On 30 October, the Geographical Dictation of the Russian Geographical Society was held for the eighth time. Voronezh State University became the central venue for the event in the Voronezh Region.
In 2022, the regional branch of the RGS, based at the Faculty of Geography, Geoecology, and Tourism of a VSU, decided to hold an in-person event at the main venue. There was also a meeting of the RGS Youth Club on the premises of the University. In addition, Voronezh State University provided an opportunity for participants from other cities to take the dictation test remotely. Approximately 1,500 people took advantage of the opportunity.
Before the dictation, guests of the Faculty of Geography, Geoecology, and Tourism were able to explore several exhibitions reflecting the motto of the event, related to travel and expeditions. The exhibitions were prepared by students and staff of the Faculty under the guidance of postgraduate student Aleksandr Kryachkov and senior lecturer Maria Derevyagina. Among the exhibitions were: “Blowing the dust off retro equipment...” (an exhibition of photo and surveying equipment from the middle of the 20th century), “Past and Present in Atlas Mapping” (atlases from the collection of the Faculty of Geography, Geoecology, and Tourism), “Random Moments. Snippets of Educational Practices” (photo exhibition by students of the Faculty), and installation “By the Tent”. An art exhibition by graduate student Evgenia Shirokova, based on her travels, attracted the most attention.
The participants could test their knowledge of geography by collecting spils-maps of Russia and the Voronezh Region, as well as by taking a quiz called “Mysteries of the Voronezh Region”. The quiz was designed by Dmitry Vladimirov, head of the RGS Youth Club.
Traditionally, well-known travellers, explorers, and activists in the region were invited to participate in the Geographic Dictation as hosts and special guests. This year, the event was attended by retired Captain II rank Aleksandr Slastin, who announced his new book about Nikolai Przhevalsky and his travels. Among the guests was Mikhail Glushchenko, a traveller, social activist, and director of the ANO Ecotourism Project, he held a meeting with the audience. The dictation participants were able to talk to Nikita Chernikov, head of OOO Robinzon’s, about the image of the traveller in today’s world.
There were 40 questions in the dictation of 2022, divided into two groups. The first part consisted of 10 simple questions about well-known facts. The second part consisted of 30 more complex questions challenging logic and wit. A great number of them were designed by the winners of the Russian Geographical Society’s “Create Your Question for the Geographical Dictation” competition. Many of the dictation questions were related to contemporary activities of the Russian Geographical Society: expeditions, discoveries, and monuments. The questions showed that geography is not as boring as it seems to those who have never immersed themselves in it.
In the Voronezh Region, geographical questions were answered at universities, schools, technical colleges, libraries, military units, and enterprises. This year, the Divnogorie nature reserve, Novovoronezh NPP, and Linear Production Department of Main Gas Pipelines in Kalach joined the campaign. The campaign was held at 101 venues distributed over the city of Voronezh and 26 municipal districts of the region.
“The interest in this project of the Russian Geographical Society is constantly growing. The motto of this year’s dictation is: “My region. My country. My discoveries”. The importance of these words can hardly be overestimated. It is gratifying that interest in our country, in its geography, history, and nature is on the rise,” said Semion Kurolap, Dean of the Faculty of Geography, Geoecology, and Tourism, Chair of the Voronezh Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
This year, special attention is paid to the online version of the dictation, and the deadline has been extended. The online dictation is available until 10 November, 2pm on the quiz website.
