Results of the All-Russian contest "Far East — Land of Adventure" announced

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The results of the 3rd season of the All-Russian contest "Far East — Land of Adventure" were announced at the National Centre RUSSIA on 5 March. The contest aims to increase interest among residents of Russia in the Far East and the Arctic, as well as in the nature and history of the country’s Far Eastern and Arctic regions. The contest is held at the initiative of the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation — Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev.

More than 850 submissions were received from residents not only of the Far East and the Arctic but also from Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar and many other cities. Winners were awarded in four main nominations: "Hiking Journey", "Water Journey", "Winter Journey" and "Arctic Journey", as well as the nomination "Along the Paths of Victory" and several special nominations of the contest.

The most popular category among participants was films about hiking trips — 492 entries. There were also 92 films about water journeys and 90 about winter travel. The new nomination "Arctic Journey", proposed by President of Russia Vladimir Putin, received 146 films. In the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland, a special nomination "Along the Paths of Victory" was introduced for films about journeys to places of military glory in the Far East and the Arctic. A total of 39 films were submitted in this category.

In the nomination "Winter Journey", the winner was Kamchatka resident Anna Semashkina with the film "Beringia — A Journey of a Lifetime". The award was presented by Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Alexei Chekunkov.

The winner of the special nomination "Along the Paths of Victory" was Artyom Kruglik for the film "Shumshu". The author of the film is a resident of Sakhalin, a traveller, photographer, videographer and documentary filmmaker. The nomination "Along the Paths of Victory" highlights the role of travel in preserving historical memory and is dedicated to the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia. The films in this category tell stories of routes leading to sites of military glory in the Far East and the Arctic. They highlight military history tourism — the routes pass near fortifications and territories where traces of the Great Patriotic War remain. The winners in this nomination were announced by Yelena Malysheva, Head of the National Centre for Historical Memory under the President of Russia, and Yevgeny Sazonov, Editor-in-Chief of Komsomolskaya Pravda and host of the programme "Club of Famous Travellers".

"Shumshu Island is an amazing place: it is both a historical landmark marking the end of the Second World War and a natural treasure of Russia. Here, a history filled with the heroism of our people meets unique nature. Come to the Sakhalin region, to the Kuril Islands, to Shumshu Island!" said Artyom Kruglik.

In addition, 92 entries in the contest "Far East — Land of Adventure" were devoted to water journeys. Participants could submit films about rafting, sea or underwater travel, or surfing. The winner in the nomination "Water Journey" was Primorye resident Anton Kovylin with the film "Alien Chukotka. Kayaking with Whales". The awards were presented by Adviser to the President of Russia and Deputy Chairman of the Maritime Board of the Russian Federation Igor Levitin and jury member Oleg Zhigarev, Master of Sport of International Class and Chairman of the Central Route Qualification Commission.

The winners of the nomination "Unlimited Opportunities" were welcomed by Chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Development of the Far East and the Arctic Nikolai Kharitonov and member of the Russian Television Academy and the Russian Geographical Society Nikolai Tabashnikov. Three authors won in this nomination: Natalia Nazarenko, Danil Kosenko and Yegor Sorokin. Natalia Nazarenko is the head of the media centre of the Automotive Technical College in the city of Ussuriysk, where students with disabilities study; Yegor Sorokin is an inclusive education teacher, and Danil Kosenko is a student. In their video about a journey across the Primorye region, they show that the Far East is truly a territory of unlimited opportunities.

"In the video we showed through the eyes of young people with disabilities that opportunities are limitless and that travel is accessible to everyone. If you have the determination and the desire, you can travel even with health limitations," said Natalia Nazarenko.

More than 50 percent of all submissions were entered in the nomination "Hiking Journey". Participants filmed videos about hiking, cycling and even horseback expeditions through the wilderness. The geography of the routes was extremely broad — from tundra and taiga to mountains and deserts. Most of the journeys lasted several days and required considerable endurance to complete the route. The winner was Elina Bakunova from the Stavropol region with the film "Sands Beneath the Northern Sky" about a journey along the BAM railway. The awards were presented by Governor of the Zabaykalsky region Alexander Osipov and jury member Mikhail Nepogodin, multiple Far Eastern champion in water tourism techniques and rescue operations.

The nomination "Best Journey with Marine Life" focused on observing marine animals in their natural environment in the Far East and the Arctic. Participants filmed such expeditions while maintaining silence and distance so as not to disturb the animals. The winner was Kirill Romanov from Primorye with the film "In Search of Greenland Whales" about an expedition lasting almost a month. The award was presented by First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, two-time Olympic champion and seven-time world ice hockey champion Vyacheslav Fetisov, together with jury member Alexei Zhirukhin, traveller, author of the blog "Travelling with Meaning" and laureate of the "Star of the Far East" award.

On the instructions of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, the geography of the contest was expanded this year — for the first time a nomination "Arctic Journey" appeared, dedicated to expeditions across the Arctic. The winner was Denis Rategov from the Krasnoyarsk region with the film "Putorana: Svetlogorsk — Norilsk".

In the nomination "Best Children’s Journey", the winners were Nadezhda and Pavel Kuznetsov from Khabarovsk. Their film tells the story of a sports expedition along the Nimakan River: over four days a team of young travellers covered 187 kilometres. The authors also received a special prize from the company Tricolor — a television set.

At the end of the ceremony, the audience watched the best films featuring travel routes designed for young audiences.

The All-Russian contest for the best journey across the Far East and the Arctic "Far East — Land of Adventure" is held with the support of the Office of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far Eastern Federal District, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, JSC "Far East and Arctic Development Corporation", and the non-profit organisation "Social Initiatives Development Fund".