Knots, tents and hiking wisdom: what surprises participants at the "Camp of Masters" at the National Centre RUSSIA
Visitors to the "Geography Lessons" exposition at the National Centre RUSSIA continue to master practical hiking skills at the "Camp of Masters" interactive stations. Useful mini-lessons complement guests’ introduction to the content of the exposition’s eight halls and allow them not only to see the richness and scale of our country, but also to feel like real explorers ready for any route.
The "Equipment Skills" station reveals the secrets of packing a hiking backpack properly. Guests learn which backpack to choose for a one-day or week-long hike, how to distribute the weight so that their back does not get tired, and where best to keep a first-aid kit and raincoat so that they are close at hand when needed.
The "Quiet Camp" location is devoted to the art of pitching a tent. Anyone can not only learn what types of tents there are, but also try to put together a tourist shelter themselves. Experienced hikers will help them go through each stage and explain how to avoid common mistakes.
"I used to think that packing a backpack simply meant fitting everything inside as compactly as possible, like in a game of Tetris. But now I realise that hiking life has, you could say, its own philosophy. If you distribute the weight correctly, the backpack becomes much lighter. And a tent, as it turns out, can be folded up in literally five minutes if you know exactly what comes next. I think now it will be convenient and not scary to go into the forest with the whole family, even for several days," Andrei from Podolsk shared with a smile.
At the "Knot Workshop" station, guests are told that the success of an entire hike can depend on the right knot. Visitors to the exposition get to know the most important hiking knots, learn where and which one should be used, tie them with their own hands and can take them away as a keepsake.
"The knot station really surprised me. I did not know there were so many of them, and that each one has its own name and purpose. It was very interesting to learn about this. For example, we were told that the bowline is the true king of knots and can even save a life," said Arseny, an eighth-grader from Moscow.
The "Camp of Masters" interactive stations are open at the "Geography Lessons" exposition every day from 10:00 to 20:00 until 9 July. In addition, the children’s immersive quest "The Mystery of the Lost Map" is held at the exposition every Sunday. In the format of an exciting adventure, young guests pass through all the thematic halls, answer the hosts’ questions, receive fragments of a secret code and eventually find a treasure, pieces of which they take with them. Guests can discover what treasure the ancient map is hiding as early as this Sunday, 14 June, at 11:00, 13:00 or 16:00.
In addition, on 14 June at 14:00, the next lecture in the "Exploring Russia" project will be held in the "Geography Classroom" lecture hall. Olga Ladygina, a cultural studies scholar, journalist of the Russian Geographical Society, and author of academic and popular science articles, textbooks and monographs, will speak about the exploration of the Arctic. Through legends about pioneers, personal stories of expedition participants, archive footage and analytical observations, viewers will trace the path from the first studies of the region to modern scientific and technological projects.
On the same day, at 16:00, the Lecture Hall will host a workshop on creating a water filter. Using simple natural components and following the laws of nature, guests will be able to build a purification system with their own hands that can turn dirty water into water suitable for drinking. The knowledge they gain will be an excellent help on any hike and will help them feel more confident far from civilisation.
All events in the programme of the "Geography Lessons" exposition are free of charge, but some require prior registration on the russia.ru website. The current event schedule is available in the "Events" section.
