Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –
The opening of the exhibition “Khatanga. Heritage” took place in the atrium of the HSE building on Pokrovsky Boulevard, organized with the support of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS). As part of the educational project, photo materials with interactive excursions are presented, as well as a series of videos and a podcast, drawing attention to the cultural and environmental aspects of the region.
The project became a logical continuation of a large-scale environmental campaign “Arctic. General cleaning”, during which work was carried out over two years to clean the banks of the village of Khatanga in the Krasnoyarsk Territory from accumulated metal waste. Volunteers from different parts of Russia took part in the expeditions, they carried out research, media and environmental activities. In three shifts, volunteers managed to remove more than 700 tons of industrial waste, which significantly improved the ecological situation in the area and made it possible to create an extensive archive of photo and video materials.
As Andrey Lavrov, Senior Director of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, noted, the Russian Geographical Society has been a partner of the Higher School of Economics since 2022. He recalled that Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies HSE actively cooperates with the Russian Geographical Society, and the university students work a lot on Arctic topics, including within the framework of the project “Rediscovering Russia”. “It was important for us to tell the story of the Arctic, a strategically important territory for Russia, through such an exhibition,” said Andrei Lavrov.
Russia is a huge country, it is almost impossible to see everything in it, says Professor Fuad Aleskerov, head of Department of Mathematics FEN HSE. “Such exhibitions give an understanding of where and what we have in our homeland. In addition, the photographs describe what our volunteers saw when they came to the Arctic to clean up trash. I myself participate in environmental projects, and support them financially. In this case, we need working hands, and if I were a student now, of course, I would go too,” he emphasized.
Dmitry Kobets, a representative of the Russian Geographical Society and a visiting lecturer at the HSE Department of Mathematics, did not know in his student years that one could spend one’s vacation on an expedition and benefit entire regions. He believes that it is important to tell students about this opportunity by organizing such exhibitions.
“I thought that an expedition was a matter for big scientists, but it turns out that it is not. The Russian Geographical Society (and not only it) provides an opportunity for young specialists who have just started their journey to go on an expedition. And there is no need to do complex scientific work. Maybe you just want to relax and change the intellectual vector of activity that prevailed from September to June. And after the expedition, you also create a good community,” added Dmitry Kobets.
In total, four thematic virtual tours were prepared for the exhibition.
1. “Khatanga. Three suns for luck”, which takes you into the world of creativity, where each photographic work carries its own unique emotion and story.
2. “The cold raised me”, dedicated to the harsh Arctic region, which is currently home to less than 6,000 people: the history of Khatanga, its people, and its natural conditions.
3. “Khatanga – this is us”, which tells about the members of the expedition: young photographers, scientists, journalists, athletes and managers.
4. “A snowflake won’t melt” — a quiz journey for the exhibition’s youngest spectators.
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