‘A Story about the Arctic’: New Photo Exhibition at HSE University
The opening of the ‘Khatanga. Heritage’ exhibition took place in the atrium of the HSE building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The event was organised with the support of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS). The educational project features photo materials with interactive tours, as well as a series of videos and a podcast that draw attention to the cultural and environmental aspects of the region.
The project is a continuation of the ‘Arctic. Spring Cleaning’ large-scale environmental campaign, during which the shores of the village of Khatanga in the Krasnoyarsk Region were cleaned of accumulated metal debris over a period of two years. Volunteers from different parts of Russia took part in the expeditions and conducted research, media, and environmental activities. Over three sessions, the volunteers managed to remove more than 700 tons of industrial waste, which significantly improved the ecological situation in the region and allowed them to create an extensive archive of photo and video materials.
According to Andrey Lavrov, Senior Director for Communications at HSE University, the Russian Geographical Society has been a partner of the university since 2022. He recalled that HSE's Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology actively cooperates with the Russian Geographical Society, and students of the university conduct research on Arctic issues, including as part of the Rediscovering Russia project. ‘It was important for us to tell a story about the Arctic—a strategically important territory for Russia—through such an exhibition,’ said Andrey Lavrov.
Russia is a huge country, and it’s almost impossible to visit every part of it, says Fuad Aleskerov, HSE Tenured Professor, Head of the Department of Mathematics at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. ‘Such exhibitions help us understand where the resources of our homeland are located. In addition, the photographs describe what our volunteers saw when they went to the Arctic to clean up the waste. I also participate in environmental projects, support them financially. In this case, the campaign needs volunteers, and if I was a student now, of course I would also take part in it,’ he stressed.
Dmitriy Kobets, representative of the Russian Geographical Society, Visiting Lecturer at the HSE Department of Mathematics, did not know in his student years that he could spend holidays on an expedition and help entire regions. It’s important to tell students about this opportunity by organising such exhibitions, he believes.
‘I thought that expeditions are intended for scholars, but it turns out they are not. The Russian Geographical Society and other organisations provide an opportunity for early-career scientists to go on an expedition. And they don’t have to engage in complex scientific work there. You may just want to relax and change the intellectual vector of activity that you were engaged in from September to June. And after the expedition, you are part of a wonderful community,’ added Dmitriy Kobets.
The exhibition features four virtual tours:
1. ‘Khatanga. Three Suns for Happiness,’ which takes visitors into a world of creativity, where each photo carries its own unique emotion and story.
2. ‘I Was Brought Up by the Cold,’ dedicated to the wild Arctic region (which is currently home to less than 6,000 people), the history of Khatanga, its people, and natural conditions.
3. ‘Khatanga Is Us,’ which tells the story of the members of the expedition—young photographers, scientists, journalists, athletes, and managers.
4. ‘A Snowflake Won't Melt,’ a travel quiz for younger visitors of the exhibition.
The exhibition ‘Khatanga. Heritage’ will be open at HSE University on Pokrovsky Bulvar until June 30.
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