Clean water according to the laws of nature: water filter workshop held at the National Centre RUSSIA

A workshop on building a water filter took place at the "Geography Classroom" lecture hall of the National Centre RUSSIA. Using simple natural materials and guided by the laws of nature, visitors to the "Geography Lessons" exposition assembled their own purification systems capable of turning dirty water into water suitable for drinking. The practical skill was shared by Fail Gubaidulin, a leading specialist at Lomonosov Moscow State University, researcher and physicist-engineer.

The session began with a short quiz about water. Guests who answered correctly received unusual pencils containing plant seeds.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

"This is not just a souvenir. Once the pencil becomes too short to use, it can be planted in the ground, and after some time a real plant will grow. In this way, we show that even ordinary objects can be given a new life," explained Fail Gubaidulin.

The expert vividly demonstrated how much water each person theoretically has access to — an entire "train" stretching almost the length of the Earth's equator — and how little of that volume is actually suitable for drinking. Only around one percent of all the water on the planet is fresh and accessible for human use.

"It is important to remember that clean water is not something to be taken for granted. We need to conserve it and know how to purify it, even if all we have at hand are the simplest natural materials," said Fail Gubaidulin.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The participants then moved on to the practical part of the workshop and assembled individual filters. A plastic bottle with a hole made in it and the bottom removed served as the base. Cotton wool was placed at the outlet of the filter as the first layer, acting as a soft membrane that trapped the finest particles. If cotton wool is unavailable, ordinary fabric can be used instead. This was followed by a layer of crushed charcoal, then sand, and finally small and larger stones. All of the materials were chosen because they could realistically be found and prepared in outdoor conditions.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

"We are assembling a multilayer filter that works according to the same principles as natural water purification. At the bottom is cotton wool, which acts as the finest barrier. Next comes charcoal, which has an enormous porous surface. It essentially absorbs toxins and some contaminants. Above that are sand and stones: the larger fractions trap mechanical debris. Such a filter can be recreated in the forest or in the mountains using whatever materials are available. Afterwards, the water can be boiled to make it safe to drink," the expert explained.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Once the filters had been assembled, participants received cups of murky "dirty" water and were invited to carry out an experiment. Guests watched as the water gradually passed through each layer, becoming noticeably clearer and cleaner.

"Today I made a filter for dirty water using a bottle, activated charcoal, stones, sand and cotton wool. It turned out to be quite simple, but very useful. At any moment, you might find yourself in a forest or near a lake, realise you are thirsty and have no clean water available. In situations like that, this knowledge can genuinely help. The water in our experiment became cleaner, but I also remembered that it still needs to be boiled afterwards," said young workshop participant Kirill Gogolevsky from Balashikha.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The water filter workshop formed part of the educational programme of the "Geography Lessons" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA. Visitors have already attended expert lectures on Russian cartography, the country's natural wealth, geographical discoveries and iconic tourist attractions across different regions of Russia. They have also taken part in practical first aid lessons, learned how to tie reliable camping knots, pack a hiking backpack properly and pitch a tent. More exciting events lie ahead. The full schedule is available on the russia.ru website in the "Events" section, as well as on social media channels of the National Centre RUSSIA.