Nansen is back in Russia
Heritage of great Norwegian explorer as a ground for new cooperation in the Arctic. The exhibition “Nansen’s Heritage” which was opened in Arkhangelsk on Monday.
The name of Fridtjof Nansen was always famous and popular in Russia. When for example he was preparing his legendary polar expedition many world famous Arctic explorers showed an open skepticism towards his bold project. But the Government of Russian Empire has totally supported his plans and sent a strict official letter addressed to the Arkhangelsk Governor so he would provide all possible assistance during his travel along the Russian arctic borders.
The exhibition “Nansen’s Heritage” which was opened in Arkhangelsk on Monday brings the name of Nansen into a modern reality when Norway and Russia open a new stage of cooperation in the Arctic. The symbolic fact is that the exhibition has been set up by a number of national Norwegian institutions that nowadays keep the Nansen’s heritage and input Nansen’s ideas, spirit and philosophy in its current research activity in the Arctic. Among them the University in Oslo, the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute and Fram Museum. The historic part of exhibition presents the legendary Nansen’s skis, his research instruments like bathometer and microscope, samples of Arctic water taken by him during the expedition books and many other historic relics.
The Nansen’s life story and current research activities in the Arctic are reproduced at four tripods and interactive monitors. The exhibition is traveling around the Europe from the beginning of the year. The exhibition has already visited Oslo, Bergen, Berlin, St. Petersburg and Nuuk. Its next and final stop after Arkhangelsk is Tromsø in northern Norway.
The “Nansen’s Heritage” exhibition was opened by the Consul General of Norway in Murmansk Øyvind Nordsletten and by the Arkhangelsk Vice-Governor Roman Balashov.
The exhibition also was a reason of other arrangements during this week in Arkhangelsk. The delegation of Oslo university arrived to Arkhangelsk on Sunday and now is negotiating with the Northern Arctic Federal University (NARFU) about future joint research and educational activity. Three prominent researchers from Oslo are giving the lectures to Arkhangelsk students on the actual aspects of Arctic research. Yesterday the Norwegian guests took part in the opening of Nansen’s auditorium in one of the NARFU’s buildings. From now this auditorium which walls now are decorated by the pictures from Nansen’s life story will serve as a center for university cooperation in the Arctic.
On Tuesday, the universities of Oslo and Arkhangelsk are going to sign an agreement about joint activity in the future.
The name of Nansen will sound in Arkhangelsk during the whole month also in connection with other events. Next week the NARFU and the University of Tromsø will open a seminar for young researchers and a conference which also bear the name of Nansen together with the name of great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. The story about the seminar and conference “Lomonosov-Nansen and Beyond” will be presented by BarentsObserver next week.
