Nizhny Novgorod region launched the first popular science route in Russia.

      In the Nizhny Novgorod region, the first scientific-popular tour in Russia, "Interregional Scientific Express," has started. The route connects three powerful scientific clusters: Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa, and Novosibirsk. The first participant of the ten-day journey is the winner of the sixth season of the all-Russian competition "Science. Territory of Heroes" — a schoolboy from Zavolzhye, Yevgeny Bogdashov.

      The Nizhny Novgorod region was chosen as the starting point for a reason. The region is among the leaders in Russia in the development of scientific-popular tourism. Today, there are 12 routes here that combine science, industry, and history. The Nizhny Novgorod practice has repeatedly received federal recognition, including taking first place at the V All-Russian award "Regions of Tourism and Hospitality" Russian Travel Awards and being among the winning regions of the country in the field of scientific-popular tourism according to the results of the Project Accelerator conducted by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the National Priorities Autonomous Non-Profit Organization as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.

      "Nizhny Novgorod region is a place where science becomes tangible. We have built an ecosystem where a schoolboy can not only see unique instruments but also participate in creating innovations: compare developments from Nizhny Novgorod engineering schools, communicate with scientists in laboratories, and understand that regional science is prestigious, modern, and promising. The 'Interregional Scientific Express' gives talented kids a live dialogue with those who are creating the technologies of tomorrow today," noted the Deputy Chair of the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Ekaterina Solntseva.

      The tour participants, Yevgeny and his mother, live in the IT campus "NEIMARK" co-living spaces. On the first day, the guests visited the Privolzhsky Research Medical University, the ambulance museum, and the P.K. Anokhin Scientific Collaboration House.

      The second day is dedicated to folk arts and crafts. Guests will head to Semyonov and Gorodets, where they will not only learn about traditions but also discover modern developments in design and production technologies. The third day is focused on engineering. At the Nizhny Novgorod Technical University named after R.E. Alekseev, Yevgeny will learn how modern robotics and additive technologies are developing, and at the "Foliplast" enterprise, he will see how advanced production is organized using 3D printing.

      "This variety of directions is the hallmark of a region that knows how to organically combine high technologies, fundamental science, industrial potential, and artistic crafts in one tour. All objects are included in the routes of scientific-popular industrial tourism. Last year, about 400 schoolchildren and students participated in verified tours. In total, the objects of scientific-popular tourism were visited by more than 400 thousand guests in 2025," emphasized the Minister of Tourism and Folk Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Sergey Yakovlev.

      "This is truly a breakthrough project that takes the popularization of science to a completely new level. It introduces a living ecosystem of Russian science: from higher education to advanced enterprises. I hope that in the future, other leading regions will join the 'express,' and then talented kids will have the opportunity to literally travel across the country, getting acquainted with cutting-edge science firsthand. For schoolboy Yevgeny Bogdashov, such a journey is a powerful motivation to be the best. This is a worthy reward and stimulus for our youth," said the Chairman of the Legislative Assembly Committee on Economics, Industry, Entrepreneurship Support, Trade, and Tourism, member of the United Russia faction, Igor Norenkov.

      The route will then proceed to the Republic of Bashkortostan, where participants will see the inter-university campus of the Eurasian Scientific and Educational Center, the Center for Intellectual Genomics, and will ascend Mount Toratau (included in the global network of UNESCO geoparks). The tour will conclude in the Novosibirsk region — in the famous Akademgorodok and evolutionary museums, where one can trace the path from fundamental science to the wealth of living nature.

      "I am really looking forward to seeing with my own eyes what we read about in textbooks. The most interesting thing is to personally talk to scientists and engineers, to understand how their work is actually organized. So far, I have not yet definitively decided on a profession. Therefore, all directions are interesting. And, of course, I am proud that our region has become the starting point for such a large project," noted Yevgeny Bogdashov.

      Let us remind you that the creation of new tourist routes and the development of tourist infrastructure aligns with the goals and objectives of the national project "Tourism and Hospitality." It is implemented at the initiative of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and is a successor to the national project "Tourism and Hospitality Industry."

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