Youth activities
The youth movement of the Russian Geographical Society unites young people around the ideas and values of the Russian Geographical Society, helps to popularize geography in Russia and abroad. Interested young people take part in the Society's projects, and also unite in youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society, the number of which is already more than 200 around the world.
Activists of the Youth Club of the Russian Geographical Society participate in scientific and volunteer expeditions: they conquer the mountain peaks of the Caucasus, explore the hard-to-reach shores of Russia - Gogland Island, the Commander Islands and even the Arctic region. They take part in specialized shifts, which take place in the all-Russian and international children's centers "Artek", "Ocean", "Orlyonok" and "Smena". Every summer, Russia is discovered in a new field research season.
Professional experts teach activists of youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society the types of tourism: children learn to dive underwater with scuba gear and use a kayak, climb mountain peaks using special climbing equipment, overcome passes and swamps with the help of the necessary equipment.
The leaders of the youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society are constantly working on educational projects and involve activists in events at the regional, federal and international levels.
The youth movement of the Russian Geographical Society unites interested and energetic people who are not indifferent to the geography, history and ecology of their native land and our country. For each of the participants of the movement, there is an area of work in which you can prove yourself and develop your skills:
- Research
- Youth Expeditions
- Volunteering in Specially Protected Natural Areas
- Event-based volunteering
- Career guidance for schoolchildren
- Internship
- Scholarships
- Youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society
- Intellectual games
Activists of the Youth Club of the Russian Geographical Society participate in archaeological and geographical volunteer expeditions: they climb to the top of Mount Elbrus, explore the hard-to-reach shores of Russia - Gogland Island, the Commander Islands and even the Arctic region. They study ancient cities at archaeological sites in the Republics of Khakassia and Crimea, and every summer they take part in specialized shifts that take place in the all-Russian children's centers "Artek", "Ocean", "Orlyonok" and "Smena".
Professional experts teach activists of youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society almost all types of tourism: boys and girls learn to dive with scuba gear and use a kayak, climb mountain peaks using special climbing equipment, overcome passes and swamps with the help of the necessary equipment.
Meeting of the Youth Intellectual Club
The leaders of the youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society are constantly working on educational projects and involve youth activists in events at the regional, federal and international levels: festivals, conferences, film screenings, geographical dictation, quests, intellectual clubs, creative meetings with media personalities, famous figures of science, culture, sports and many others.
If you want to become part of our young, proactive team, which is not indifferent to the geography, history, culture and ecology of your native land, visit the portal of the Youth Club of the Russian Geographical Society and find out more detailed information. Let's rediscover Russia – together!
Youth meetings of the Russian Geographical Society are events that are organized annually by the Society to exchange experience and improve the skills of leaders and representatives of youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society in different regions of the country.
Participants of the meetings are introduced to the theoretical and practical aspects of activities in the field of project management, possible ways to support projects, as well as modern methods and technologies of PR support for the activities of clubs.
Thus, the participants of the rallies attend trainings, seminars, master classes and panel discussions, where they learn how to build effective business communications with subordinates and management, organize events, write news and press releases, and interact with regional media. Participants are taught up-to-date interactive formats of working with young people, in particular, the promotion of youth club accounts in social networks.
In addition, a practice-oriented cultural program is held for the participants of the rally, including film screenings, intellectual games, excursions to natural and cultural attractions of various regions of Russia.
The history of the Youth Gatherings began in 2013. Until 2016 inclusive, the Russian Geographical Society held meetings for representatives of various youth organizations in the country as a whole. Starting in 2016, youth clubs of the Russian Geographical Society began to open in the regions of the Russian Federation, and Youth Meetings began to be held only for representatives of the Society's youth clubs. Since 2018, thematic rallies have been held.
Youth rallies are held both at the all-Russian and interregional levels. In total, in the period from 2013 to 2022, 17 meetings of the interregional and all-Russian levels were held, in which 1146 people took part. Meetings were held in Moscow, Moscow, Kaluga, Voronezh and Sverdlovsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.
Youth rallies are held both at the all-Russian and interregional levels. In total, in the period from 2013 to 2022, 17 meetings of the interregional and all-Russian levels were held, in which 1146 people took part. Meetings were held in Moscow, Moscow, Kaluga, Voronezh and Sverdlovsk regions, Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic.
The Youth Film Club of the Russian Geographical Society invites students, postgraduates, young professionals and creative people interested in films about nature, travel, geography of our country, its culture, history, and ethnography to participate.
In 2015-2016, screenings and meetings with the authors of such films as "Geographers to the Great Victory", "Nikolai Przhevalsky. An Expedition That Lasts a Lifetime", the premiere of the film "Delta Givers of Life", as well as many others, took place.
The guests of honor of the cinema club were the descendants of famous travelers Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay and Nikolai Przhevalsky, the famous TV presenter Ivan Zatevakhin, the TV presenter Valdis Pelsh and many others.
Meeting of the Youth Cinema Club
Every year since 2015, the Russian Geographical Society has been holding a competition for participation in specialized shifts of the federal children's centers "Artek", "Orlyonok", "Smena" and "Ocean".
Children interested in geography, participants in various projects and expeditions, winners of competitions and Olympiads in geography, ecology, ethnography, local history and other subjects are invited to participate in the competition.
The program of specialized shifts includes meetings with famous travelers, geographers, scientists, wildlife photographers and journalists. Young researchers participate in scientific and educational quests, observe the state of the environment, study the basics of tourism and local history.
In order to take part in the first stage of the competitive selection, it is necessary to prepare a portfolio. Please note that the timing of the competition and the profile shifts of the RGS vary depending on the choice of the children's center.
Photo courtesy of the Krasnodar regional branch of the Russian Geographical Society
The purpose of the profile shifts of the Russian Geographical Society:
- popularization of knowledge about the Earth, the possibilities and practical benefits of geography;
- encouragement and development of creative activity, interest in science;
- acquisition of tourist skills by children, including the ability to set up a camp, make a fire, provide first aid;
- acquaintance with the history and cultural values that unite the peoples of Russia.
In 2021, more than 700 boys and girls from different parts of our country took part in the profile shifts of the Russian Geographical Society. In total, since 2015, more than 5,000 people have taken part in the project.
Participants of the specialized shifts of the Russian Geographical Society tell:
Meetings with interesting people - ecologists, travelers, photo artists, classes in thematic sections, hikes. All this and much more will help us to develop in an interesting, diverse science – geography. Perhaps some of the participants of these specialized sessions will become honorary members of the Russian Geographical Society in the future and will make new valuable discoveries.
I would like to thank the entire team of the Russian Geographical Society for the organized specialized session. Here I plunged into the wonderful world of geography, each new day was a discovery. We had interesting quests, unforgettable meetings with travelers and photographers. The most vivid impression was an excursion to the hero-city of Novorossiysk. We visited the cruiser "Mikhail Kutuzov", visited the memorial complex "Malaya Zemlya". There was also an exciting hike in the mountains to the Cypress Lake. Two weeks passed like one day. I found new friends and gained useful knowledge.
There is no such thing as boring science, especially if you strive for knowledge yourself. What makes science interesting is the atmosphere that people create. At the specialized session of the All-Russian Children's Center "Ocean", the Russian Geographical Society opened the doors to the wonderful world of geography. I think this session was a revelation for all its participants and everyone learned something important from its program.
Alina Zhevnereva, Murmansk Region At the specialized session, interesting classes, instructive lectures and meetings are combined with fun games and new friends. Every day was bright, memorable, special. As I fell asleep, I waited impatiently for the morning to learn what knowledge the coming day brings. In two weeks, I met travelers, ecologists, and researchers here. I even managed to meet the Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society, V. M. Kotlyakov. Geography has opened up new horizons for me. Now I want to broaden my horizons even further.
Matua Island is located in the middle part of the Kuril chain and is significantly remote from the populated areas of Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The size of the island is 11 kilometers long and 6 and a half wide. It is characterized by an abnormally cold climate with a lot of precipitation, clouds, fogs and strong winds.
Matua is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the region, Sarychev Volcano. It is famous for frequent short-lived but strong eruptions that have repeatedly altered the coastline and topography of Matua.
A powerful layer of historical and cultural heritage has been preserved on the island, which is divided into Ainu, Japanese and Russian. In addition, Matua is home to the northernmost point of distribution of corded pottery, the archaeological culture of the Neolithic "Jomon".
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1992, the first All-Russian Olympiad in Geography was held near Yaroslavl. Its tasks were compiled by a group of researchers from the Faculty of Geography of Lomonosov Moscow State University - A.I. Danshin, N.B. Denisov and A.S. Naumov. Since then, it has been held annually. At first, the Olympiad consisted of one theoretical round. A few years later, a competition of geography experts was added to it, later – a practical (field) round, and more recently, in 2010 – the third, test round was included in the program.
For more than 20 years, the All-Russian Olympiad in Geography has been organized and held by Alexei Stanislavovich Naumov, Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Socio-Economic Geography of Foreign Countries.
The geography of the Olympiad is very wide - it was held in many cities of Russia: Tambov, Ulyanovsk, Veliky Novgorod, Tver, Smolensk, Vladimir, Penza, Orel, Tuapse, Nizhny Novgorod, Lipetsk, Kaluga, Ryazan, Zheleznovodsk, Belgorod, Kislovodsk and others.
The winners of the All-Russian Geography Olympiad receive scholarships from the President of Russia, the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation, the Vokrug Sveta magazine, valuable prizes from the Russian Geographical Society and other organizations, as well as publishing houses that publish textbooks and books on geography. Students are admitted without entrance exams to the leading universities of the country for geographical and related specialties. When applying to other areas of study, the results of the winners and prize-winners of the All-Russian Olympiad in Geography are recognized by universities as the highest results of entrance exams ("100 points") in the relevant general education subjects.
The Olympiad has become the largest geographical event in Russia, in which thousands of schoolchildren from all regions of Russia annually participate. More than a hundred winners of the All-Russian Olympiad in Geography entered prestigious Russian universities, many managed to graduate with honors, and some even defended their Ph.D. dissertations.
Since the 2014/15 academic year, the Russian Geographical Society has been participating in the organization of the Lomonosov Olympiad in geography for schoolchildren.
The winners of the All-Russian Geography Olympiad take part in international geographical competitions: the International Geography Olympiad and the World Geographical Championship.
The International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) has been held since 1996 under the auspices of the International Geographical Union (IGU). For the first time, it started in The Hague. Since then, the venue of intellectual competitions has changed every time, but one thing has remained unchanged - the desire of young men and women interested in science to demonstrate knowledge and broaden their horizons, to achieve success in their field.
Schoolchildren aged 16 to 19 participate in the Olympiad - winners of national competitions for young geographers. The main objectives of the competition are to stimulate interest in geography and other environmental sciences, and to develop international cooperation.
Since 2012, the Olympiad has become an annual event, before that it was held every two years.
Throughout its history, the International Olympiad has been held in many countries of the world: the Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Australia, Tunisia, China, Germany, Japan, and Poland
International Geography Olympiad
In 2018, at the International Geographical Olympiad in Quebec, Canada, Russian schoolboy Alen Kospanov became the absolute champion for the first time, taking first place in the overall ranking by a wide margin from his rivals. Alain was named the best young geographer in the world in 2018.
In 2021, the absolute winner of the International Geographical Olympiad was Muscovite Rustam Bigildin.