On November 26, the participants of the expedition of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the RGS "Following the paths of Russian explorers" met in Novosibirsk with the Plenipotentiary Envoy of the president of Russia in the Siberian Federal District (SFD) Anatoly Seryshev. The story of the head of the circumnavigation, Evgeny Kovalevsky, and the head of the coastal staff, Yulia Kalyuzhna, about the results of the project was highly praised.
Evgeny Kovalevsky presented at the meeting the route of the expedition, completed in three years and four months. He spoke about the goals of the project: creating new ties with the world scientific community, bringing together schoolchildren and youth from around the world.
The noble mission of people's diplomacy became one of the main tasks of the circumnavigation of the Siberians. Within the framework of the project, Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin held more than 100 meetings with local residents, talking about the maritime achievements of Russia, our country, and native Siberia.
Special attention was paid to the preservation of the historical memory of Russian geographers and navigators during the preparation of the trip. The head of the expedition recalled that our compatriots had made many geographical discoveries, traveled the most difficult routes, and made a great contribution to world science.
“I am convinced that such scientific and educational projects and international contacts implemented with their help within the framework of public diplomacy are of great importance. They make a significant contribution to strengthening friendly ties between states, allow us to talk about the role of Russian navigators and explorers, and demonstrate the strength of the national spirit. No matter how hard our enemies try to isolate Russia and erase the memory of our great history and culture, they will certainly not succeed. It is largely thanks to such enthusiastic and active patriots of your country as you," Anatoly Seryshev stressed.
Also during the meeting, Yulia Kalyuzhnaya told about the project "Lessons from the Ocean", which started as part of a round-the-world expedition. It brought together schoolchildren from all over the world and allowed them to immerse themselves in the study of geography in a new, interactive format. Participants of such lessons had the opportunity to directly ask questions to scientists and travelers. Classes in the teleconference format were conducted by specialists from leading institutes of different countries, polar explorers, circumnavigators, and other interesting people. At the end of the event, schoolchildren from different parts of the world participated in a quiz with questions that are devoted to the studied material.
During their round-the-world trip, the expedition crew traveled 35,000 nautical miles and visited 32 countries. The flag of the RGS was seen by Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Cape Verde, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, French Polynesia, Tuamotu, Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, East Timor, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Yemen (Socotra Island), Djibouti, Egypt and Turkey.
The legacy of the circumnavigation is planned to be preserved in the geographical space. The Russian Traveler Museum will appear in Tomsk in March 2025. The exhibition will feature a collection of exhibits that the crew brought from different countries. The museum will also become a venue for lectures, master classes, and film screenings on the topic of geography.