Photo: Ivan MAKEEV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP
Surveys indicate that ecology is one of the primary concerns for the population of the country. Moreover, people are willing to actively participate in environmental protection activities. For instance, in 2024, over 1.3 million volunteers from the "Water of Russia" initiative cleaned up trash along 32,000 kilometers of the country's rivers and lakes. This figure does not even account for the results from the campaigns in October and November.
The preliminary results of the initiative were summarized on October 24 at a press conference by Andrei Matsurov, Deputy Director of the Analytical Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia.
The press conference was hosted by actress, TV presenter, and ambassador of the "Water of Russia" initiative Yulia Mikhalkova and the host of "Radio Kommersant Pravda" Anton Chelyshev.
92 THOUSAND KAMAZ TRUCKLOADS OF TRASH
The water protection marathon has been organized since 2014 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of Russia, with the Analytical Center of the Ministry serving as the coordinator. Over 11 years of the "Water of Russia" initiative, volunteers have collected more than 92 thousand Kamaz truckloads of trash from the banks of water bodies across the nation.
Moreover, each year, the scale of the initiative increases. The final results for the 2024 season will be announced on December 5 – International Volunteer Day, but it is already evident that 2024 has been significant in many respects. The initiative resonates deeply with a vast number of people.
“In 2019, at the beginning of the federal project ‘Preservation of Unique Water Objects’ under the national project ‘Ecology,’ nearly 930 thousand participants joined the ‘Water of Russia’ initiative. Now, from January to September 2024, the number of participants has already exceeded 1.3 million volunteers,” reported Andrei Matsurov. “A similar trend is observed in the length of cleaned shores: for example, in 2019, volunteers cleaned 24 thousand kilometers of shores, in 2021 – 31 thousand kilometers, and by September of this season, we have already reached almost 32 thousand kilometers.”
Almost every region has a group of active eco-volunteers who monitor nearby water bodies and maintain their cleanliness. The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia actively supports and promotes ecological initiatives throughout the country.
Photo: Ivan MAKEEV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP
IF YOU CLEANED IT, YOU WON'T LITTER AGAIN
The emergence of the "Ecosystem" movement, which unites environmental projects, initiatives, activities, and communities into a cohesive ecological agenda, has allowed for reaching a larger audience.
“Our organization is only a year and a half old; we do not yet have representation in all regions – we still need to open in seven more. But to date, we have already conducted over 20 thousand ecological initiatives,” noted Mikail Kamilov, Executive Director of the All-Russian Ecological Movement “Ecosystem.” “A person who has participated in an ecological initiative even once, and has cleaned the shore, will no longer litter there. Because they feel a sense of responsibility for it.”
Moreover, the organizers of the initiative reward the most active volunteers in the country. This year, the main award of the All-Russian contest "Common Collection" in the "Eco-Family" nomination was awarded to Inna Mikulenko from the Lugansk People's Republic, in the village of Verkhniy Sukhodol.
“For 20 years, I have been working with the younger generation. Together with schoolchildren, we participate in the ‘Water of Russia’ initiative. We not only clean the shores from trash but also study water quality: we identify untreated discharges, which we then report to the relevant authorities,” says Inna Mikulenko. “My husband, children, and even my grandmother, who turned 78 this year, also participate in the initiative. As we can see, such contests not only help improve the state of nature but also strengthen family values. And when the family is strong, the state is strong!”
Photo: Ivan MAKEEV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP
30 THOUSAND VOLUNTEERS AT ONCE
This year, the "Water of Russia" cleaning season was launched in Kabardino-Balkaria. On April 28, over 30,000 residents of the republic participated in the cleanup of river and lake shores across 10 municipalities and three cities.
“It was incredibly awesome! The initiative attracted youth, officials, and public figures,” recalled Ilyas Shavaev, Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of Kabardino-Balkaria. “Although the main part of the initiative has already concluded, it continues in schools. Kabardino-Balkaria is ready to further actively develop this project.”
The concluding event of the 2024 season was a key initiative in Smolensk. On the shores of Lake Klyuchevoe, volunteers of all ages and professions removed the last trash before winter's arrival.
“The initiative has been taking place in the Smolensk region since 2019. During this time, it has become not just an environmental protection initiative – it has become a people's initiative. Approximately 800 kilometers of shoreline have been cleaned, nearly 8 thousand cubic meters of waste have been removed,” says Igor Bandenok, Director of the Department of Specially Protected Natural Areas of the Smolensk Region. “On October 19, we conducted work in one of the most beautiful places in the region – the shore of Lake Klyuchevoe and the regional natural monument ‘Krasny Bor.’ About a hundred people participated in the cleanup, collecting 11 cubic meters of trash.”
FROM AN IRON TO A 19TH CENTURY CAMERA
Several months ago, an exhibition opened at the Museum of Original Finds “Water of Russia.” Unusual discoveries can also be viewed on the initiative's website – berigodobryhdel.rf.
For instance, this year, the winner of the "Common Collection" contest in the "Unusual Find" nomination, volunteer Vladimir Maslov, discovered an antique cast-iron iron during the cleanup in the Samara region. In Krasnodar, volunteers found records from the "Melodia" label and a half-century-old soldering iron (what they were doing on the shores remains a mystery). In the town of Staraya Russa in the Novgorod region, volunteers discovered Soviet-style winter sleds and an hourglass. This summer, in Vladikavkaz, participants found a jug that archaeologists dated to be around 1,500 years old. The find has been handed over to the Ministry of Natural Resources of North Ossetia – Alania. Previously, volunteers in the republic stumbled upon a 19th-century camera that was still operational!
At the end of the press conference, Andrei Matsurov noted that the national project "Ecology" and the federal project "Preservation of Unique Water Objects" will conclude in 2024. A new national project "Environmental Well-Being" will commence in 2025.
“As part of the new national project, the implementation of a federal project named ‘Water of Russia’ will begin – just like our initiative. The All-Russian initiative ‘Water of Russia’ will continue within the framework of this new federal project,” concluded the expert. “Volunteers of ‘Water of Russia’ clean up a significant amount of trash every year. Where order is established, littering practically does not occur afterwards. This means that maintaining order in our minds is just as important.”