history of the research, information on siphons (flooded passages) and large halls, etc.
The scientists of the Russian Geographical Society are studying the caves not only underground, but also under water. This is the responsibility of the RGS Underwater Research Center, uniting representatives of the most diverse professions: historians, archaeologists, divers, oceanologists and many others.
The Eecutive director of the Center of underwater research of the Russian Geographical Society Sergey Fokin first time took part in the Media Club meeting. He told about the studies of the former karst cave – the Lower Blue Lake (Tserik-Kel) in Kabardino-Balkaria.
Study of another underwater space – the Monakhov cave in the Krasnodar Territory, - is in the plan of the center.
«Underwater research – is the special type of activities, it is a little bit romantic, certainly interesting, in something a little dangerous and carrying a practical advantage», - Sergey Fokin noted.
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The First Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society Nikolay Kasimov told about the new season of the complex expedition which takes place on the Crimean peninsula.
The main objective of the integrated Crimean expedition is to assess the current ecological, geographic and socio-economic conditions for the long-term development of the Republic of Crimea.
Local field research has already been carried out on the territory of Sevastopol, Alushta and in the coastal zone of the southern coast of the Crimea. At present, there are being conducted laboratory studies of collected water samples, suspended matter and bottom sediments of rivers and coastal areas to identify the main pollutants (anthropogenic substances that pollute the living environment of living beings). A statistical analysis of the collected expedition material is being carried out.
Among the projects that are about to be continued in 2017 is the cleaning up of the Arctic. The fuel and lubricants, equipment and garbage left behind in the 1990s will be removed from the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
The Youth Clubs of the Russian Geographical Society
Work with youth is a special line of activity of the Russian Geographical Society, which is being paid much attention to, - Sergey Shoygu and Nikolay Kasimov noted. One of the most important results of activity of the Russian Geographical Society became creating of the net of youth clubs.
Thus, for 6 months – from July, 2016 till the 31st of January, 2017, - there have been received 80 applications for opening the youth clubs from 70 subjects of the Russian Federation by the Executive Directorate of the Society. The Russian Geographical Society provides methodological and information support to the Youth clubs in regions: develops scenarios and questions for intellectual games, debates, is sharing experience of youth projects, conducts trainings, directs the materials necessary for the organization of work, is posting news about the events on the website of the Society and in social networks.
There have been organized more than 100 events with the efforts of the youth clubs for the last time, including net events: the geographical dictation, quests, various types of games, film showings, discussion clubs, conferences, meetings. The quantity of such events is gradually increasing, through the initiatives of club leaders as well.
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The best guide of Russia
The All-Russian contest «The best guide of Russia» - is a new joint project of the Russian Geographical Society, TV-channel «My planet» («Moya planeta») and the radio «Mayak».
Its main objective is to find the most competent, enthusiastic and talented Russian guides of Russia (both the professionals and amateurs) and to shot the series of TV tours.
Everyone may become the participant of this contest: for that you need to record a video on the phone, the video duration should not exceed three minutes and must contain the fragment of your excursion. Please email your videos here: guide
moya-planeta.ru.
Professional jury, and the TV-viewers and radio listeners will choose 10 winners of the photo contest. All they will become the TV-presenters of the programs of the «The Best Russian guide» cycle. Those programs will be seen by the millions of viewers, and they will inspire Russians to travel around their native country.
«Our objective is to interest people and to give them the most useful and important information about Russia», - the Advisor to the President of the Russian Geographical Society Anastasia Chernobrovina noted.
A bank card «The RGS – Binbank»
One more new project the Russian Geographical Society implements with Binbank. Within the frames of the project there is expected the RGS-Binbank bank card issuing on the «Mir» payment system.
The RGS-Binbank card will become the first similar card on the «Mir» payment system. There will be available two types of cards within the frames of the project: standard and premium,the design of which was worked out jointly with the Russian Geographical Society.
As the First Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Binbank Petr Morsin, each card holderwill get an opportunity to transfer to 1% of all of his spending on «financing correct activities related to the promotion of our heritage, history and geography».
Also the customers who have issued the card will be able to donate voluntarily funds to support education, research and conservation projects of the Society.
«This is the most beautiful card for all the history of the Binbank», - Petr Morsin noted.
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