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A large project The Fridtjof Nansen's Year in Karelia organized by the Karelia-Norway friendship social movement of the Republic of Karelia, Solveig International youth club at the support of the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Norway in Saint Petersburg, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Karelia, Nordic Council of Ministers and Vodlozersky National Park is over.
In October, 2011 the world celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Fridtjof Nansen whose life and work were related closely to the North, Arctic regions and Russia. More than 25 various events in Petrozavodsk and regions of Karelia were devoted to this anniversary. Citizens of our republic aged from 6 to 75, people of different trades and interests have taken an active part in cultural events, competitions, quizes, concerts, displayed keen interest in the biography, achievements and merits of Fridtjof Nansen and expressed their attitude to his role in the world through the art of words, music, and paintings.
During the year there have been held several lectures on lives of polar researchers Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, exhibitions of books in the National Library of the Republic of Karelia; the libraries of Kondopoga and Medvezhiegorsk have held cultural and educational discussions and meetings with readers. The project was solemnly launched in April at the EcoCup film festival in Pobeda movie theatre and a film about opening of the Arctic regions was featured.
The Day of Norway at Children's Art School and Musical Theatre of Karelia with participation of actors and dancers from the town of Hammerfest took place in May. September and October for the first time have brough us The Norwegian Autumn – meetings, press conferences, concerts of musicians, writers, journalists from Norway, a flashmob Time to Gather Stones, the entertainment program Velkommen til Norge! devoted to Norway, The Youth of the North youth press club.
A scout camp MediaCamp2011 took place in November when within three days its participants met with famous journalists, editors, ecologists, public figures, discussed the person's role in the world history and spoke about Fridtjof Nansen, modern problems of the North and the role of youth, about international cooperation. Within the scope of MediaCamp2011 there took place such events as OneDayofEarth, Nordic Climate Day, journalist's mission to Children's Home N2, the Barents virtual game I Am a Mayor of the Ecological Town, a photocross Photography Skills: Forming the Ecological Thinking and live broadcast at Europa+ radio station. There have been shown Norwegian films about Roald Amundsen's travel, Find Me in the North, and a slide-show Modern Arctic Regions. It is important that among the MediaCamp2011 participants there were students, inmates of a Children's home, scientists, representatives of the government and 'green business', workers of culture and representatives of mass-media.
A workshop conference Fridtjof Nansen – a Researcher and a Citizen. Nansen's Ideas Today with participation of city dwellers of Petrozavodsk took place In November. Interesting researches and reports on Fridtjof Nansen's achievements in various spheres, about his humanistic ideas and ardour for various arts were presented. The conference with participation of members of public organizations, including ecological communities, has turned into a contentious debate about the role of personality in history and especially in the XXIst century.
Within the period from September, 1 to October, 20 there took place the republican competition of drawings and posters on the subject of The Way to the North. Outstanding Travellers. Judges, critics of the Museum of Fine Art of Karelia, have highly estimated the level of works of participants and have decided the winners in 2 nominations. The exhibition of works of winners of the competition of drawings has opened in the Gallery of Children's Art School in November. It is planned that drawings will be also shown at the exhibition in Norway in 2012.
Newspapers of the republic such as TVR-Panorama and The Youth Newspaper, The Youth Portal of Karelia, sites of republican libraries and official government portals offered to take part in the quiz Life as a Feat. Fridtjof Nansen. Letters and parcels with answers to questions of the quiz came from many regions of Karelia from participants aging from 12 to 75 who have decorated their works with drawings and photos, treatises with portraits of Fridtjof Nansen, three-dimensional images of Arctic regions.
The project was summed up in December at the Christmas meeting in Petrozavodsk when the diplomas and letters of thanks were awarded to the most active participants and partners. The winner of the quiz went with the youth group of the club Solveig to Norway on Christmas and has got acquainted with traditions of the North. In Pasvik Folkehøgskole, Finnmark, young representatives of the two countries have made friends, discussed the future of the North, life in the Barents region and Fridtjof Nansen's role, visited the Border Museum, Svanhovd Environmental Center, hydroelectric power station, have made a series of picture stories, and concertized.
The Fridtjof Nansen's Year in Karelia project is over, although its participants subdued by the outstanding personality and the country of Norway continue their researches, prepare for new exhibitions of art and joint concert programs, photo-exhibitions and publications in mass-media. Many quote Fridtjof Nansen's famous words: "The difference between the difficult and the ‘impossible’ is that the impossible takes a little longer time." Once again the project has shown that there are many creative, not indifferent, initiative and bright people in the North, and that means that international cooperation between Karelia and Norway as well as people's diplomacy will develop!
Elena Rybalova
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