The expert commission has completed the evaluation of the works of the competition, timed to coincide with the expedition along the exploration routes of Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. During the month, the participants made special projects: research programs on Central Asia or creative works. Among the main criteria for the jury's assessment is the originality of the approach and the possibility of implementing the proposed ideas in future projects of the Russian Geographical Society.
The first place went to the team from the Institute of Earth Sciences of St. Petersburg State University (SPbU) and Jusup Balasagyn Kyrgyz National University under the leadership of Natalia Terekhina. The second place was won by the artistic work of Maria Dudnik, a student at Donetsk State University, and the third place was taken by young scientists from the Institute of Management and Territorial Development of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, the scientific supervisor was Dmitry Khvaley.
“I would like to note the high level of training of all participants,” said Galina Nesterova, head of the RGS’s expedition, director of the Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky Museum-Estate. “The expert council determined that the first place would go to the project exploring the southwestern coast of Lake Issyk-Kul and the valley of the Naryn River; the second, to paintings of Central Asian mountain landscapes. The third project is aimed at studying the emotional component of the expedition and attracting young people to explore the region.”
The expert council included representatives of the RGS, descendants of Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, as well as specialists in fine arts.
“We gather representatives of different sciences within the framework of our federal expeditions. This way we create a synergistic effect from joint work,” says Natalia Belyakova, Director of the Expeditionary and Tourism Development Department of the RGS. “The strength of science is in succession, among other things. Therefore, we pay special attention to young specialists. It is in the ‘field’ that experience is transferred from senior researchers to those who are just starting their way in science. Therefore, among the scientific tasks of this year's expedition following in the footsteps of Tyan-Shansky is the international student competition of scientific papers. The winner, the St. Petersburg State University’s team, presented a plan for the geobotanical study of the southwestern coast of the Issyk-Kul, its representative will be enrolled in the 2025 expedition with the opportunity to conduct this research.”
On November 17, the finalists of the competition were awarded on the territory of the Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky Museum-Estate in the Lipetsk Region. The representative of the winning team was awarded a participation certificate for the expedition of 2025, organized by the RGS. The rest of the contestants received souvenirs. The key event of that day was the opening of a commemorative plaque dedicated to Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. This is the milestone of architect Aleksey Arkhipov with commemorative plaques: the image of a young scientist, the coat of arms of the RGS, the coat of arms of the Semenov family, and the distance to the Tien Shan.
The monument has become a symbol of the full-scale explorations of the Russian scientist in the region. Similar plaques are planned to be installed in significant geographical locations in Russia and abroad. In addition, the museum hosted the All-Russian campaign "Geographical Dictation".