Dear colleagues and guests!
I would like to congratulate you on the 170th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society. These 170 years incorporated the great history of formation, research, study, travel, adventure, tragedy. But in its own way these 170 years became a wonderful time, the time whenmany, many predecessors who had created the history before us, actually dedicated their lives to that is nowadays called The Russian Geographical Society. I congratulate you on the occasion - 170 years of our society!
Now I would like to say a few words about our II Festival. You know that at the entrance there is a small but quite interesting exposition from our archives, the archives of the Russian Geographical Society, which has been delivered from St. Petersburg, from our headquarters – the office which, as you know, was reconstructed many years ago (I mean restored as well, and now we are engaged in the restoration of archives and libraries). But it is not that I actually want to say.
I think everyone has paid attention to the fact with what thoroughness and painstaking care our precursors such as Groom Grzhimailo, Miklukho Maclay, Papanin had been trying to convey and conveyed all the charms and the beauty of our country and the unique places to us. If we look at their paintings in aquarelle, the description (if somebody has not seen them yet – I strongly recommend to pay attention to them), it will become clear for us that these people wanted to show all of us and convey to us all the things that they had seen and what we can be proud of – it is our country.
That is why this year we are holding the first, but as I am sure, not the last great contest of the photos and pictures and photo works. Just the beginning of this work has shown to what extent our citizens like and respect all that the Russian Geographical Society is doing, I mean the study of our country, the giving of our country in the same form in which our citizens, our compatriots, the members of the Russian Geographical Society and all who loves our country, see it.
Today, opening this Festival, I would like to thank the all who have found the time, who wanted, desired, have come here, have brought their expositions, their products and crafts, tents, and the plague, boats and trailers, ATVs and paintings, photos and much more. All that is certainlydemanded by our country today.
That is what our Festival is telling as well, the Festival, which we have been doing quite energetically and in a very short time. But I would like to remind you that there was more than 10 thousand visitors each day at our previous Festival. That shows a great interest of our citizens to everything that happens in the Russian Geographical Society and in our country.
I would like to thank the volunteers, who have been working hard day and night in order to arrange it all, to establish. And of course I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, which allows us to hold such forums, enables us, the Russian Geographical Society and all who have come today to our Festival, to show our country the way it is, in order to let us all see how many marvelous things are in our wonderful country. I congratulate you on the opening of the II Festival! Thank you!