"Ivans who remember their kin": anthropologist Stanislav Drobyshevsky on the link between eras at the "Journey Across Russia" exposition

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The "Journey Across Russia" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA helps tell the story of humanity’s past, its roots and evolution, noted anthropologist and Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and leader of the public science outreach movement "Drobyshevsky’s Projects", Stanislav Drobyshevsky. The exposition, which introduces visitors to the diversity of the country’s regions, prompted the scholar to remind audiences of deeper themes — ancestral memory and the directions of human development.

"Such projects are absolutely essential, because a person is a product of the past and of the lives of their ancestors. And it would be good if people knew about those ancestors. After all, an Ivan who does not remember his kin remembers nothing — he is nothing. But an Ivan who remembers his kin is a completely different Ivan," Stanislav Drobyshevsky explained.

According to the science populariser, such expositions should speak not only about contemporary life, but also about how and from where it emerged. He believes that the conversation about the past should begin, quite literally, with the Mesozoic era.

"Such expositions help us understand where all the splendour that surrounds us comes from — and whether it might have been even greater. Of course, the most ancient times affect us only indirectly (though, incidentally, they are very much reflected in oil and gas). But the closer we come to the present day, the more obvious it becomes. Everyone knows about their parents and grandparents. But our ancestors who lived a thousand years ago are also our ancestors. And those who lived 20,000 years ago are also our direct personal ancestors. They too did something that made us who we are today. We might have been different, or perhaps not survived at all. In this sense, we receive a lesson from them: what not to do and what to do in order to continue our lineage," Stanislav Drobyshevsky concluded.

Anthropologist, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and leader of the public science outreach movement "Drobyshevsky’s Projects", Stanislav Drobyshevsky served as an expert at Russian Science Day at the National Centre RUSSIA. During the plenary session "A Scientist — Hero of Our Time", he emphasised that modern society is impossible without science, as it permeates every sphere of life. From the perspective of anthropogenesis, he noted, a hero ensures the survival of the species and the population. In this sense, the modern scientist is the successor of the ancient hero-defender, thanks to whom humanity survives, evolves and develops.

In addition, Stanislav Drobyshevsky took part in the filming of a new episode of the educational podcast "Russia Speaks" — an original project of the National Centre RUSSIA dedicated to discussions about the future of medicine, science, culture and technology. The studio of the National Centre RUSSIA has previously welcomed Director General of the VCIOM Analytical Centre and Dean of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Valery Fedorov; Scientific Director of the Hydrometeorological Centre Roman Vilfand; Roscosmos cosmonaut and Hero of Russia Nikolai Chub; theatre and film actor Vladislav Miller; singer Tatyana Kurtukova; and others.