Conference participants are welcomed to visit the interactive Museum of Archaeology.
The Museum is open from 09:30 to 20:30.
Address: Rosa Dolina, Rosa square, 1.
Admission is free upon presentation of the participant's badge. Audio guides are available in Russian and English.
The display is based on artifacts discovered by archeologists during the construction of Olympic facilities on the territory of «Rosa Khutor» in 2010-2014.
The Museum has a gift shop.
Before visiting the Museum, you may download the mobile application «Museum of Archaeology» and enjoy Museum’s exhibits come to life with the help of AR technologies.
When registering for the event you can select a fieldtrip from the program. Please choose your fieldtrip carefully, as changing fieldtrip registration at the venue may be difficult due to the limited number of participants at each event.
LAKE TRAVERSE HIKE
Difficulty: moderate
Length: 4.2 км
Time required: 4 hours
This overview walk through the Rosa Plateau goes past key Olympic venues. Hikers will see ski runs, the Extreme Park, a picturesque lake used to make artificial snow, and local plants and animals, with extensive commentary provided by the guide.
Gear: comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, hiking shoes, a windbreaker or raincoat, drinking water, sunglasses, and a hat.
«PANORAMA» HIKE
Difficulty level: moderate
Length: 4.5 km
Time required: 2.5 hours
One of the most picturesque and breathtaking mountain trails around Sochi starts from the top of Rosa Peak at 2,320 meters above sea level. The trail runs past the «Edelweiss» cable car station across alpine meadows to the highest station of the Alpika-Service resort’s cable car. The hike follows the top of the Aibga ridge, letting travelers take in the spectacular panorama. At the end of the tour, hikers will take the «Edelweiss» cable car to come back to the top of Rosa Peak mountain.
Gear: a windbreaker or raincoat, comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, hiking shoes, drinking water, sunglasses, and a hat.
YURIEV KHUTOR HIKE
Difficulty level: moderate
Length: 8 km
Time required: 5 hours
The walk to Yuriev Khutor starts at 1,350 meters above sea level and runs along the northern slope of the Aibga mountain. Slowly climbing in the southeastern direction, hikers will admire breathtaking views on the magnificent Main Caucasus Ridge, towering across the Mzimta river valley.
Once at the 1.900 meter mark of the Kamenniy Stolb (Rock Pole) mountain, explorers will enter the Yuriev Khutor high-altitude valley reserve. There, water melt trickles down from the perennial snow fields until the end of the summer, while only the wind and a stray rock, falling off steep mountain cliffs, break the silence. One is more likely to meet a wild beast – a bear or a chamois – than a person in this high-altitude reserve.
Gear: a windbreaker or raincoat, comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, hiking shoes, drinking water, sunglasses, and a hat.
OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE ANIMAL PARK AND CAUCASUS RESERVE VISITORS’ CENTER
Difficulty: easy
Length: 9 km with car transfer
Time required: 3 hours
The Visitors‘ Center at the Caucasus Nature Reserve, which constitutes a large part of the Western Caucasus World Heritage Site, will uncover the secrets of the region’s unique natural environment. The outdoor enclosure animal park is home to more than 25 rare animal species: wild hog, fox, raccoon dog, bison, wolf, roe deer, sika deer and other animals endemic to the Caucasus.
Equipment:windbreaker jacket or a rain-gear in case of rain, comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, hiking shoes, drinking water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
HEALTH TRAIL AT THE ROSA KHUTOR RESORT
Difficulty: medium
Length: 3 km
Time required: 2,5 hours
The walk goes through the tree-covered part of the Psehako Ridge, where hikers can admire the magnificent mountain forest of giant trees, moss and vines. The trail includes three circles of different length and difficulty, climbing from 580 to 732 meters above sea level. The itinerary includes 919 stairwell steps, crosses 13 mountain springs and two waterfalls. Hikers will attend a hands-on educational workshop, where resort guests can learn about the unique nature of the Caucasus on the Black Sea side, and the guide will share the history of the region, as well as provide information about local plants and animals.
Equipment:windbreaker jacket or a rain-gear in case of rain, comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, hiking shoes, drinking water and a hat.
PARK OF WATERFALLS MENDELIKHA
Difficulty: medium
Length: 2,5 km
Time required: 4-5 hours
Waterfall Nature Park is located on the South slope of the Aibga ridge in the Mendeliha river bed, 1,472 meters above sea level. Arriving at the trailhead via a cable car, we will hike along a picturesque mountain trail surrounded by the thunder of the waterfalls. The sight of seven waterfalls, with the highest vertical drop of 77 meters, will leave everyone in awe. Our tour guide will tell the story of the Mendel family, in honor of whom the area received its name, and will share information about local flora and fauna.
Equipment: windbreaker jacket or a rain-gear in case of rain, comfortable clothes covering arms and legs, trekking shoes, drinking water, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat.
Please note:the itinerary goes through a border region, please bring your passport or other ID with you! You won’t be able to access the Waterfall Nature Park without your ID.
Natalia Alekseeva
Professional experience
Ms Alekseeva is a Workstream Leader at the Office of Climate Change, Environment and Biodiversity, FAO. She has over 15 years of experience in the field of environmental protection, climate change, water management and development. She had started her career in academia and education, then consulted and managed projects for various multi- and bi-lateral organizations. In Central Asia she was a staff member of several international organizations, such as the UNEP (Head of Office for Central Asia), UNDP (Water Programme Coordinator for Central Asia) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ (Regional Advisor). On global level she worked as a Senior Networking Officer at Global Water Partnership, Secretariat in Stockholm, serving three Regional Water Partnerships (GWP Central and Eastern Europe, GWP Caucasus and Central Asia and GWP Mediterranean) and being a focal point for the thematic area of transboundary cooperation and water security.
Ms Alekseeva completed her PhD studies at St. Petersburg State University (Russia) at the Department of Environmental Security and Sustainable Development. She also holds a Specialist Diploma in Environmental Protection and Use of Natural Resources and Geography from the Belarusian State University in Minsk, and a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from the Central European University (Budapest, Hungary) and the University of Manchester (United Kingdom).
Rafiliya Bakirova
Education
She graduated from Orenburg State Agrarian University with a degree in Science of Law.
She has a degree of the Candidate of Science of Law.
Professional experience
In 2010 she acted as a Regional Director of steppe project implemented by UNDP/Global Ecological Foundation/ Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (Minprirody of Russia).
In 2013 she became a Director of 'Orenburgsky' State Natural Reserve.
In 2014 she headed Federal State Budgetary Institution (FSBI) 'United Directorate of 'Orenburg 'and 'Shaitan-Tau' State Natural Reserves'.
From 2014 to 2017 she was a secretary of Secretary of the Board at the Association of Directors of Nature Reserves and National Parks of the Russian Federation 'Preserved Russia'.
From 2017 to the present she has held the position of Director of the Association of Directors of Nature Reserves and National Parks of the Russian Federation 'Preserved Russia'
About the organization
Federal State Budgetary Institution 'United Directorate of 'Orenburg' and 'Shaitan-Tau' State Natural Reserves' (FSBI 'Natural Reserves of the Orenburg Region') is a nature protection, research and development, ecological and educational institution.
The main objective of the Federal State Budgetary Institution 'Reserves of Orenburg region' is the preservation and study of the natural processes and phenomena, the genetic heritage of flora and fauna, certain species and communities of plants and animals, typical and unique ecological systems.
Vera Burtseva
Education
Vera graduated cum laude from Saint-Petersburg State University of Low Temperature and Food Technologies in 2007, with a major in Air Cooling. During her studies she received a special Russian Federation Government Scholarship and a Saint-Petersburg Governor Scholarship. She obtained her second college degree in computer programming. Ms. Burtseva continued her education by completing an Executive MBA at the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO in 2015.
Professional experience
In 2008, Ms Burtseva began her life’s work developing energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies to produce cold from heat using the so-called absorption technologies.
Two year later, in 2010, Ms. Burtseva took the helm of “Bureau Technica”, an engineering company that designs and builds MEP systems. In 2013 she completed the GREEN BUILDING course at the USGBC (American Green Building Council) and passed the LEED Green Associate certification examination, becoming a LEED certified expert. The same year Mr. Burtseva was put in charge of the Committee for Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development at the Russian Guild of Managing Companies and Developers (RGUD), and continued in that position until 2018. In 2014, Ms Burtseva passed the licensing example and became a BREEAM Assessor. The same year, she began steering the working group in charge of the development of GREEN ZOOM - a system for sustainable development in the construction sector in Russia. Vera is the winner of Earnst and Young’s 2017 Business Women Award in the “Continuing Family Business” category.
Tim Christophersen
Professional experience
TIM leads the ‘Nature for Climate’ Branch of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and is the focal point for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030: www.decadeonrestoration.org.
He holds a degree in Forestry and Forest Conservation Engineering from Dresden University of Technology. He previously worked for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), where he led the portfolio on the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity.
From 2002-2007 he was Regional Programme Coordinate for Europe, the Caucasus and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He also worked for the Danish Ministry of the Environment at the Research Institute for Forest and Landscapes, and for the European Commission in the Nature and Biodiversity Unit.
Natalia Danilina
Professional experience
Natalia Danilina founded the Zapovedniki Ecocenter in 1996 and has been leading it ever since. She has also been the Chairwoman of the Philanthrophic Educational Foundation “Zapovednoe posolstvo” since founding it in 2018. Prior to 1996, Ms. Danilina held a number of positions in the headquarters of Soviet and Russian nature protection agencies, where she began her career as a lead expert, was promoted to head the Main Office for Environmental Protection, and later to be the Deputy Chief of the Department of Environmental Protection.
In 1978, Natalia started working as a researcher at the Nature Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR. Natalia is a member of the Public Environmental Council at the Ministry of Nature of the RF, a member of the Expert Council on the Specially Protected Nature Areas at the Ministry of Nature, member of the Joint Expert Council of the Foundation for Presidential Grants. Ms. Danilina is an honorable member of the Executive Committee of the World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN). From 2019 to 2021 Natalia represented Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Council of IUCN, after serving as a vice-chairperson of WCPA IUCN from 1993 to 2008. She was also a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation from 2011 to 2014, and received the title “Honorable Environmentalist of the Russian Federation”.
In 1995, Natalia Danilina contributed to drafting the Federal Law on Specially Protected Nature Areas; she proposed and drafted the federal program of targeted support for state nature reserves and national parks, in place from 1994 to 2004. Natalia originated the idea of conducting environmental outreach activities in SPNAs, ecotourism and engagement with the local communities. She has also authored a number of publications on environmental protection, environmental education and tourism in the SPNAs.
Elena Dudchenko
Professional experience
Since 2012, Elena Dudchenko has been actively collaborating with non-profits, and small and medium sized companies that work to improve the local conditions in tourism, environmental protection, environmental outreach and redevelopment, helping them build reliable partnerships with authorities and larger companies.
Ms Dudchenko founded and leads the Live North project, which continuously fosters volunteering activities and prepares programs for sustainable tourism development on Taymir. She is the co-founder of the #ПодбросьДоГорода (hitch a ride to the city) drive.
Elena Dudchenko serves as a permanent consultant for non-profits and SMEs on how to plan and implement socially meaningful projects. She also provides financial and business performance monitoring services to companies. Ms. Dudchenko leads Business Farm which provides business solutions to non-profits and for profit companies, collaborating with the municipal administration of Norilsk and Norilsk Nickel company in the implementation of the Presidential directive to support business development in the Arctic region. Ms. Dudchenko works with Norilsk Development Agency helping SMPs to obtain business residency in the Arctic.
Guy Eames
Professional experience
From 2009 to 2014, Mr Eames led the RuGBC-Olympstroy partnership, was a Skolkovo expert on innovation, and a member of TC366 on green technologies for the built environment and green innovative products standard. Mr. Eames is a partner at the BRE Institute in London and a co-author of many research papers about green solutions and standards. Starting this year, Mr. Eames leads an international research project at East London University on “choosing appropriate solutions for green building in Russia”. Guy Eames has participated as a speaker and a moderator in top-tier industry events in Russia (Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, Forum 100+, Moscow Urban Forum) and internationally. He also provides consulting services to property owners and investors in Russia.
Boris Erg
Professional experience
Boris Erg is Director of the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (IUCN ECARO). His track record entails more than 20 years of experience in nature conservation and international nature policy, including working with international organizations, national authorities, civil society, and as a protected area manager. Boris is a trained expert in environmental management with core expertise in international cooperation, nature policy, protected area governance and management, and transboundary conservation. He is actively involved in various aspects of policy and programme development, including institutional development, programme design and regional cooperation. Boris is an active member of IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas’ Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group. Throughout his career he has maintained active relationship with international and national organisations, UN agencies, civil society, and the donor community and has promoted the concepts of equitable governance and nature-based solutions as a response to growing societal and environmental challenges.
Vyacheslav Fetisov
Professional experience
Viacheslav Fetisov’s main achievements have taken place on ice. Born in Moscow in 1958, this legendary Soviet ice hockey player is considered one of the best defensemen in the history of ice hockey.
He has won all the major hockey trophies. He has been World Champion seven times and nine times European Champion. He has won two Olympic gold medals and one silver medal. He won the USSR’s Championship thirteen consecutive years from 1977. In North America, he won the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Stanley Cup twice as a player and once as the coach of the NJ Devils. Viacheslav Fetisov has been inducted to the National Hockey League and the International Ice Hockey Federation Halls of Fame.
Fetisov has held different public positions. In 2016 he was elected State Duma Deputy and is the chairman of the State Duma Committee for Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs. In 2017 he was appointed as the State Duma’s Special Envoy for Interparliamentary and International Public Organizations on the Development of Sport.
Viacheslav Fetisov is committed to protecting the pristine natural ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctic. He has actively supported the Ross Sea campaign in Antarctica and the largest clean-ups in Russia, including lake Baikal and the Arctic. Through spearheading “The Last Ice Hockey Game on the North Pole”, this ice hockey icon would like the polar regions to remain a reality for future generations, and not just a distant memory.
Viacheslav Fetisov is UNESCO Champion for Sport, UNWTO Tourism Ambassador and
Special Olympics Goodwill Ambassador
Dmitry Gorshkov
Education
Candidate of Biological Sciences.
Professional experience
Prior to his appointment as the Director of WWF Russia he headed the Fund’s biodiversity program. He started working as a researcher at the State Volga-Kama Nature Reserve in 1999, and was promoted to Deputy Director for General Affairs in 2010. From 2013 until 2018, Mr. Gorshkov was head of the Federal State Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve.
Dmitry Gorshkov has been awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ecology of the Russian Federation, a “Nature Conservation Achievements” pin, and a Presidential Citation from the President of the Russian Federation.
Since 2014, Mr. Gorshkov has been a member of the World Commission on Protected Areas of the IUCN, working on the Bureau of the Task Force for Conservation and Revival of Rare and Endangered Species in the Russian Federation. Last year Mr. Gorshkov was appointed on the Expert Council on Specially Protected Nature Areas at the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation, and this year he joined the Bureau of the Ecology and Natural Resources Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation.
Mr. Gorshkov received a Candidate of Biological Sciences degree after defending his thesis in 2004 at the Institute of Problems in Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Science. Prior to that, he graduated cum laude from Kazan State University majoring in Vertebrate Zoology.
Viktor Grishenkov
Professional experience
Viktor Grishenkov has been the Director of Ugra National Park since 2013. He is a member of the International Ranger Federation and has received many citations and mentions from the Governor of Kaluga region, regional bodies of the Ministry of Nature, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Economic Development and Ministry of Labor, domestic and international grass-roots organizations, the philanthropic foundation “Beautiful Children in a Beautiful World”, a Presidential citation from the President of the Russian Federation, and an institutional award from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Mr. Grishenkov received a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation, and award pins “For Achievements in Nature Reserve Management” and “Honorable Forester”.
Sergei Gruzd
Education
Sergey Gruzd is a graduate of the USSR Ministry of the Interior’s Higher School and the Governance Academy of the Ministry of the Interior of the Russian Federation. He completed his education at the Postgraduate Military College of the Ministry of the Interior.
Professional experience
Between 2001 and 2017, Mr. Gruzd founded Safety Industry, an advertisement agency which he also led as its Director General, co-founded and led RusMediaInvest, and created an internet portal dedicated to security issues, www.securitymedia.ru. He was the Editor-in-Chief of a collection of specialized journals on integrated security, anti-terrorism, and fire safety at national security facilities and in strategic industries in Russia, e.g. Transportation Security and Technologies; Security at Fuel and Energy Facilities; Safety of Building and other Installations; and Fire Safety. From 2006 to 2011 Mr. Gruzd chaired the Central Council of the nationwide non-profit organization VDPO (Nationwide Volunteer Fire Service), and during the same period of time he sat on the Public Council under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. In 2012, Sergey Gruzd was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Public Council under the Western Interregional Transportation Investigation Office of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, and he has been the Council’s Chairman since May, 2016.
Sergey Gruzd is a member of the National Academy of Fire Safety Science, and a corresponding member of the World Academy of Integrated Security Sciences. He is a member of the Expert Council on Transportation Safety and Anti-Terrorism under the State Duma Committee on Transport and Construction. He serves as Deputy Head of the Subcommittee on Integrated Security and Fire Safety at the National Alliance of Designing Engineers and Surveyors (NOPRIZ). Since 2020, Mr. Gruzd has been a member of the Commission on Tourism, Physical Culture and Sports of the State Council of the Russian Federation, and a member of the Government Commission on tourism development in the Russian Federation. Sergey Gruzd is a co-founder and co-organizer of national and international fora and conferences on security and anti-terrorism , including in tourism (TSIF International Forum).
He cofounded the Tourism Safety Association where he currently serves as the Chairman of the Board. Mr. Gruzd suggested and drafted a number of legislative norms and regulations on integrated security and anti-terrorism protection of facilities. He is a recipient of awards for impeccable service in all three grades and award pins from the Ministry of the Interior “For Excellence in Service at the Ministry of the Interior”, and from the Ministry of Emergency Situations “For Service” and “For Merit”, as well as a number of ministerial medals and certificates of merit.
Oleg Kobiakov
Education
Mr. Kobiakov graduated from the State Institute for International Relations majoring in international relations, law and economics in 1985, and completed his PhD in international relations and diplomacy at the Paris Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in 2000.
Professional experience
Mr. Kobiakov has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation since 1985. For more than twelve years of his professional life Mr. Kobiakov has been involved in Russian Federation’s engagement with the FAO. He holds significant knowledge on subjects under FAO’s purview and is an experienced negotiator on issues in the agricultural sector, food security and related topics.
In the diplomatic service, Oleg Kobiakov has been a second class Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary since October 2016.
Dmitry Kolosov
Roman Korchigin
Professional experience
Roman Korchigin leads a number of philanthropic and social projects in the Kamchatka Region. He is the organizer of the large international exhibition Protected Nature of Russia, which he also curates, dedicated to Russia’s protected natural areas. The exhibition is co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rossotrudnichestvo. Mr. Korchigin is a member of the project group Ecoourism Development at the Information and Analytical Center, jointly run by the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives. In collaboration with the Kamchatka Tourism Ministry he participates in project planning to develop tourism in Kamchatka region and in the Far Eastern Federal district.
Lev Kozhevnikov
Education
Education: Candidate of Sciences in Jurisprudence, Associate Professor
Professional experience
Professional Experience:
Mr. Kozhevnikov has been working in the field of vocational, tertiary and continuing education for more than twenty years, and has authored over ninety research articles and a number of course curricula for continuing vocational training. His professional achievements have been recognized by Letters of Appreciation of the State Duma, a Сertificate of Merit of Centrosoyuz, and a Certificate of Merit of the Ministry of Justice of Russian Federation
Nikolay Kurichev
Education
In 2011, Mr. Kurichev graduated from the Master’s program in the Department of Geography of Moscow State Lomonosov University. In 2013 he defended his thesis for the Candidate of Sciences degree on the subject Territorial Organization of the American industry in World Economy.
Professional experience
Later Mr. Kurichev became interested in the geography of population settlement and studied the relationship between migration and housing construction. Nikolay Kurichev has been working at the Russian Academy of Science’s Geography Institute since 2012. From 2008 to 2013 he worked at the Energy Strategy Institute, and from 2013 to 2019 at the Gazprom subsidiary Gas Economics Research Institute. As Deputy Director of the Energy Markets Research Center, Mr. Kurichev worked on geo-economic problems, such as forecasting and analysis of supply and demand in energy markets, prices, supply chain analysis and evaluation of investment projects. Since 2019, Mr. Kurichev has been serving as the Dean of the new Department of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies at the Higher School of Economics. During his time at the helm, the Department has run two admission cycles for the BA program and conducted its first summer practicum for students. Now Mr. Kurichev is busy opening an MA program, creating a center for geodata and international labs, and developing a knowledge base in applied geography.
Vladimir Kuznetsov
Education
He graduated from the Kirov Agrarian Institute with a degree in Biology. He has also graduated from the Bashkir Academy of Public Administration and Management under the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan with a degree in State and Municipal Administration.
Professional experience
From 1995 to 1998 he was a Chairman of the District Committee, Ministry of Environment and Ecology of the Republic of Bashkortostan. From 1998 to 2008 — Deputy Head of the Meleuz Territorial Department for the Control of Environmental Safety Standards, Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Bashkortostan. From 2008 to 2015 — Chairman of the Meleuz Territorial Committee, Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Bashkortostan. From 2015 to the present he holds the position of Director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution 'Bashkiria' National Park of Minprirody of Russia. From 2017 to the present he occupies the position of Deputy Chairman of the Coordination Council of the Complex Biosphere Reserve 'Bashkir Ural'. He was awarded diplomas of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Bashkortostan.
About the organization
The 'Bashkiria' National Park was created on September 11, 1986 with the aim of preserving the unique nature of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Under the protection of the park are: Kutuk-Sumgan natural boundary with numerous caves, Muynak-Tash rock, karst bridge and Kuperlya waterfall.
Mikhail Lapin
Vitaly Lazo
Professional experience
Vitaly Lazo wears many hats – he is a professional athlete, an extreme ski freerider, a guide in the Russian Mountain Guides Association, a high-altitude cameraman, a producer, and a public speaker. Vitaly Lazo founded Death Zone Freeride, and is at the helm of the Mountain Territory Club. This year Mr. Lazo joined KANT Mountain Club. Vitaly Lazo received the Snow Leopard award for climbing the five tallest 7K+ mountain peaks on the territory of the former Soviet Union. He was also the first to climb the Lomonosov mountain in the Antarctic’s Queen Maud Land. Vitaly Lazo founded Kislorod film studio and won in the Best Camera Work in Extreme Conditions category at the XXIII International Film Festival VERTICAL-2020 for his 2019 film “Death Zone – Nanga-Parbat”. Vitaly was the first person in Russia to ski down an 8K+ peak with no oxygen (peak Manaslu – 8163 meters).
Nikolay Litarenko
Education
Nikolay Litarenko received his law degree from the Moscow State Transportation University in 2008, becoming a lawyer. He continued his studies at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University, where he obtained his Master of Jurisprudence degree. Mr. Litarenko’s postgraduate studies at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University prepared him to teach civil law, business law, family law, and private international law to researchers and educators. In 2020 Nikolay Litarenko defended his Candidate of Jurisprudence thesis on the topic “Forfeit as a form of liability in international stream of commerce’. He has also authored a number of research papers.
Professional experience
Mr. Litarenko has been working in tourism for more than ten years, including experience with tour operators and international companies that provide visa services. At the moment, Nikolay Litarenko heads the Legal Department of the Russian Union of Travel Industry.
Olga Lukyanets
Education
Olga graduated from the Academy of Budget and Treasury under the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation in 2009, majoring in Public Finance.
Professional experience
The next year, Olga began leading the Project Coordination Department of the non-profit Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, and continued to work there until 2014.
Ms. Lukyanets then moved on to head the Organization Department of Gazprom-Media Holding Company and coordinated the work of the Film, Internet and Television subsidiary holding company and the Real Estate subsidiary holding company until 2020. She was in charge of organizing sports events broadcasting, and was responsible for regional advertising sales.
In 2020 and 2021, Olga Lukyanets worked as the Executive Director at Sberbank in charge of the Healthcare industry and the development of company’s health ecosystem. Ms Lukyanets drafted the industry development strategy through 2023.
Presently, Ms Lukyanets is the Director for Sustainable Development of the Tourism RF Corporation.
Irina Makanova
Professional experience
Ms. Makanova holds a Candidate of Jurisprudence degree from Demidov Yaroslavl State University and is a graduate of the Russian Presidential Academy of Public Administration .
Ms Makanova’s responsibilities include ensuring concerted efforts of federal executive bodies and regional administrative authorities in the Far Eastern federal district of Russia that aim to develop transportation and energy infrastructure, international transportation corridors, the Northern Sea Route, the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, and state border crossings.
Ms. Makanova is also in charge of coordinating the activities of 137 federal entities that manage federal SPNAs.
Vadim Mamontov
Education
Vadim Mamontov graduated from Moscow State University (MSU) majoring in Cybernetics and Computational Math, and later received an Executive MBA from the RANEPA Institute of Business and Management.
Professional experience
After graduating from MSU, Vadim Mamontov was involved in a number of IT projects. Around the same time, he began to travel extensively through the country, exploring new places which in time compelled him to create a business focused on adventure travel in Russia. In 2014, Mr. Mamontov became Director General of RussiaDiscovery, a company he had founded in 2005. Vadim Mamontov crisscrossed the country from the Cola Peninsula to Chukotka in search of the best travel itineraries.
About the organization
RussiaDiscovery has 14 years of experience arranging travel in Russia, offering more than 150 options for active travel, including rafting, bike tours, mountain climbing and expeditions. Our travel itineraries range from the popular destinations of Lake Baikal, the Altai, Karelia, and Kamchatka, to the lesser known Shantar islands, Plutorana Plateau, and Cape Dezhneva.
Eduardo Mansur
Education
Eduardo Mansur started his career in 1981 as a Researcher (Silviculture) in a collaborative programme of the Federal University of Paraná and the Eduardo Mondlane University of Mozambique and led the Natural Resources Division of the Environment Institute of Paraná State, Brazil. Thereafter, he joined FAO as Project Officer in Mozambique and Ecuador; then as Chief Technical Adviser at the FAO Representation in Mozambique; as Policy Officer (Forestry; 2002-2007) in FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy; as Senior Forestry Officer at Regional Office for Africa in Accra, Ghana (2007-2008); as Director of the Forest Assessment, Management and Conservation Division (2012-2016); as Director, Land and Water Division (NSL; 2016-2020).
He also worked as Regional Forest Conservation Officer for South America with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; 1995-1996) and as Assistant Director at the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in Japan (2008-2012).
Professional experience
Eduardo is a national of Brazil, holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from the Faculty of Agriculture of the Federal University of Paraná, Brazil (1980) and an M.Sc in Social Economics of Forests from the University of Helsinki, Finland (1991).
Daria Matsuk
Education
Daria Matsuk was in charge of marketing and brand development of the Kalashnikov financial-industrial group since it was founded in 2103. There she provided oversight of new project launches, developed communication strategies, managed brand development, and was in charge of relations with state bodies and of organizing participation in expos and other promotional events.
She also worked as Director in charge of PR for the Vienna Ball in Moscow.
Professional experience
Daria Matsuk holds a BA in Political Science from Moscow State Institute of International Relations under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and a diploma in marketing and PR from the University of the Arts, London.
Tatyana Menshikova
Marina Nenarokova (Gritsun)
Professional experience
Marina is a lawyer and an expert on nature travel, agricultural tourism, children’s recreation, and regulatory control and surveillance in the tourism sector. Marina Nenarokova is Director of Nature Codex, a consulting company, and is the head of the non-profit organization Union of Active Travel for Children Operators. Marina Nenarokova initiated and ran various projects in sustainable tourism and children’s recreation.
Viktor Nepomnyaschiy
Education
Viktor Nepomnyashchiy is a graduate of Tomsk State University and holds a PhD in Geography. He has authored more than fifty publications.
Professional experience
Since 2020, Viktor Nepomnyashchiy has been leading the work of the Ecotourism Committee of the Russian Union of Travel Industry.
Mr. Nepomnyashiy worked as a senior lecturer in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of Kuzbass Technical University. In 2009, he started working at the Khakassia State Nature Reserve, where, three years later, he was promoted to the position of director. As an editor-in-charge he produced a compendium of articles “Scientific Research in Reserves and National Parks of South Siberia”, and co-authored some of the monographs published by the Khakassia Nature Reserve. From 2015 to 2018, Mr. Nepomnyaschiy played an important role in preparing an application to recognize the Khakassia Nature Reserve as a Biosphere Reserve and in compiling the dossier to include the Oglakhti mountains on the UNESCO preliminary world heritage site list. For more than fifteen years Viktor Nepomnyaschiy has been the Secretary of the Board of the Association of Directors of Russia’s National Parks and Nature Reserves. He sits on the Coordination Committee to develop children’s and youth tourism in the Republic of Khakassia, and is the deputy Chair of the Public Council for Tourism under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Khakassia. Since 2010, Mr. Nepomnyaschiy has been the Scientific Secretary of the Khakassia division of the Russian Geographical Society.
About Khakassia Nature Reserve
The Khakassia State Nature Reserve is the only federal-level nature reserve in the Republic of Khakassia. It was founded in 1999 by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation which created a reserve with the Chazi and Maliy Abakan Nature Refuges at its core. It covers a wide range of landscapes and is home to a large diversity of animal and plant species. More than 80% of all plant and animal species in the Republic of Khakassia and some 40% of all plant and animal species in the entire Altai-Sayan ecoregion can be found in the Khakassia Nature Reserve. In 2012, the federal-level Pozarim wildlife sanctuary, an important part of the main migration corridor for many rare mammal species inhabiting the region, was placed under the management of the Khakassia Nature Reserve.
Vladimir Omelchenko
Professional experience
Mr. Omelchenko is a member of the Expert Council on Students’ Health and Physical Education under the Committee on Science and Education of the State Duma. He serves as Deputy Head of the Center for Children’s and Youth Tourism, Local Ethnography and Children’s Wellness and Recreation.
Ekaterina Pazhetnova
Professional experience
Ekaterina has been working with bear cubs since 2012, for the past three years at the Orphaned Bear Cubs Rescue Center.
The goal of the Center is to contribute towards wildlife conservation by rescuing and rehabilitating brown bear cubs, helping them adapt to life in the wild and releasing them back into their natural environment.
The Center’s experts conduct outreach to inform people about the need to treat the environment and animal and plant life responsibly. They regularly conduct events to inform the public, especially children and youth, in order to convey the importance and need to treat nature responsibly and with care.
Alexander Pestryakov
Education
After obtaining his university degree in economics, Mr. Pestryakov completed additional professional training, majoring in Public and Municipal Administration.
Professional experience
Mr. Pestryakov began his professional career in 1999 as an engineer and programmer working for Oganer-complex, where he was later promoted to head its computational center. He continued to work in IT and telecommunications in managerial roles at Oganer-Service and, starting in 2002, at RosInTel. In 2011, Mr. Pestryakov opened the Zapolyarie (above the Arctic Circle) branch of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Government’s Agency for Small and Medium Business, which he led until his election to the Norilsk City Council in March, 2012. In October of the next year Mr. Pestryakov was appointed by Council Members to chair the Commission on Municipal Infrastructure. On September 10, 2017 he was reelected as a member of the Norilsk City Council, and became the Chairman of the body on September 21, 2021.
Alexander Pestryakov’s hobbies include playing guitar, travel, extreme sports, and catch and release angling.
Yevgeniya Podarina
Professional experience
Yevgeniya co-authored “Muraveynik” (Anthill), an environmental outreach project, and is a producer of the ST-Forum.
Leonid Protsenko
Education
Mr. Protsenko holds a Candidate of Psychological Sciences degree. He graduated from the Moscow State Institute of Radio Technology, Electronic Technologies and Automation and later continued his education at the State Pedagogical University, taking a professional retraining course in Psychology Practice.
Professional experience
From 1993 to 1997 Mr. Protsenko organized themed sleepaway summer camps for teens, and managed various projects and the Youth Business School. He then moved to chair the Board of the Regional Civic Organization, working to support the development and implementation of socially-oriented programs, a position he held until 2001. From 1996 to 2015 Leonid led a training program for community leaders under the contract with Moscow municipal authorities, developed and led themed camps and projects for teens and youths, as well as a Youth Business School. From 2006 to 2011 Leonid was Director General of the International Friendship Club, providing consulting services to develop corporate social responsibility projects and foster volunteer activity in Russia. From 2011 to 2015, Leonid Protsenko worked as a consultant for the Agency for Strategic Initiatives’ project to develop a model system of children’s wellness and recreation in the regions of the Russian Federation. Since 2001 Leonid has been an assistant professor, a senior lecturer and an associate professor at the Department of Individual Development of Moscow State Pedagogical University. In 2017, Mr. Protsenko was appointed Deputy Director, and in February 2019 Acting Director of the Federal Center for Children and Youth Tourism and Local Ethnography. He is in charge of methodology and information sharing in support of recreation opportunities for children in the regions of Russia.
Natalia Polikarpova
Education
Natalia Polikarpova is a Candidate of Geographical Sciences, a landscape scientist and a bio-geographer, and an expert on wildlife conservation.
Professional experience
For the past twenty years Natalia has been working in nature conservation, and she was awarded the Achievement in Nature Conservation pin. She coordinates the Red Book of the Murmansk Region project. Natalia is a member of the Russian Geographical Society and serves as a permanent member of the Joint Russia-Norway Intergovernmental Commission on Nature Conservation, sitting on a number of the Commission’s working groups. Natalia Polikarpova is an expert at the Working Group on Nature Protection of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council. Natalia developed the Program of Environmental Monitoring around the Cola Mining and Metal Company (a part of Norilsk Nickel MMC), serves as the Program’s research coordinator, and is in charge of its implementation.
Natalia Ryazanova
Education
Ms. Ryazanova holds a degree of Candidate of Geographical Sciences and is an Assistant Professor.
Professional experience
She is a member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation.
Natalia Ryazanova is the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission on Sustainable Development and the Environment of the United Nations Association of Russia.
Vita Saar
Professional experience
Vita Saar is Director General of World Ecoparks, leads the Committee on Tourism Sustainable Development, and is on the Board of the Russian Union of Travel Industry.
Kairat Sadvakasov
Education
Mr. Sadvakasov received his BA in Tourism in 2003 at the Gumilev Eurasian National University, and then deepened his expertise with an MA in Tourism Management from New York University in the United States in 2012.
Professional experience
Kairat’s career in tourism began in 2001 at the InterContinental Hotel Astana, the first five star hotel in the country’s capital. Later, he worked in international consulting and PR companies, took part in the implementation of industrial and transportation projects, and helped to promote Kazakh companies internationally. Kairat has also gained extensive experience in educational tourism.
In 2012 Mr. Sadvakasov began working for the public sector, as Tourism Department Director at the Kazakh Institute for Industry Development. He also served as Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Tourism Industry Department in the Ministry for Investment and Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and advised the Chairman of the Tourism Industry Committee.
In 2017 Mr. Sadvakasov was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Board of Kazakh Tourism National Company.
Kairat Sadvakasov co-authored the Tourism Industry Development Framework for Kazakhstan and the State Strategy for Tourism Development. He has participated in the development of several master plans and regional projects strategies.
Kamal Salmanov
Professional experience
Businessman, blogger, and a farmer. Kamal Salmanov was first in Russia to launch direct fruit sales from his garden using live broadcasting.
Olga Sanaeva
Education
Olga Sanaeva graduated from the Applied Biotechnology University and from the Goryachkin Engineering Pedagogical University.
Professional experience
She founded Encore tour company in 1996. Today, Olga leads the Russian Union of Travel Industry’s Regional Council and is a member of Rostourism’s working group on tourism for children. Ms. Sanaeva is also the head of the expert group on tourism at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, and is on the Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation on Tourism, Physical Culture, and Sport.
In June, 2015 Ms. Sanaeva was awarded the Government of Russia tourism award for developing the National Program of Tourism for Children. In September, 2017 Olga Sanaeva received a pin from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for her “Contribution to the Development of Tourism in the Russian Federation”. Ms. Sanaeva is also the recipient of letters of appreciation from the Government of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture, the President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, the Chair of the Tourism Commission of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Moscow Education Department, Moscow Region Administration, and other federal and regional institutions.
Irina Sannikova
Education
She chairs the Republic of Khakassia Branch of the Russian Geographical Society, is a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation and received the title “Honorable Ecologist of the Russian Federation”.
Professional experience
Ms. Sannikova is a member of the Expert Council on Specially Protected Nature Areas at the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation, and is in the Ministry’s Working Group on Snow Leopard protection. Irina Sannikova is on the Council of Regions of the Russian Geographical Society and works on the Technical and Research Councils of the Khakassia State Nature Reserve and Sayano-Shushensky State Nature Biosphere Reserve. She is also a member of the Public Ecology Council at the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Khakassia.
Irina Sannikova’s efforts aim to conserve and grow natural and biological resources, restore ecosystems, and protect and preserve specially protected nature areas and nature reserves.
Sergei Shestakov
Education
Mr. Shestakov has been working at the Lapland Nature Reserve since 1984, and became the Reserve’s Director in 1994.
Professional experience
The thrust of his work is to preserve the reindeer population, currently estimated to be approximately 1000 animals living on the territory of the Lapland Nature Reserve. Reindeer used to inhabit all of Europe’s northern regions. Mr. Shestakov’s other goal is to create comfortable conditions for visitors coming on excursions through the open sky visiting center of the Lapland Nature Reserve. Finally, Sergei Shestakov has been managing the Khibini National Park and implementing an SPNA management system using IT, such as environmental monitoring at the Lapland Nature Reserve and tourist flow management at the Khibini National Park.
Peter Shpilenok
Education
In 2007, Mr. Shpilenok received an MA in Environmental Protection from the Law Department of Saint Petersburg State University.
Professional experience
Peter Shpilenok worked as a park ranger at the Kronotsky Nature Reserve from 2009 until 2014. For two years, from 2013 to 2015, he led Business Development at Sorokoput, a company that worked to introduce the use of innovative technologies in Russian national parks and nature reserves. At the same time, in 2014-2015, Mr Shpilenok worked as Deputy Director in charge of Development at the Briansk Forest Bioshpere Nature Reserve. He then joined the All-Russia People’s Front in 2015 and remained a member until 2017, while also providing his expertise to the Briansk Regional Working Group on Ecology and Forest Protection. Peter Shpilenok is currently a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Anna Spenceley
Professional experience
Dr. Anna Spenceley is an independent consultant who works on sustainable tourism issues. She has been analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector in protected areas for the EU, UNEP, UNESCO and Luc Hoffmann Institute, and has compiled a blog post of over 1200 materials on "COVID-19 and sustainable tourism" for public use. She is a signatory to both the "Future of Tourism" and "Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency". Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), is on the Board of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, and sits on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is editor of the new “Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners” from Edward Elgar, and co-author of "Private sector tourism in conservation areas in Africa" from CABI.
Vsevolod Stepanitsky
Education
In 1982, he graduated from the Faculty of Geography of the Moscow State
Pedagogical Institute, majoring in geography and biology.
Professional experience
Mr. Stepanitsky has been involved in the work on Specially Protected Nature Areas for more than 30 years, including 22 years in the headquarters of the ministries and agencies in charge of the protection of the environment. He received the title “Honorable Ecologist of the Russian Federation”, he is a recipient of the Fred Packard Award For outstanding service to protected and conserved areas and is a member of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas.
Vasily Sutula
Education
Vasily Sutula graduated from the Irkutsk Agricultural Institute in 1984 with a degree in biology and hunting studies.
Professional experience
Vasily started working in research in 1988. In 1999 he was appointed to lead the Baikal Nature Reserve.
Under his leadership, a program of integrated ecotourism development was designed for the Baikal Biosphere Nature Reserve, Kabansky and Altacheisky Sanctuaries. The program received government support from the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation, and the Baikal Nature Reserve became a model of territorial development of infrastructure for educational tourism. The Program has been successfully implemented, the facilities have been built and the number of visitors has been on the rise. Tourists receive quality services that utilize nature conservation technologies. The Baikal Zapovedniy Visitor Center, built on-site, has received high marks from many visitors, including the President of Russia.
Mr. Sutula received a letter of merit from the President of Russia, awards from the Ministry of Nature of the Russian Federation, where he was thrice featured on the Wall of Fame, and awards from the Republic of Buryatia. Vasily Sutula was twice elected as a member of the Kaban District Council, where he launched the idea of a tourism development program in the district. Mr. Sutula is an Honorary Freeman of the Kaban district.
Lubov Timofeeva
Education
Lubov Timofeeva graduated from the Law Department of Moscow State Lomonosov University with honors, and obtained a Financial Analyst diploma from the Higher School of Economics. She then completed a Master’s Degree Conservation Leadership Program at the Cambridge University Geography Department.
Professional experience
Lubov started her professional career as a lawyer at an international consulting company. In 2009, she moved to ROSNANO as a business strategy analyst, where six years later she was promoted to be the Director for Strategy, and next year the Managing Director for Strategy and Investment Relations. In 2020, Lubov Timofeeva won in an open competition to head the Kamchatka Volcanos Nature Park, a state nature conservation entity in charge of managing a network of regional nature reserves in Kamchatka, including four nature parks inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list as “Kamchatka volcanos”. She also chairs the Association of Specially Protected Nature Areas of Kamchatka.
Kirill Tokarev
Education
Graduated from National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Applied Political Science, Management
Professional experience
Editor-in-chief, RBC TV channel since 2011
TV host of various TV shows: "Business Day", "Tokarev.Delo", "New Economy with Kirill Tokarev", "Company News" and so on.
Public figure, member of the expert council at the Central Bank of Russia. Organizer and moderator of plenary sessions, round tables, debates and other events with the participation of members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Russia, Deputy Prime Ministers, leading businessmen and top managers.
Sphere of professional interests: topical problems of the relationship between business and the state, digitalization of business processes, sustainable development, lobbying and government relations.
Natalia Troitskaya
Professional experience
From 1997 to 1999, Natalia Troitskaya was the lead expert at the Office for Research and Environmental Outreach Management at the Nature Conservation Directorate of Russia’s State Committee for Ecology. In 2000 she was appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Specially Protected Nature Areas at the Department of Environmental Protection and Ecological Security of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, where she continued working until 2004.
Natalia’s efforts are focused on providing consulting services and methodological support to nature reserves and national parks on all issues related to planning, management and implementation of their core mandates.
Natalia participates in arranging international cooperation and strengthening international relations around the core activities of the specially protected nature areas. She manages media relations and engagement with environmental organizations on issues pertaining to the activities of nature reserves and national parks.
Natalia takes part in the conceptual development and design of nature trails, visitor centers, nature museums, exhibitions and shows, marketing of nature and environmental protection related products. She further helps organize and run in-service training courses for the employees of nature reserves and national parks, as well as for experts on nature conservation of regional bodies of the Ministry of Natural Resources. Natalia also works with grass-roots environmental and nature conservation organizations.
Yan Tsigankov
Professional experience
Yan Tsigankov has been employed by the Center for Clean Industry and Sustainable Development since 2004, and was appointed as the Center’s Director in 2012. The Center’s main activities include: providing training to technical (engineering) personnel in Russian companies and municipal organizations on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and productivity improvements. Mr. Tsigankov is an experienced organizer of international conferences and workshops within the framework of multilateral (Barents Euro-Arctic Council) and bilateral (Russia-Norway and Russia-Sweden) cooperation. In 2007, the Center won the National Ecology Award for international environmental cooperation, instituted by the State Duma’s Ecology Committee and the Vernadsky Foundation. Since 2009, the Center has been collaborating with UNEP’s Moscow office to disseminate information and knowledge accumulated within the UN system in Russia and other Russian speaking countries in Europe.
Kirill Umrikhin
Professional experience
Kirill Umrikhin is a professional photographer of extreme sports events and expeditions, with 15 years of experience in the field.
He is a Nikon and Manfrotto Ambassador, and is on the SanDisk Extreme Team. Kirill Umrikhin was a finalist in the Best of Russia and The Most Beautiful Country photography competitions, and was a semifinalist of RedBull Illume. Kirill has taken part in, and organized, tours to the most far-flung corners of our planet.
Maxim Mironov
Education
In 2004, Mr. Mironov graduated with honors from the Norilsk Industrial Institute with a degree in «Deep Mining of Mineral Deposits». A year later, he underwent advanced training in «Economics and Management» within the program «Real Estate Valuation». He continued his skill improvement with «Manager and Personnel» program at the International Institute of Management. His further training included «Project Management of Single-industry Towns» program at the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo.
In 2019, he received a diploma of professional training at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the program «Innovative Management of the Municipalities Territory Development ». He is currently completing his Masters of Law degree at the Moscow Witte University.
Professional experience
Mr. Mironov started his career as a mining engineer at the technical department of the Taimyrsky mine engineering complex. He also served as the chairperson of the Young Specialists Movement, and won The Vladimir Potanin Foundation grant’s contest.
Since 2018 until present, he has been part-time adviser to the Head of the city of Norilsk.
In October 2018, he was appointed Deputy Director of ANO Norilsk Development Agency, and a year later he was promoted to the position of Director.
About the organization
Autonomous Non-commercial Organization «Norilsk Development Agency» was established in 2017 with the aim to create favorable conditions for sustainable development, social environment improvement and to contribute to the growth of human capital in the city of Norilsk.
ANO «Norilsk Development Agency» strives to foster development of the service economy in the city, thus improving the quality of life of Norilsk residents and contributing to the promotion of the local products and services.
The agency operates in five areas: the development of the business environment, the development of the urban environment, the development of tourism and investments, sociocultural and educational projects.
Vladimir Moshkalo
Education
A geographer by background and holds a Master’s degree in Geography from the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the European Postgraduate Course in Environmental Management – a joint course of the fourDutch Universities: Amsterdam University, Amsterdam Free University, Leiden University, and Wageningen Agricultural University.
Professional experience
Vladimir has accumulated 30 years of work experience including working for Soviet and then Russian State Environmental Protection authorities: USSR State Committee for Nature Protection and then Russian Ministry of Environmental Protection where he was involved in international nature conservation co-operation. Throughout his career he has maintained active relationship with UN Programmes and Agencies, other international organizations, international financial institutions and major international conservation secretariats (CBD, CITES, Ramsar, Bonn and Bern Conventions). From 1995 till 2010 he was working for the IUCN as the Head of Sub-regional Office for Russia and CIS where he led development and implementation of Sub-regional Programme as a part of the IUCN Pan-European Programme. His areas of work and expertise during this period concentrated on Forest Conservation; ECONET and Protected Areas, Rare and Endangered Species, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Arctic Ecosystem, Conservation and Sustainable Use of Mountains, and Sustainable Fishery and Public Support for Conservation Initiatives.
Vyacheslav Shcherbakov
Education
In 1998: graduated from the Khakas State University.
In 2004: completed the Presidential Program in Management at the Krasnoyarsk State University.
Professional experience
From 1998 to 2009: held the positions of Chief Accountant, as well as Deputy for Economics and Finance at FSI SNBR 'Sayano-Shushensky'.
From 2009 to the present: has been holding the position of Director of the FSBI 'Stolby State Nature Sanctuary '.
Awarded departmental marks 'For Merits in Nature Reserve Management' and 'Honorary Worker of Nature Conservation'.
About the organization
The Stolby Nature Reserve was created in 1925 and is one of the oldest protected areas in Russia. Every year the tourist-excursion area of the nature sanctuary is visited by more than 600 thousand people.
In 2018, the nature reserve entered the top 5 best places for ecotourism in Russia, according to a special collection with best practices in the tourist sphere prepared by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Sergey Shevelev
Education
He has a degree of Candidate of Environmental Sciences, the Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University under name of S. M. Kirov.
Professional experience
1983 to 2002: held positions of a forest ranger, State Security Inspector, Deputy Director for Territory Protection at the FSBI 'Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve'.
2002 till present: holds the position of Director at the Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve named after H. G. Shaposhnikov.
Honored Ecologist of Russia, as well as the Honored Forestry Specialist of the Kuban.
Awarded with the badge of honor 'For Services in the Natural Reserve Practices'.
About the organization
The Caucasian State Natural Biosphere Reserve named after H. G. Shaposhnikov has been established on May 12, 1924, and is the largest (covering the largest area) and the oldest specially protected natural reservation in the North Caucasus. The total area of the Reserve is over 280,000 ha, it is inscribed in the World Heritage List as 'Western Caucasus'.
The Reserve harbors 89 species of mammals and 248 – of birds, including 112 nesting, 15 species of reptiles, 9 – of amphibians, 21 – of fishes, 1 – of cyclostomes, more than 100 species of mollusks, and about 10,000 insect species. Among large mammals, the Reserve is home to the bison, red deer, brown bear, Persian leopard, West Caucasian wild ox, chamois, lynx, Siberian roe deer, and wild boar. The Reserve flora includes 3 thousand known species, among which more than half are vascular plants. More than 720 species of fungi are known in the Reserve. Every fifth plant is endemic or relict.
Several tourist trails pass through the territory of the Reserve, including one which is popular since the Soviet era, tour No. 30, which today is called 'Eco Tourist Route No. 1'.
Yulia Verkhushina
Professional experience
From 2010 to 2011, Yulia Verkhushina was an extracurricular activities teacher at the Children’s Creativity House of the Oktyabrsk district in the city of Krasnoyarsk. In 2013 she moved to Global Shapers Community as a Curator. The next year Yulia Verkhkushina became the Chairperson of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Youth Government, a position she held until 2016, when she went to work as Deputy Head of the Agency for Youth Policy and Social Development Program Implementation in the Krasnoyarsk Region. Since 2018, Yulia Verkhushina has been leading the Krasnoyarsk Regional Tourism Agency.
Ms. Verkhushina received letters of achievement and certificates of merit from the President of Russia Plenipotentiary Representative in Siberia Federal District, the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Region, and Mayor of the city of Krasnoyarsk. In 2015, Yulia won the Krasnoyarsk Mayor’s Young Talent Award.
Yulia Verkhushina has been an active participant in a number of non-profit organizations. She is a regular member of the nationwide non-profit organization Russian Geographical Society. She is on the Tourism Development Council under the Governor of Krasnoyarsk Region and is a member of the Council for the Development of Volunteering in the Krasnoyarsk region.
Olga Voitovich
Vadim Volchenko
Education
Vadim Volchenko graduated from the Georgievsky State Medical University in Crimea. He then completed a vocational career change course “Modern Approaches in Regional Management” in 2019 at the Kazan Federal University, and last year studied “Destination Marketing” at the UNWTO and Rostourism.
Professional experience
From 1994 to 2010 Mr. Volchenko was a businessman working in the media, and founded a number of media companies and service providers. Vadim Volchenko became the Co-Chairman of Business Russia in March, 2014 and two months later became Russia Today’s representative in Sebastopol and the Crimea, a position he held until July 18, 2017 when he was appointed the Minister of Resorts and Tourism of the Republic of Crimea.
Vadim Volchenko leads the work to create and develop tourism and recreation clusters, set up investment platforms and provide consulting support to business entities. His area of focus is to improve service provision in the hospitality sector and to promote the Crimea as a comfortable and accessible tourism destination.
Alexander Zheleznyak
Education
In 2002 he graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Professional experience
Journalist, photographer.
He headed Russian editorial staff of National Geographic Traveler for eight years, and published a lot of reports and articles regarding travel industry.
He worked in Public Administration in Sevastopol for three recent years. He headed the Travel Department in the regional administration and the Travel Development Center. He created and launched an adventure travel project 'Greater Sevastopol Trail'.
He was responsible for amendments to the federal legislation in the field of natural and recreational activities.
He is currently the Travel Expert of the All-Russia National Front.
He heads the Association for the Development of National Pathways of Russia.
In May 2019, he was appointed head of the Departments in charge of the development of ecotourism in national parks at the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia.
He is a member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Yulia Zvorikina
Professional experience
Yulia Zvorikina is also a:
• Member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Far Eastern and Arctic Development, Chair of the Commission on Green Finance and Ecology
• Member of the Public Council at Rosatom
• Deputy Head of Research and Innovation Center under the Executive Committee’s Board of the CIS Transportation Coordination Mechanism
• Member of the Transportation Commission of the State Council of the Russian Federation.
Yulia Zvorikina leads an international expert group on social, economic, and cultural aspects of sustainable development at the Arctic Council (SECEG SDWG). She is also the chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development and Green Economy at the Expert Center of the National Consortium “Baikal Project Office”.
Uliana Lomakina
Ekaterina Panova
Professional experience
Ms. Panova participated in the development of Pasvik Visit Center located in the Pechenga District of the Murmansk Region. Bird identification stands were installed along the ecological trails in the Pasvik Nature Reserve.
She also took part in the «Acquaintance with the Nature Reserve Residents» project, participated in renewal of the ecological trail in the Pasvik Reserve, and the reconstruction of the ornithological gazebo and the ornithological tower.
Olga Zyppelt
Professional experience
Ms. Zyppelt is an active member of the Kombinat Dobro corporate volunteering program since the start of the program in December 2015.
She took part in the following projects:
Eco-marathon 2017-2019, captain of the Green Mile team (winners of the 2017 eco-marathon).
Eco-quests 2016-2017-2019, participant and organizer.
«If you want to change the world» and «Collect separately» volunteer projects aimed at environmental education in schools of Monchegorsk city.
She also participated in volunteer events, organized by Nornickel: «Picnic. The city is us», «Science Festival», «Polar Olympiad» (2016-2019).
Julia Manchuk
Professional experience
Ms Manchuk is a specialist of the HR department of the Polar Division, Nornickel
Together with other fellow volunteers she implemented an environmental project for the processing of plastic in remote areas.
She will speak on: «How to start from scratch a workshop for processing plastic ».
Deli Saavedra
Education
Studied Biology and holds a PhD which focused in the Eurasian Otter.
Professional experience
He is currently Regional Manager of Rewilding Europe.
He has worked as a consultant during the last twenty-five years, coordinating the reintroduction of endangered species (black vulture, Eurasian otter) and the planning and management of protected areas.
He has collaborated and researched on protected areas planning (Costa Rica, Hungary), private conservation (Venezuela, Australia) and endangered species (Poland, Morocco, Ethiopia).
He has written a book about the reintroduction of the Otter in Catalonia and another one about biodiversity of northern Ethiopia.
He is the president of Sol Solidari Foundation (environmental cooperation in Africa) and member of the Reintroductions Specialist Group of IUCN.
Об организации
Цель фонда Rewilding Europe – восстановить и сохранить дикую природу и природные процессы в Европе и в то же время показать, что восстановление дикой природы может открывать новые возможности для бизнеса, создавать рабочие места и приносить доход в сфере сельского хозяйства, для которого часто характерно снижение экономической производительности и оставление земли.
Mahir Aliyev
Education
1996 – Azerbaijan State Institute of Languages (English and French Literature).
Receiving his Master’s degree in Environmental Resource Management from Western University in Baku.
Completing his postgraduate studies in Environmental Diplomacy from the University of Geneva.
Professional experience
For over 20 years he has been serving in the United Nations, working in the field of environmental resource management and international environmental governance.
2000 – 2009 – he managed a number of large projects under the Montreal Protocol programme, Climate Change and International Waters.
He has led UN missions and coordinated implementation of large environmental projects in over 30 countries of Eastern Europe, Africa, and Middle East.
As Portfolio Manager with the United Nations Office for Project Services he supervised the implementation of a large portfolio of International Waters projects, such as: Lake Chad Basin, Niger River Basin, Agulhas and Somali Large Marine Ecosystem, Caspian Sea, Dnieper River Basin and others.
Since 2009 he has been serving as Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for the Europe Office in Geneva, Switzerland where, among other duties, he represents UNEP in interagency cooperation.
He heads the UNEP-run interim Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), as well as the Coordination Unit of the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative.
Jerome Caviglia
Education
Master of Tourism, Territories and Heritage.
PhD of Heritage Valorization and Sustainable Development.
Professional experience
He worked as an Audit in a Visitor Center of Mont-Blanc region.
Also he worked as a Manager of a communication firm specialized in marketing and tourism, Research professor in the University.
2005 – he founded Atemia.
He’s daily involved in strategic studies direction in eco tourism and manage Atemia and its susidiaries (Atemia Immobilier et Atemia equipements).
He is also specialist of outdoor sports and an experienced ultra trail runner.
His field of intervention is eco interpretation and valorization of natural and cultural heritage, tourism strategy and master planning (specialized in mountain areas).
About the company
Since its inception, Atemia company has implemented more than 160 projects in the field of sustainable tourism development in various regions of France.
Enric Sala
Education
In 1996 – he obtained his PhD in Ecology from the University of Aix-Marseille, France.
Professional experience
He is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence dedicated to restoring the health and productivity of the ocean.
His more than 120 scientific publications are widely recognized and used for real-world conservation efforts such as the creation of marine reserves.
He is currently working to help protect the last pristine marine ecosystems worldwide, and to develop new business models for marine conservation.
He founded and leads National Geographic’s Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research, and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. To date, Pristine Seas has helped to create 18 marine reserves – some of which are the largest on the planet –covering an area of more than 5 million square km.
He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. His experience and scientific expertise contribute to his service on advisory boards of international organizations and governments.
About the company
Pristine Seas is an exploration, research, and media project founded and led by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Enric Sala. Since its beginning in 2008, Pristine Seas has carried out expeditions in 26 places, 18 of which have since been protected, covering a total area of more than 5 million square kilometers – more than ten times the area of California. Over the next two years, Pristine Seas will target up to six more locations, aiming to inspire the protection of a total of 20 of the wildest places in the ocean by 2020.
As an impact-driven global nonprofit organization, the National Geographic Society invests in bold people and transformative ideas with one audacious goal: to create a planet in balance – one that provides for humanity and the multitude of other species with which we share the Earth. We fund hundreds of research and conservation projects around the world each year and inspire new generations through our education initiatives and resources.
Jordi Palau
Education
University of Lleida (Forest Engineer).
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (MSc Protected Areas).
Professional experience
As a civil servant, he has been director of the largest natural park in Catalonia – High Pyrenees, 70000 hectares – for ten years, dealing with issues such as the reintroduced population of brown bear and the «greening» of neighbouring ski resorts.
Since 2014 he is the manager of three national game reserves in the Pyrenees, where he deals with big game management, rewilding and ecotourism.<
He has travelled around the world visiting protected areas in Africa, Asia and the Americas, getting to know them first-hand.
He lived for many years in the Pyrenean country of Andorra, where he contributed actively to the creation of the three protected areas currently existing there.
In 1996 co-authored the book «Nature and Ecotourism in Andorra: an option for the future».
About the organization
Generalitat de Catalunya is the regional government of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, in NE Spain. Following the Spanish Constitution, all the responsabilities in nature management and conservation are hold by this body. National Game Reserves depend on the General Direction of Forest Ecosystems and Environment Management, which is placed in the Department of Agriculture.
Ximena Patino
Education
1974 – 1978 – USA University of Georgia State (Psychology).
1978 – 1981 – USA New School for Social Research (Master Economics).
Professional experience
1999 – Present – Business development manager, Servinformación S.A (Colombia).
2012 – Present – President and founder, Saving The Amazon Foundation (Colombia).
She is committed in creating a platform that unites the entire planet for the reforestation of the Amazon, planting trees with the indigenous communities in their shelters, and creating a model of sustainable development for the conservation of the Amazon.
Peter Prokosch
Education
Biologist, PhD.
Professional experience
In the 1970s and 80s he played a pioneering role in the conservation development of the International Wadden Sea and became Head of the WWF Wadden Sea office in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
As a researcher at the University of Kiel, Peter studied biology and marine sciences.
He has extensive experience working with the establishment and development of national parks in the Wadden Sea, the Baltic coast of Germany, Svalbard and Iceland as well as in nature reserves in Siberia and other parts of the circumpolar Arctic, often in close cooperation with tourism.
2002 – 2006 he served as CEO of WWF-Germany in Frankfurt, 1992 – 2002 as director of the Arctic Programme of WWF International in Oslo.
Until 2014 he was the managing director of GRID-Arendal.
Present – Founder and Chairman of the Board, Linking Tourism & Conservation (LT&C).
About the organization
LT&C is a Norwegian registered NGO with members from all continents, which profiles examples (LT&C-Examples) for replication, where tourism is supporting the establishment or development of national parks or other types of protected areas. LT&C is a support organization for the CBD Aichi target 11 and the SDGs 14 & 15.
Vyacheslav Fetisov
Professional experience
He is a legendary Soviet ice hockey player, one of the best defensemen in the history of the world ice hockey.
In 1975 through 1989 – he played in CSKA Red Army hockey club. Overall, he played 479 games and scored 153 goals in the USSR championship.
From 1989 through 1994 – he played in the USA for the New Jersey Devils, and from 1994 – 1998 for the Detroit Red Wings.
From 2002 through 2008 – he served as the Chairman of Goskomsport (State Committee for Physical Culture and Sport of the Russian Federation, then Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport).
From 2008 through 2016 – he represented the Primorsky region in the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation upper chamber of the Russian Parliament and was the first deputy chairman of the Senate Committee for Social Policy as well as the head of the Russian Senate delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
In 2016 – he was elected the Deputy of the State Duma and holds the position of the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Physical Culture, Sport, Tourism and Youth Affairs.
In October 2017 – he was appointed as the State Duma Special Envoy Interparliamentary and International Public organizations on the Development of Sport.
He used to be the Chairman of the WADA Athlete’s Committee and a member of the WADA Executive Committee for several years.
Member of the Board of Directors of the Continental Hockey League.
UNESCO Champion for Sport, awarded with Silver Olympic Order.
Stanislas Henrion
Education
2000 – 2004 – Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics, France (m.eng and electives at the Lyon’s School of Architecture).
2010 – 2014 – Venice University and Paris-Est University (thesis in Town planning).
2014 – 2016 – London Business School (executive MBA degree).
Professional experience
2004 – 2007 – Office Manager of Local representative of the Ministere de l’Equipement in charge of promoting and improving national planning and housing policies on local communities, Direction Departementale de l’Equipement, Normandy, France.
2007 – 2012 – Territorial Advisor to the CEO of agency for elaborating, financing, and managing urban projects in social neighborhoods, ANRU, Paris. He was negotiated and managed conventions for 30 different urban renovated projects.
2010 – 2012 – Founder – Manager, REGAIN, start-up, France. Promoted innovating projects by creating cross-disciplines teams with economists, geographers, farmers, and sociologists.
2011 – 2015 – Senior Advisor – North-America, Russia and Central Asia of Ministere de l'Energie, de l’Ecologie et des Transports, Paris. He was negotiated 10 bilateral institutional partnerships in transport, energy, and smart cities with Russia, Kazakhstan, California, North Virginia, and Quebec governments.
2015 – Present – Counsellor – Chief of unit Infrastructures, Energy, Transport and Industry, French Embassy, Moscow. Reviewed and benchmarked competition technologies in railway, utilities, automotive vehicles, energy efficiency, breakthrough innovations and smart-cities. Launched, energized, and led bilateral cooperation between France and Russia in fields of utilities, innovating transport, green economy, and energy-efficiency.
Clara Restrepo
Education
2005, Degree in ethno education and social project
Rioacha, Guajira - Universidad de la Guajira
2011, Postgraduate Management Specialist
Medellín, Antioquia - Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana
2005, Course on human rights and the environment
Ecuador - Education center of studies for human, cultural, social and environmental rights.
Professional experience
I am an indigenous and professional leader of the Wanano people from the Timbó-Rio Vaupés indigenous community, of the AATICAM society. This association owns and manages the Waracapurí Hotel, an indigenous wellness hotel where it is possible to stay when visiting tree planting with the Saving The Amazon Foundation. I am recognized as a cacique (indigenous chief) in different towns, due to the leadership I have played in the representation of the indigenous communities in different scenarios of the country. As a professional in ethno-education and social project,
I have managed different projects such as indigenous housing plans, educational projects and pedagogical models. I am an advocate for the rights of indigenous, environment, social and cultural matters.
Alexander Zheleznyak
Education
In 2002 he graduated from the Faculty of Journalism of Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Professional experience
Journalist, photographer.
He headed Russian editorial staff of National Geographic Traveler for eight years, and published a lot of reports and articles regarding travel industry.
He worked in Public Administration in Sevastopol for three recent years. He headed the Travel Department in the regional administration and the Travel Development Center. He created and launched an adventure travel project ‘Greater Sevastopol Trail.’
He was responsible for amendments to the federal legislation in the field of natural and recreational activities.
He is currently the Travel Expert of the All-Russia National Front.
He heads the Association for the Development of National Pathways of Russia.
He is a member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Paolo Castro
Education
Engineer degree in Agronomy by the Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa.
Professional experience
1984 – 1990 – Head of Agrarian Zone at the Entre Douro e Minho Regional Services of the Ministry of Agriculture.
1993 – 1996 – Valorization of the Rural World.
1996 – 2000 – Director of the Peneda Gerês National Park and President of the Association for the Development of National Park Regions.
2002 – 2003 – Director of Planning Services for Agro-Environmental Policies.
2003 – 2006 – General Secretary of Institute for Agrarian Development of the North Region.
2007 – 2010 – Technician responsible for a project in Forest Fire Protection Network Planning in the National Forest Authority.
Co-founder and manager of a travel agency Moebius EcoTravel Lda.
Founder, single associate and manager of Ponto Natura.
Vice President, treasurer and elected member of the Council of Europarc – European Federation of National and Nature Parks.
Natalya Danilina
Professional experience
From 1988 to 1996, held positions starting with the Leading Specialist and ending with the Head of the Main Reserve Management Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (Minprirody).
In 1996, founded Zapovedniki Environmental Education Center, and currently holds the position of a Director.
From 1993 to 2008 – Vice Chairman of the World Commission on Protected Areas of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (WCPA/IUCN), since 2009 to present: an Honorary member of the WCPA Executive Committee.
From 2005 to 2015 – Member of the Public Environmental Council of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
Since 2011 – Deputy Chairman of the Expert Council for Specially Protected Natural Reservations of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation.
From 2011 to 2014 – Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Since 2016 – Member of the Joint Expert Council, the Presidential Grants Foundation.
For contribution to the development of SPNR was awarded several times with diplomas of honor of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the High Ecological Council of the State Duma, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Has the title of an 'Honored Worker of Nature Protection of the Russian Federation'.
Made a big contribution to the development of environmental education and educational tourism at SPNR, to the development of scientific justification of these activity areas, and also to the implementation of the practice of working with volunteers in state nature reserves and national parks of the country.
About the organization
Zapovedniki Environmental Education Center was founded in 1996 for the purpose of efficiency improvement of the Specially Protected Natural Reservations of Russia and formation of public understanding of SPNR significance for the present and future of Russia.
Main programs of the organization: SPNR Educational Center (trainings, seminars, internships in Russia and abroad); Tourism at SPNR and rural tourism at areas contiguous with SPNR; Environmental Education at SPNR: strategy, educational programs; Coordination of the All-Russian movement 'Friends of Protected Islands'; Social project management and development of citizen initiatives in favor of SPNR; International Volunteer Center 'Burunduk': youth and corporate volunteering for SPNR; Design of ecological trails and visitor centers.