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terms of things to do the options here in russia are as fast as the country itself however poor infrastructure means that only extreme tourism is taking off when i talked to the president of the russian geographical society about ways to improve the situation spotlight is next. hello again a welcome to spotlight on r.t.i. malvern off and today my guest in the studio is shy. many russians are unaware of their historical heritage and their natural treasures. addressing the russian geographical society prime minister putin said there are a lot of places in russia which can become popular tourist attractions but for

infrastructure only for extreme tourists so what can be done to improve the situation and why has the russian emergencies minister become the president of the russian geographical society here's. the russian geographical society's one of the oldest of its kind in the world established in the meet nineteenth century it set out to research the boss regions of russia today the task has been enlarged to popularizing russian culture and nature and environment protection the society is supported by the very top of the russian political elite its president who is also the emergencies minister with prime minister putin heading the board of trustees. thank you for being with us today hello. well the first thing i'd like to ask you is why the emergencies minister and everyone in russia knows you as the mergence is

minister. presides over the geographical society. is there some sort of emergency with geography. you know first of all it's very interesting. to you personally mentioning to me personally. i find it extremely interesting and the second reason is that this society probably the oldest non-governmental organization in our country. it's one hundred sixty fifth anniversary last year. another reason is that it has a remarkably interesting history a great number over twenty cheve minutes and all standing people if you recall the famous russian audience picture the meeting of the state council. percent of the people for trade there were members of the russian geographical

society members of the russians are going to feel society. the society has reached traditions are conscious it was this is europe's largest your graphical library containing four hundred forty thousand volumes in russia yes it was me if there is it in moscow in st petersburg petersburg yes it has archives of various famous travelers like preserve. them. well in the us media hollywood has a great impact on everything. because they have this fantastic film indiana jones you've probably seen it made this profession very popular. but what about russia do russians students dream of becoming a traveling with me even more everyone is thinking of you go into business. that's exactly why we have decided to address this issue any serious matter. if

you consider all the trouble expeditions say over the past two centuries you will realise that we need to do our best to promote this work and not just the government. people to should encourage people to love their country. to explore their country to explore its nature it's just nice it is their day to be aaronson kraft's said. you know there are many branches in geography for example economic geography. geographical statistics and so forth i'm pretty sure you know what i'm talking about the other was to i'm grateful to the people who launch such projects is the my planet channel says they would thank you personally i consider it among the best projects of the recent years.

so a good lawyer this channel received an award recently yes and i would like to congratulate them because they're really good and definite up there doing a good job a very good job. with the board of trustees and his chairman. will award grants each year and we did that we did it last year and this year i think will come together even more maybe april put it through the storm want tell the legibility criteria for us i support an overseas candidates eligible yes they can they're eligible if they want to receive a grant and they need to submit an application and we have a board of very famous research travellers explorers in tyagi refers and this commission there's board and they come together and consider the plea cations that is what all those applications like i want to go to the off to can photograph a whole there's no nocturnal like that

a research project could go out of course an applicant should state that purpose of their research it's subject matter it's expected outcomes and benefits and what dnd product is whether it's a documentary or air report or a paper on the expected cost perhaps naturally tradin clude expected costs this. well after the fall of the saw its union its name institutions fell apart and as far as i know many regional history you were all left without support even though they were a unique specialists to this end when you could only does the geographical society help them these days. through the creation of course. of course in fact recently we had a meeting of the geographical society and we invited all those infuse e.-s. who preserve very museums i mean both there's

a taf and there are buildings and. i can give you a lot of examples for instance the commune history has the nicest building in town which was built with donations from the russian church graphical society and also from local merchants to governor another prominent figures including by the way descendants of the end decemberists but it's the nicest building in the records. of course it's no longer belongs to the geographical society in houses the museum of original history now. but they have preserved many of the traditions in it was thanks to those people you have mentioned that there was these people who preserved the archives sing sing and both the archives in the organization in vladivostok there used to be a museum there too. much was lost during the soviet era and especially during the

post soviet period. i think we'll start recovering in revolving all that now. you're talking about history but times change don't they previously those expeditions you talk to mt were sent off to explore and fill in the blanks polis on geographic matheson. and first and foremost on russia's map that it was in the middle of the nineteenth century when the world's map wasn't complete yet what about today is what are the goals of the russian geographical decided today and. first of all our goal is to continue studying the wild nature of both plants and animals of russia. this year we are running a big program on the arctic covering such as it says environment protection at the economic issues at the study of the foreign the wants ethnic minorities and their cultural traditions which need to be preserved. and i think this is

a noble goal. another goal is if you ask an average school student to d. how many ethnic groups live in our country they most probably wouldn't till you know just say many more who would say i'm a most probably that. they're clever but the thing is every single athlete group has a unique culture which goes back four centuries in a time they possess unique canny craft skills that will summarise fellowships are granted for this purpose by the way in particular the grants we shoot in two thousand and nine and two thousand and ten. and we do value the researchers who work in this area and promote this knowledge gala and they should documentaries read books. and know we are trying to revive the past traditions of the russian share graphical society that i see a good such as the scenic russia project of the nineteenth century. such things are

really precious and i'm not talking about money. it's about giving our people and eyed me that i may sound a bit too magic now giving our people as solid a feeling of motherland. in a weariness. that this is my mother in law. that's what it's like. oh i love it and how i should preserve. my already and i would put the word father wise if you don't know your mother in law. what is due for you to love you the distributive wish well let's take a look at the history of russia's geographical exploration in a report from spotlights healy on the demeter. here in moscow in the very heart of continental russia is a special place for seal lovers in seafarers the history of russia's navigation and

geographical exploration is written on this wall these are the names of russia's coahuila says for example this plate here is in memory of all that see cheery cove the first european never to set foot on southern no esca. the wall is part of the core you have center in moscow been there done that is what the famous russian traveler can say about places like those who the south pole and mt everest his circumnavigated the globe several times and crossed the atlantic ocean in this single role in both the spirit of adventure is something he must have inherited from january sions of russian explorers in eighty three this vessel two questions on their first ever circumnavigation of earth the expedition was headed by a van cringe there who later became one of the founders of the russian geographical society which in this shaded systematic exploration of the remote parts of the country among the most famous members were nikolai miku from acquiring who lived

for a long time among native tribes of southeast asia and australia studying in this crowd in their way of life when the cooperation of all ski who discovered several previously unknown species good in the wild horse named after him the soviet union promoted and encouraged exploration the russian pioneers of the arctic like to shmeat or even proponent in who were the first to carry out scientific research on poor rice stations in the one nine hundred thirty s. became national heroes today of computer technologies in space travel this still appear to be places to explore an earth like the seabed of the north pool which was for the first time reached by a group of russian scientists four years ago the spirit of adventure leads new generations to new discoveries and co new hope swallow thing is waiting for new names to be written on it. sounds

mainly. natural resources which means that they use to bring about benefits the right to say that she stays geographers i'm more concerned about environment protection than about the exploration of natural resources. yes and that's exactly why last year we reintroduced the environmental aspect into the geographical society scope of work and the beautiful story by the way it was the year before a boy image by love to remind you that russia's very first nature reserve. nature reserve was established on the initiative all the russian general graphical society says who the president of the russian jew graphical society spotlight will be back shortly and we'll be back in the studio in less than a minute up so break so stay with.

the longest big game hunting history. he was trying to stall and dated. but sprung the traps they laid for him. on the radio we have the the surge walks around the area and we're always always missing. one shot turn to take. out the global drug industry's godfather became the most want to trophy the world's bounty hunters. escobar the great hunt and take. well when one deals with water it has to realize that this tremendous amounts of damage that have done not just human damage but damage the physical environment in which the battlefield takes place tremendous amounts of damage done by earl bombs by napalm boy chemicals that whether it's

a sonic boom say factory marine mammals or it's the burning oil field syria or iraq or it's destroyed coral reefs in the pacific for landing purposes the list just goes on and on the journey. the conventions of nineteen forty nine states that there shall be taken in war to protect. against widespread long term and severe damage the united states although it is accepted almost all of the provisions of protocol one has taken exception to that. welcome back to spotlight time although not in just

a reminder that my guest today in the studio here is set again the president of the russian geographical society this means that i missed the signals in two thousand and ten the russian geographical society held the international arctic forums that's what was received a global public response would become a regular event so i don't know why you planning to conduct another forum this year and what do you think about these forums practical value in general and. you know it was our first project of this guy and we did it together with therion always team usage in secret and it proved that this kind of dialogue using braid to match . the fury coliforms malto was the territory of dialogue our objective was to outline and present our interests and discuss them with our neighbors in the arctic clay sitting in pool so to say that they were delegations from sixteen nations many interesting reports were presented and this brought about

the common understanding that such discussions conferences are reports expeditions and the most importantly an exchange of opinions between we'll known public figures and politicians including heads over. states and governments are something we very much need and so we made a decision to make it a manual event and right now we're busy preparing the next arctic forum in twenty eleven that means of russia one of your board members prime minister putin gave a speech at the last forum and he said some tough words every want to start a big thorough cleanup of the arctic and in the first place to get rid of the nuclear waste buried there has the work started yet did you hear the call of mr putin here in russia we did and in other countries what about your colleagues. for other countries we haven't heard of any significant or specific actions which would develop into

a consistent program off cleaning up the arctic region. this is you know our country where we have a located funds in the federal budget and signed contracts with companies which will work on this project. the ministry of natural resources he's monitoring this work and naturally we to monitor the situation to see we are we are today in the arctic. the great. projects have been planned for this year. one project is a work in progress it's underway we're studying the migration path san cabot hats off polar bears. this project is underway and we expect it to continue. next you might know that we had a major expedition to see which was led by the chairman of the board by the way.

this expedition managed to achieve a lawyer for him this work will be continued this year we would like to send it begin a comprehensive expedition and i think that pretty soon possibly sometime in april we'll start screening candidates. students from russia's major universities to take part in the expedition to the new siberian islands it's a side for an incredibly interesting research in many different fields. that you cooperate closely with environmentalists you mentioned earlier that the work of protecting the environment is on your priority list. the environmentalists have raised in the lawn now a lot in the news about the future plans of b.p. and ross knapp's to develop an oil field in the south and part of the chorus say that the probe that does this project indeed present a serious environmental threat to that region or are they just being precautious but even so even they would out of cool. insured and say they're pretty cautious

because of course any such a project involves a very serious preliminary research and analysis by x. and security specialists especially after that incident in the gulf of mexico. it was a huge environmental disaster. so talking of an marmont protection and environmental moon. general. me. what i would call it could be politicized often marmont protection that's a killer here with a good to know what i mean is that political plans are being achieved so put it through environmental means. does this politicize ation of environment protection affect your work it seems that it does from the way you speak. don't you see it

here so it doesn't mar a mental movements and the very idea of an environment protection gets more and more involved in the division no markets which get used as a tool to prevent a company or a nation from answering certain markets such as the hydrocarbons market. you might know is there during the discussion of c pipeline construction projects when building a gas pipeline for example the parties often resort to environmental arguments. among other things of course but the point i'm making is that when environmentalists asterix happens people start throwing political slogans let me think that it's interesting that you a politician ish when you're a veteran minister say shows for you know one of our country's most influential politicians and yet you're against the politicization of environment protection that. does that mean for you your posts in the government and your role in the

russian geographical society a completely different things with resonate with c. such as family and a career something like that. it's something that. is possible at all the you think no no i have to admit it and naturally i'm very grateful to my colleagues at my main place of work for there are tremendous support including kelp in organizing expeditions because in the ministries vast and comprehensive network of training and rescue centers as well as a great number of rescue squads are a unique resource we can use to ensure the safety and working conditions for our expeditions. that's something no other agency has i would think that's why it is quite hard to separate these two jobs and when i talked about the body size they should have in my. arment protection i didn't mean that my membership in a political party or my position as a minister should have no impact on what i do at the russian geographical society.

so you mean using environmental protection as political leverage. here us that's exactly what i mean. yes that's exactly what i mean. you know it's a well known fact that there are many environmental organizations that are actually becoming less and less concerned with environment and at the same time the more and more concerned with politics. what particular organizations do you mean. i would rather not name them because i don't want to advertise them. i would advise our people not to join those who are going to say because they are in misleading when people tell you you can't do these stories that it's because it causes harm to the environment and your health.

and they say this without any preliminary study or any research any examination. without engaging in japan and x. spurts and even without conducting primitive laboratory tests they were at last when was this whole was puts me on my gore. should let him leave one more question but he there have been reports that the russian geographical society along with the in to restrain will agency subliterate are going to develop ecotourism in russia but i was ready to. tell us more about this project which i think you really have such plans of. your european viewers probably know that there is such a thing as egg recall tourism in europe. when young people go to the countryside and we want to form they so. they harvest they take care

of animals well in russia that would need stream tourism or other. variety of eco tourism. but in our country it's much more interesting. because we have the world's biggest a reserve war all freshwater in the lake baikal. so why not send an expedition there. to help preserve the lake. and at the same time explored with what might harm it. or for example surely we can arrange environmental expeditions to some endangered polices. so that people can not only see some things that there was there were some exotic places for example with their own eyes

and at the same time. they would be able to longer people would balk them tell people what is being done to make sure that industrial facilities pollute the environment so i think it's a promising project. thank you very much for being with us and just a reminder that my guest today was sygate for the president of the russian geographical society and that's it for from all of us here moving back with more forthcoming from what's going on. outside russia until then stay on r.t. and take it.

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