Photo: RGS press service
On March 24 open the submissions for the Russian Geographical Society Award. This is a prestigious award that recognizes achievements in the field of national geography, ecology, preservation, and popularization of the country’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage.
In the year of the 180th anniversary of the RGS, the competition will be held for the fifth time. Participants will be offered new categories, and the winners will receive a prize of 1 million rubles. The award ceremony for the laureates will take place in the fall.
According to Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the RGS, «the special value of the RGS Award is that it allows us to recognize the achievements of people whose work is not so noticeable outwardly, but is of great national significance and is in demand in a wide variety of areas of life in Russian society.»
«Behind each project, each expedition, and story submitted for the RGS Award, there are intelligent, goal-oriented people who strive to gain new knowledge. They advance science, open new pages of our history, research, study, and preserve. The success of the state is comprised of such useful initiatives and people who are in demand in the country, ” noted the President of the Russian Geographical Society, Sergei Shoigu.
Over the entire period of the competition’s existence, more than 2,000 projects have been submitted for the Award. The Award was given to more than 30 projects and the personal contribution of those who study the nature of their native country, explore its cultural wealth, preserve the environment, develop tourism, etc. For example, in 2021, the winners included authors who presented an atlas of Russian caves, a program to create a semi-free population of Przewalski’s horses, a project to revive wooden churches in the North, a documentary film «Sockeye Salmon. Red Fish», etc.
This year, the Award includes nine categories. Traditionally, submissions for the best scientific, historical, cultural, educational, environmental, and tourism projects will be considered. New categories have also appeared, including «Best Documentary» and «Best Travel Film». You can also now apply for «Best Children’s Project» (for authors aged 8 to 16) and «Best Foreign Project about Russia». The winners of these categories will receive certificates for participation in an RGS tour. From the results of scientific research and expeditions to the development of tourist routes and the publication of guidebooks — the project formats are varied, and their authors can be citizens or organizations from anywhere in the world. The main condition: the submitted work must be dedicated to Russia.
Applications for the RGS Award can be submitted through May 14, inclusive, via the RGS website. After the projects have been assessed by an expert group, the jury will determine the winners in each category.