ARKHANGELSK, February 21. /TASS/. The Days of the Arctic, which opened at the Northern Arctic Federal University (SAFU) in Arkhangelsk on Thursday, are devoted to scientific and technical discoveries and to the 100th anniversary of birth of writer Fyodor Abramov, Deputy Director of the University’s Intellectual Center Svetlana Tyukina told TASS.

"Today, we are opening the Days of the Arctic. This year, we have a few topics. First of all, since the Days of the Arctic will continue on February 29, when we shall celebrate the 100th birthday of [writer] Fyodor Abramov — <...> several platforms will be devoted to him. The next topic is the Arctic’s scientific and technical development and discoveries; and another topic is navigating in the White and other Arctic seas," Tyukina said.

Remembering the writer

Fyodor Abramov is a popular Soviet writer, literary critic, publicist, a most famous representative of the so-called "village prose," a big movement in Soviet literature of the 1960-1980s. He was born on February 29, 1920 in the Arkhangelsk Region. The Days of the Arctic will see a presentation of a book and a movie about the writer. In addition to that, the University’s students have prepared an exhibition and classes, devoted to the writer.

Students specializing in publishing have arranged a cycle of lectures about Fyodor Abramov. "During the Days of the Arctic, they will hold an intellectual game <...>, based on the writer’s works for high school and university students," the university’s representative informed.

Another exposition will include a house, typical for the Pinezhsky District. "The exposition showcases spindles, a spinning wheel, a small loom, dolls, interior items, and a so-called red corner [a corner where traditionally icons were placed] with embroidered towels," she continued. "The exposition recreates the writer’s house."

Another personality the Days of the Arctic exposition is dedicated to is well-known Soviet polar pilot Ivan Cherevichny, whose name in 2019 was given to Vaskovo Airport in Arkhangelsk. "We shall have a few classes devoted to him," she added.

Cherevichny explored new air routes in Siberia as well as the Kara and Laptev seas, and escorted ships along the Northern Sea Route. In 1941, he led an expedition which was the first to reach the so-called Pole of Inaccessibility — the Arctic's most distant area from the mainland. In 1941, he made a flight from Moscow to North America as part of a group of high-ranking specialists to conclude a lend-lease agreement. During the war, he was engaged in combat operations in the North, and escorted vessels.

Nature reserves

Representatives of the Arkhangelsk Region’s nature reserves will deliver lectures and master classes. Staff of Russia’s northernmost natural park, the Russian Arctic, will tell guests about fauna in the high latitudes and will demonstrate the outfit and equipment, which specialists use in Arctic expeditions. "We shall have classes for school students, which we call the Arctic Suitcase. Inside it there are a flashlight, walkie talkies, axes, devices to keep off polar bears, and many other items," the park’s representative Mikhail Korelsky told TASS.

On February 28, the University will open a lecture hall devoted to the Pinega Nature Reserve. The reserve, founded to preserve and study the local plateau, is well-known for its karst caves. "It will feature information about the caves, samples of karst terrain and minerals, data on biological diversity, species on the Red Data Book, and on [the reserve's] cooperation with the University. Many students used to undergo training at the Pinega Nature Reserve, their diaries will be on display as well," the deputy director said.

A few days of the program will be devoted to the Solovetsky Archipelago, with lectures about the islands' poetic and musical legacy. "It will be a musical lounge," the organizer commented.

How to 'make' Northern Lights

The Museum of Amusing Sciences will invite school students to classes dubbed Music of Northern Lights, where they will make physical experiments to get a glimpse of how northern lights appear. They will create a new musical instrument out of tubes, jars and strings to try to imagine how the lights might sound.

A big part of the program will focus on the Arctic navigation. The attendees will gain an insight into the history of Arctic vessels, beginning from Russian and Norwegian old ships to modern nuclear icebreakers. Several exhibitions will be about ships and the Arkhangelsk port. The Northern Maritime Museum has prepared lectures about Arctic convoys during World War II.

Visitors will be invited to evaluate a few movies of Icelandic, Canadian, Swedish, Russian and Finnish origin as part of the Arctic Open international festival.

On February 28, the University’s experts will take part in a conference call with the Presidential Library in St. Petersburg. "It will be a national event, the broadcast will be available on the library’s YouTube channel, with a video linkup with practically all regions. The University’s four experts will speak about the Arctic in the aspects of culture, protection of indigenous people’s rights, meteorology and climate changes; they will also talk about the project of the Arctic floating university," the organizer concluded.

The Days of the Arctic in Arkhangelsk will continue to February 29.