The opening of the photo exhibition "Lighthouses of Russia" took place at the Russian House of Culture and Science in Paris on October 8. The exhibition, prepared by the Russian Geographical Society and the Navigation and Oceanography Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, presents the works of the finalists of the "Lighthouses of Russia 2020" contest, as well as a video by the Ludi Morya Foundation (eng. People of the Sea Foundation) about Russian lighthouses, and a documentary by the Collective company about the Petropavlovsk Lighthouse.
Guests of the exhibition, which is being presented outside Russia for the second time, can see lighthouses installed in the most remote corners of our country. Among them are "portraits" of the tower lighthouse on Vostochny Island in the Vilkitsky Strait between Taimyr and Severnaya Zemlya, the Aniva Lighthouse in the inaccessible southern part of Sakhalin Island, and one of the last floating lighthouses in the world, Irbensky.
The opening of the exhibition took place on the eve of the Day of the Hydrographic Service of Russia, which is celebrated on October 13. The ceremony was attended by Svetlana Zhilina, Acting Head of the Russian House of Culture and Science in Paris; Francis Zachariae, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA); Kirill Rynza, Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Russian Federation to UNESCO; Oleg Gaidai, Head of the Lighthouse Service of the Russian Navy; and a representative of the Ludi Morya Foundation Ksenia Ipatova.
The first visitors of the exhibition were representatives of the Navigation and Oceanography Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian Geographical Society, the Permanent Delegation of the Russian Federation to UNESCO, the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA), students from French universities, guests, and residents of Paris.
At the opening of the exhibition "Lighthouses of Russia". Photo: Press service of the Russian House of Culture and Science in Paris
At the opening ceremony, Oleg Gaidai reminded that the exhibition was opening in Paris for the second time. This suggests that it is interesting to viewers, as well as that there is a certain phenomenon of lighthouses: they not only decorate the most beautiful places on our planet but also perform an important function of ensuring navigation safety, are a reliable means of determining location.
“They are always in their place, and ready to work, even when modern electronic tools do not work. And it is like that everywhere, all over the world. Lighthouses give hope to everyone. It is the same here at the exhibition. Lighthouses have united us today," Oleg Gaidai stressed.
The exhibition "Lighthouses of Russia" will be open at the Russian House of Culture and Science in Paris until the end of October, 2024.