MOSCOW, April 27. /TASS/. Students from the Republic of Belarus will join Arctic cleanup expeditions in 2026, press service of the Clean Arctic environmental project said.

"Belarusian students have demonstrated a good level. They have asked specific questions about equipment, logistics, about how the collected scrap metal would be transported. This shows they are really anxious to work, not just to see the North. We have structured for them a full-fledged educational track, after which they will be prepared to go on expeditions with us and will gain true field experience that no university may give. We, of course, guarantee fully everything for the work: equipment, travel, meals on site," the press service quoted the environmental project's leader Andrey Nagibin as saying.

As a part of preparations for the expeditions, the project's representatives conducted a series of educational events for future ecologists and geographers at the Belarusian State University. During a seminar dubbed Exploring the Arctic – from Karelia to Pevek, they told the students about most difficult trips, like expeditions to Cape Chelyuskin, to the villages of Stary Varandey in the Nenets Autonomous Region, to Billings in the Chukotka Autonomous Region, or expeditions to Tiksi in Yakutia, the Sredny Peninsula in the Murmansk Region, and to other locations.

At the training titled "Arctic: First Steps. Critical Skills", the experts discussed with the students seven key topics: from the life support system in the region to the equipment rules. The program was aimed at theory, as well as safety skills in the Far North. For example, the students were told why the wind radically changes the perception of temperature: for example, at 0°C with a wind of 10 m/s, the real feel is -7°C in a calm.

"We invited the audience to solve a situational case: calculate the weather severity at -25°C and wind of 10 m/s, and practice first aid for frostbites. A separate training block was devoted to rules of behavior when meeting a polar bear. Among reasons why the predator may approach humans are curiosity, violation of personal space, food availability, and the threat to cubs. Knowing how to behave in the Arctic is a necessary condition for ensuring security in this territory," said Alexander Selivanov, the Clean Arctic project's member, who had joined two expeditions to Cape Chelyuskin.

An exhibition of Maria Shanygina's paintings Exploring the Arctic – from Karelia to Pevek, was presented at the university's Geography Department. The educational tour's next location would be the Polessky State University in Pinsk (Belarus).

About the project

Participants in the Clean Arctic Public Environmental Project have been cleaning up northern territories since 2021. Waste removal is a complex technological work, taking into account specific features of the Arctic nature. Over the recent seasons, the volunteers have collected more than 22,000 tons of waste and cleaned up more than 1,000 hectares of territory. The project has featured 9,900 participants. The project's general partner is the Rosatom State Corporation, and TASS news agency is the general information partner.