Nizhny Novgorod schools held "Conversations about the Important" on the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the exploration of the Northern Sea Route.

      26 November 2025 19:04 Society

      Thematic educational meetings on the 500th anniversary of the history of the development of the Northern Sea Route were held in general education schools, colleges and technical schools in Nizhny Novgorod. The events were organized as part of the extracurricular sessions "Conversations about the Important." They were arranged for pupils in grades 5–11, as well as students in the 1st–4th years of institutions of secondary vocational education.

      According to the regional Ministry of Education, the educational program is a cycle of classes based on the methodological developments of the Federal Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family and Upbringing and the Nizhny Novgorod Institute for the Development of Education.

      "The program dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the development of the Northern Sea Route stands out for the variety of materials and formats presented. According to students' feedback, the most interesting and informative courses were those devoted to the Nizhny Novgorod Region. Teachers prepared informative lessons that also covered the achievements of Nizhny Novgorod sailors and shipbuilders. The result of the work was scientific research projects completed by the students," said Mikhail Puchkov, Minister of Education and Science of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.

      In total, more than 240,000 Nizhny Novgorod schoolchildren and students took part in the educational program. Many of them chose topics for their own inquiries and presented their materials at regional and all-Russian competitions.

      For example, Sofia Greyan, an 8th-grade pupil at School No. 131 in Nizhny Novgorod, presented her Arctic cleanup project at the interregional project competition "Great Rivers Through the Eyes of Children," which took place in October 2025.

      "My project is about the Arctic and its drying out. You have to agree, this is a huge problem — I learned about it at school. My team and I believe that to stop the Arctic's drying out, a geogrid based on mosses and lichens could be made. It might also help in solving the problem of soil erosion," shared Sofia Greyan.

      It should be recalled that holding the extracurricular sessions "Conversations about the Important" in schools and SVE institutions has an important educational character and is part of the priorities of the national project "Youth and Children." The national project has been implemented on the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, since 2025 and includes nine federal projects and programs: "Russia — a Land of Opportunities," "We Are Together," "Russia in the World," "All the Best for Children," "Leading Schools," "Teachers and Mentors," "Creating a Network of Modern Campuses," "Universities for a Generation of Leaders," and "Professionalism."

      Background

      The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is the shortest shipping route between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region and a historically established national transport artery of Russia. By decree of the President of the Russian Federation, 2025 marks the 500th anniversary of Russia's development of the Northern Sea Route. The count begins from 1525, when the Russian diplomat Dmitry Gerasimov first mentioned the possibility of the practical use of the NSR to connect Europe and Asia.

      NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has a Telegram channel. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials and оперативной информации. Copyright © 1999–2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When republishing, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain 18+ materials.