On July 1, a unique expedition of the Tomsk branch of the RSA on a frame and inflatable sailing trimaran Russian ocean way started from Petrovskaya wharf. Ahead is a 2-year voyage around 40 countries.
The vessel, named the Russian Ocean Way, is the only one in the world in its class. The crew consists of the expedition leader, first deputy chairman of the Tomsk branch of the RGS Eugene Kovalevsky and the trimaran captain, champion of Russia and the Siberian Federal District in sailing tourism, RGS member Stanislav Beryozkin. On land, the expedition will be run by the shore-based staff, headed by Yulia Kalyuzhnaya, executive director of the Tomsk branch of the RGS. An interactive map with geolocation of the trimaran and a historical and geographical reference is available on the project website.
These include Lessons from the Ocean for Russian schoolchildren, scientific research into the planet’s radiation background and the spread of radio waves over the ocean expanse, a people-diplomacy mission – introducing residents of other countries to the natural and cultural riches of Russia, as well as the history of Russian explorers’ exploration of the Earth. Co-organisers of the lessons are Integration School, TUSUR and STK. The crew members will also address the public along the route of the expedition, talk about Russia and present the tourism potential of Siberia, using the route of the Golden Ring of Siberia (We Discover Siberia) as an example.
A series of documentaries in various formats, ranging from video blogs to television programmes, will be produced on the basis of video recordings made by the crew members.
In two years, the trimaran will cover some 60,000km and visit more than 40 different countries and territories. During the visits, the crew will hold over 100 meetings with local people. Approximate route: St. Petersburg – Finland – Poland – Sweden – Denmark – Holland – Great Britain – France – Spain – Portugal – Canary Islands – passage across the Atlantic Ocean – South America – Polynesia – Micronesia – Philippines – Indonesia – Indian Ocean – Atlantic Ocean – South Africa – Namibia – Portugal – Great Britain – St. Petersburg.
О свойствах необычного тримарана рассказал главный конструктор судна Анатолий Кулик, сообщив о безопасности транспорта и его неоспоримых преимуществах. В Anatoly Kulik, the chief designer of the ship, told about the properties of the unusual trimaran and informed about the safety of the transport and its undeniable advantages. A trimaran has everything necessary for travellers – food, clothes, communication equipment as well as fuel and berths. A guitar also has an important place on the boat.
Посмотреть на начало экспедиции на Петровскую пристань приехали не только петербуржцы и кронштадтцы, но и представители других российских городов, в том числе из Томска и Новосибирска.
To watch the start of the expedition at Petrovskaya Wharf not only St. Petersburgers and Kronstadt citizens, but also representatives of other Russian cities, including Tomsk and Novosibirsk, came.
The head of the Kronshtadt district administration, Oleg Dovganiuk, welcomed the audience and reminded them that Kronshtadt is the capital of geographical discoveries.
On behalf of the President of the Russian Geographical Society and on my own behalf, I would like to welcome the participants of this unique and for our time grandiose voyage around the world and wish them seven feet under the keel and a fair wind,” said Sergei Catikov, International Advisor to the President of the Russian Geographical Society, at the ceremony before the voyage.
The honorary president of the Russian Geographical Society, Academician Vladimir Kotlyakov, also wished the worthy heirs of the Russian navigators a fair wind in his congratulatory telegram.The head of the expedition, Evgeny Kovalevsky, noted that the crew, despite the difficulties ahead, was ready to achieve their goals.
“The mission is fundamentally important, one of the four tasks. We want to remind the world of the achievements of the Russians who discovered the oceans, we want to remind the world of those capes and islands that were called by Russian names,” Kovalevsky said.
The leader of the expedition considers the educational task no less important: to tell the younger generation of Russians about these historical facts, and to share with them knowledge of the world’s oceans. The first ‘lesson from the ocean’ will take place on Geographer’s Day on 18 August.
Stanislav Beryozkin, the captain of the trimaran, confessed that he had been studying the upcoming route for more than a year. The difficulties of the route were a cause for concern.
“At first it seemed to me very difficult, even impassable. But then I realized that we can do it. And now we are going out on a unique vessel,” said Beryozkin.
The sunny weather in Kronstadt seemed to be trying to cheer up the travellers and those seeing them off. The farewell was bright and warm. “It’s time to go, old chap, the rise is sung,You’ve longed to hear, old chap.
“The waves crashing on the parapet at dawn,And the bowstaff is just ringing like the first string”, – for the road Kovalevsky and Berozkin sang a romantically touching song by the bard Vladimir Lantzberg.
The participants were given a farewell speech by Oleg Kislitsky, a well-known sculptor and artist from Tomsk.
To the cheers and applause of the audience, the intrepid Russians set off to conquer the oceans, only to return to their home harbour in two years’ time.
The first country to be visited by the expedition participants will be Finland. The travellers will encounter coronavirus restrictions and will have to undergo a PCR test when entering some countries.
The project is dedicated to the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Ivan Krusenstern and the 200th Anniversary of discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors. The project is supported by Russian Geographical Society, The President grants fund, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation, Rossotrudnichestvo and numerous sponsors and Maecenas.
Our organizational partners: LLC PromTransService, LLC Mezhdeninovskaya Poultry Farm, Ronson Company, Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics, NL International Company, OJSC Tomsk Beer, STC Company – LLC Systems. Technologies. Communications, Alfa-insurance, Company Rubius, NR Tomsk State University, Siberian State Medical University, School of Tomsk district Integration, Manufacturing company Century, Shop of educational and methodical aids Birch, TOIPKRO, Association of teachers of Geography of the Tomsk region, Berdsk Trade and Service Agency, Company Intant, Planeta.ru.
Information partners: VGTRK, My Planet TV Channel, GTRK-Tomsk, Ministry of Science and Education of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Administration of Tomsk Region represented by Governor Sergey Anatolyevich Zhvachkin, Tomsk Scientific Centre of Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences
