Faces of Science: an exposition of portraits of Russia's leading scientists will be presented at SPIEF

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How do you make a car for the President in four years? How do you teach a neural network to draw? Is it possible to grow a thyroid gland from a cell, and when will an "organ store" appear? How can millions of people be cured of cancer? How can polymers make people's lives more comfortable and safer? When will neurochips defeat Alzheimer's disease? The answers to these and other questions are known by the heroes of the "Faces of Science" exposition - scientists, engineers, and inventors whose discoveries can change the world.

The third season of the "Faces of Science" exposition will start in June. The first to see the gallery of portraits of outstanding Russian scientists will be the participants of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, which will be held from June 5 to 8. The exposition will be opened by Aide to the President of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko, and Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Denis Sekirinsky. The exposition is supported by the Roscongress Foundation and the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres under the Presidential Council for Science and Education.

In June, the "Faces of Science" exposition will be open to visitors at the International RUSSIA EXPO, where the innovative developments of the project's heroes will be presented. In the pavilions of the RUSSIA EXPO at VDNH, visitors can see the work of the country's leading scientists and learn the secrets of creating innovative products in the fields of medicine and biotechnology, IT technology, transport, metallurgy, the space industry, the oil and gas industry, agriculture, the nuclear industry, and others. Throughout the year, the exposition will be displayed at several other venues in Moscow and other regions of the country.

"The greatest attention of the visitors to the International RUSSIA EXPO has been attracted by the high-tech developments of Russian companies and achievements in the field of science and digitalization. These pavilions have become the most visited, and in general, the number of visitors to the Exposition has already exceeded 13 million people. But it is also important to emphasize that behind each achievement stands a person, and the 'Faces of Science' exposition will show those whose talent, professionalism, and thirst for knowledge made these achievements possible. Our heroes are true innovators who push science and technology forward, ensuring the technological leadership of our country," noted Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Denis Sekirinsky.

The "Faces of Science" exposition has united 24 heroes from 14 regions of Russia - scientists, engineers, designers, authors of high-tech developments, tech entrepreneurs, and laureates of the President of the Russian Federation's Prize in the field of science and innovation for young scientists. The geography of the project covered the whole country - the exposition included portraits of scientists from Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Lugansk, Donetsk, Vladikavkaz, Krasnoyarsk, Bryansk, and other cities.

Among the heroes of the exposition are: Vadim Pereverzev, chief designer of domestic luxury cars AURUS; Alexei Chupov, chief designer of the open resuscitation system for newborns; Denis Dimitrov, head of the development of the Russian neural network Kandinsky; Vladislav Parfenov, chief designer of the new bioprinter for "growing" tissues from cellular material; Mikhail Presnyakov, head of the management department for the creation of the "SILA" research facility (a unique scientific facility, the "SYnchrotron-LAser complex of the 'megascience' class"); Anastasia Babina, developer of catalysts, a key component for polymer production; Irina Alekseenko, developer of the first non-viral gene therapy drug for cancer treatment in Russia; Zoya Yudina, designer of spacecraft units for the federal project "SPHERE"; Alexander Turusov, design engineer of reactor units for nuclear icebreakers and floating stations; and laureates of the President of the Russian Federation's Prize in the Field of Science and Innovation for Young Scientists for 2023 Olga Yakubovich, Sergei Pavlushin, Susanna Gordleeva, Georgy Gogaev, and others.

The partner of the "Faces of Science" exposition is SIBUR, the leader in Russian petrochemicals.

"The largest companies in Russia are actively developing their scientific divisions, investing in innovative developments, and collaborating with universities and scientific organizations. Through the combined efforts of the state, science, and business, innovations today strengthen the country's technological sovereignty. Projects like the 'Faces of Science' exposition allow us to rightfully bring to the forefront and showcase the true heroes - talented Russian scientists from various fields who contribute daily to the creation and development of domestic technologies," said Mikhail Karisalov, Chairman of the Board and CEO of SIBUR.

The project's photographer is Slava Filippov, one of the most sought-after glossy photographers in Russia, known for his bright style, unique vision, and ability to reveal the inner world of a subject in a single shot. Slava Filippov is the author of dozens of magazine covers, celebrity portraits, and advertising campaigns for major Russian and international brands.

"Science and glossiness may seem like incompatible things, and this project has partly become a creative challenge for me. We decided to show not only the heroes but also their developments - that's how the concept with screens as the background for the photos came about. It turned out that scientists are amazingly creative people, no less so than artists. They are the creators of our future - the technologies available to us today and those that will reach new levels tomorrow. Representing and creating the future is impossible without imagination and creative exploration, so our heroes are the true stars who should be on every screen in the country and serve as role models for youth and other members of society," shared Slava Filippov about his work with the heroes of the exposition.

The exposition "Faces of Science" is held with the grant support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology, announced by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, and is part of the initiative "Science Nearby". Agreement number N 075-10-2024-093 dated 15.05.2024.

It is important to note that many of the heroes of the exposition are young scientists and specialists who will gather on November 20-22, 2024, at the IV Congress of Young Scientists at the Sirius Federal Territory. The event is a key event of the Decade of Science and Technology, declared by President Vladimir Putin in 2022 to unite the efforts of the professional community in relevant areas requiring breakthrough solutions and to engage young audiences - students and scientists - in Russian science.

The organizers of the Congress of Young Scientists are the Roscongress Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres under the Presidential Council for Science and Education. The operator of the Decade of Science and Technology is ANO "National Priorities."

Information about the heroes of the project is available on the Decade of Science and Technology website.