Russian Geographical Society’s circumnavigation crew took part in the opening of the exhibition dedicated to Cosmonautics Day and the life of Yuri Gagarin at the Russian-Brazilian School in Rio de Janeiro on April 12. The head of the expedition on the trimaran Russian Ocean Way, Evgeny Kovalevsky, spoke about the significant contribution of Russian navigators to the development of the World Ocean and the discovery of new lands, and also invited young Brazilians to take part in the educational project «Lessons from the Ocean».
During the ceremony, Brazilian schoolchildren learned a lot about the life of the Earth’s first cosmonaut, about his difficult childhood, dreams of space, which became a reality thanks to hard work and studying. The teenagers were equally interested in the story of the chief of the coastal staff of the expedition «Following the paths of Russian explorers» Yulia Kalyuzhnaya about Siberia, the natural and cultural riches of the unique Russian region, its tourist potential. The participants of the RGS expedition, together with representatives of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Rio de Janeiro, donated to the school a political and physical map of Russia, a pennant and souvenir paraphernalia of the circumnavigation.
— “We were very glad to see the burning eyes of the students who were interested in hearing about the expedition, about Siberia, about the opportunity to come to study at Tomsk State University, to see a real traveler. Thank you to the attaché of the Consulate General of Russia in Rio de Janeiro Egor Sergachev for the professional translation from Russian into Portuguese. Our expedition crew continues the mission of friendship of peoples as the priority goal of the expedition «Following the paths of Russian explorers» and fills with new content the important educational mission of the expedition of the Russian Geographical Society,” stressed Evgeny Kovalevsky.
According to him, educational institutions of Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Portugal and Brazil have already joined the historico-educational and geographical program «Lessons from the Ocean» along with Russian schools.
The RGS circumnavigation crew will stay in Rio de Janeiro for two days. It will film places and objects related to the activities and expeditions of Russian navigators Ivan Kruzenshtern, Yuri Lisyansky, Mikhail Lazarev, Thaddeus Bellingshausen. A meeting with the Consul General of Russia is also planned.
Source: Russian Geographical Society
