Vologda State University received the grant from the Russian Geographical Society to organize the expedition along the rivers of the Vologda Oblast. The project is to promote Lake Onega, the Volga-Baltic and North Dvina canals as tourist destinations for the development of water tourism.
The expedition sailed off on July 28 and will finish on August 18. It is symbolic that the country will celebrate Geographer’s Day on August 18 for the first time; this initiative was put forth by President Vladimir Putin.
32 students of supplementary educational programs “School of sea cadets” and “Traditional shipbuilding” from youth club “Korabely Prionezhya”, as well as the activists of the Russian Geographical Society from Vytegra, who were chosen to take part in the expedition, will sail from Vytegra to Vologda and back. Four crews will changed during the trip, among them young people from Vytegra, Vologda, Cherepovets, Kirillov, Kharovsk, Kaduy, and Andomskiy Pogost.
This year due to the pandemic, the organizers of the expedition had to take some precautions. All travelers were tested for Covid-19. The gaff schooner “Onezhskaya Zhemchuzhina” was disinfected, equipped with dispensers with sanitizer, and non-contact thermometers. All participants were supplied with protective masks.
VSU partners in the project are the Government of the Vologda Oblast, Vologda Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, the youth club “Korabely Prionezhya”, Arctic Rescue Training and Research Center “Vytegra”, EMERCOM of Russia, and others.