The Russian House in Kathmandu (Nepal) hosted the opening of the exhibition of the Russian Geographical Society "Bouquet of Peaks: Great Mountains of the World." The exhibition is based on a unique collection of "portraits" of all eight-thousanders of the planet, which were painted from nature by traveler and artist, member of the Russian Geographical Society Sergey Dudko.
“Such an event as an exhibition of paintings by a Russian artist inspired by the Himalayas can undoubtedly be considered historical. And this is a great reason to remind local connoisseurs and the general public about the Russian heritage, which has been preserved and maintained for more than a hundred years. Next year is of great importance to us: we are celebrating the anniversary of Roerich. And in this regard, we are very grateful to the Russian Geographical Society for this opportunity to convey to the local audience that our love and interest in the Himalayas are not decreasing, but on the contrary are growing," Anton Maslov, representative of Rossotrudnichestvo in Nepal, said at the opening ceremony.
The scientific results of the expeditions within the framework of the international project of the Russian Geographical Society "Russian Heritage of the Himalayas: Journey Continues" were also presented at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. They expeditions been held since 2015 in Bhutan, Nepal, India, China, and Pakistan.
“This is a comprehensive project. We have already introduced the results to the Indian public by presenting a unique collection of ‘portraits’ of the highest mountains in the world, created by the Honored artist and traveler Sergey Dudko, and also handed over books and monographs released following the expeditions to the Gandaki Province Academy. In Nepal, we have already exchanged the results of scientific research of the Himalayas with scientists at the National Academy of Science and Technology, discussed options for humanitarian cooperation with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Nepal Aleksei Novikov,” said the project manager, Chairman of the Krasnodar Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society Ivan Chaika.
At the RGS’s exhibition at the Russian House in Kathmandu. Photo: Dmitry Gritsenko
The opening of the exhibition was attended by many guests. Among them is a member of the Constitutional Assembly of Nepal, Senior Vice-President of the People's Progressive Party Shivaji Yadav, President of the Nepalese-Russian Scientific Society Ganesh Shah, Chairman of the Nepalese-Russian Art Club, member of the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, artist Sushma Rajbhandari.
Addressing the participants of the opening ceremony, Ganesh Shah noted the importance of further study of the Himalayas and the exchange of results between scientists of the two countries. He stressed the need to implement joint projects and strengthen relations between Russia and Nepal.
At the event, a preliminary agreement was reached to hold public screenings of RGS documentaries and other educational events in Nepal. Representatives of the Nepalese side received a monograph issued by Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor Yuri Efremov, "Geography of the Himalayas” The book is published in Russian and English. It systematizes information on the geography of the Karakoram and the Himalayas, and provides materials for expeditionary research. The set of publications presented to the representatives of the Nepalese scientific community also includes Vladimir Nikulin's book "To Nepal and Tibet: Journey Continues" and a colorful gift edition about the diverse nature of our country "Picturesque Russia" (authors Ivan Chaika and Evgenia Kambarova).
Ivan Chaika presents the publications of the Russian Geographical Society. Photo: Dmitry Gritsenko
The exhibition "Bouquet of Peaks: Great Mountains of the World" takes place within the framework of the project "Walking in the Clouds" with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, Rossotrudnichestvo, the founder of the investment holding Alias Group Boris Yunanov, and Afipka NPZ.