The Russian team is the champion of MY-GEO 2026. Photo: Oleg Umarov
Russian schoolchildren took first place in both the team and individual competitions during the International Youth Geography Olympiad MY-GEO 2026, which was held in the «Sirius» federal territory from October 24 to 31. The event, which was held for the first time, was organized by the Russian Geographical Society and the «Talant i Uspeh» educational foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Education of Russia. The competition was initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The competition consisted of three rounds. The focus was on practice-oriented tasks: schoolchildren solved problems that were as close as possible to the work of professional geographers, including field research, data analysis, and the development of proposals for the development of the territory.
The Russian Geographical Society participated in shaping the substantive core of the project. MY-GEO 2026 was not just a competition, but a continuation of the RGS’s expeditionary and educational mission.
«This olympiad has helped us, the organizers, to take a fresh look at the essence of training young geographers, ” noted Ilya Gurov, First Deputy Executive Director of the RGS. «Great scientists of the past — Mikhail Lomonosov, Dmitry Mendeleev, Niels Bohr — are known not only for their scientific talent but also for their ability to achieve practical results that we still use today. We want to teach the same to new generations of researchers — to think outside the box and solve real-world problems. We hope that in the future the participants will return to 'Sirius’ and the Russian Geographical Society as professionals.»
The Olympiad was evaluated by a reputable international jury, which included experts from Russia, China, and India. The jury was chaired by Kirill Chistyakov, Vice-President of the RGS and Director of the Institute of Earth Sciences at St. Petersburg State University.
«Over the 50 years I’ve been working in geographical science, I’ve seen many olympiads, but I can’t recall one that was so inspiring, lively, and truly promising, ” he noted, addressing the participants. «This olympiad has the potential to expand, improve, and encompass new areas of interest. At the same time, we didn’t set out to rank the participants: you are all winners. The olympiad is a step that will give you a boost into an interesting, fulfilling life. Do what you’re interested in. Geography will be useful in any of your decisions and will become an additional advantage when making complex life decisions.»
Based on the results of all stages of the olympiad, an authoritative jury determined the winners and laureates in the team standings.
First place went to the Russian team.
Second place was shared by the teams from Bangladesh and Abkhazia.
Third place was taken by teams representing Transnistria, Italy, and Pakistan.
In the individual competition, 32 awards were presented. Their holders were representatives of Russia, Serbia, Bangladesh, Transnistria, Abkhazia, Italy, Pakistan, India, Zambia, and Tunisia.
The overall winner of the olympiad was Sergei Dudin, a student at the school of the Moscow Center for Pedagogical Excellence.
Also, gold medals were taken by Yulia Zaitseva, a student at Hero of the Soviet Union V. V. Kolesnik Moscow School No. 1590; Mikhail Perunov from the «Letovo» school in Moscow; Timofey Popov from the Odintsovo «Tenth Lyceum» in the Moscow Region; Denis Smirnov, a student at E. M. Primakov Regional Gymnasium in the Moscow Region; and Bekbolat Tuligenov from the University Gymnasium of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
The Russian team was led by Dmitry Bogachev, an associate professor at the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Yulia Zaitseva (in the center) and Sergei Dudin (on the far right) at the closing ceremony of the International Youth Geographical Olympiad. Photo: Oleg Umarov
Congratulating the winners and prize-winners of the olympiad, Elena Shmeleva, head of the «Talant i Uspeh» educational foundation and chairperson of the «Sirius» Federal Territory Council, noted that through joint efforts an institution was established that will continue to develop when the students go on to study and work on the tasks formulated at «Sirius». According to her, complex and very important work was carried out, with a strong foundation for the future; the result is a vibrant environment of participation, respect for work, for the teacher, and for joint creativity, where everyone’s voice matters.
MY-GEO 2026 became not only the first international competition for young geographers, but also a real hub for gathering ideas, talents, and professional connections. The participants and team mentors shared their experience in studying and teaching geography and identified the direction for further collaboration. The organizers are confident that the olympiad will become an authoritative international platform where aspiring researchers will be able to unlock their potential, and international cooperation in the field of geographical education will be consistently strengthened.
The winners were congratulated by Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, and Sergei Kravtsov, Minister of Education. «The team’s victory and everyone has gold — a brilliant result!» Dmitry Chernyshenko wrote. He noted that the participants studied the terrain around the olympiad’s facilities and proposed real solutions for the development of the area. Sergei Kravtsov, in turn, emphasized that the olympiad brought together representatives of the BRICS countries and other friendly states, for whom geography is a way to understand the common home and the connections between nature, the economy, culture, and humanity.