On 27 October the Big Physics Hall hosted the Geographical Dictation, which had been held for the 5th time. This year the event has been organised in more than 5,800 platforms in 110 countries. The SSU students and staff members as well as region citizens participated in it to check their knowledge.
Honoured guests also took part in the project of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS), namely a silver prize winner of the European Junior Canoeing Championship Dmitrii Morgunov and CEO of the Institute of Social and Economic Project Development ANPO Vladimir A. Shashko.
Before the start the members watched the video with the astronauts from the International Space Station, who also joined the project. The audience was also welcomed by Chair of the Region Division of the RGS, Dean of the SSU Faculty of Geography Vladimir Z. Makarov.
‘Geography is a science with different depths – shallow water, mid depth, and deep pool. We will start doing the dictation soon and ask different questions. Where is it? It is the first question, and it is the first depth. At the second depth level we will ask the following question: why is it located there? And then we will wonder what would happen if we change the global process a bit? Do we need to change them? And it is the top-class geography.’
Vladimir Makarov wished that the dictation participants would be lucky and urged them to ask the three questions he had mentioned and answer them regularly.
Then the audience was addressed by SSU Vice-Rector for Research Work Aleksei A. Koronovskii. First of all, the professor reminded them about the university anniversary.
‘This year Saratov University celebrates its 110th anniversary. What a glorious anniversary! The Geographical Dictation also has a milestone anniversary, the 5th one, and in our university. I suppose it is a good tradition to gather and take part in the project in such a room, which was built by Karl Mufke. I wish you good luck and thank you for dedicating your holiday this way.’
The dictation topics varied as well as the difficulty levels. Thus, the members answered how they could get from the Mediterranean Sea to the Sea of Azov, what sea otters eat, what is the name of a naturalist writer who had written the First Hunting story. Besides, the event participants did the tasks using the map and their knowledge from other fields.
Notably, SSU Rector, a member of the RGS Praesidium, Professor Aleksei N. Chumachenko wrote the Geographical Dictation in Lomonosov Moscow State University. Traditionally, RGS President Sergei K. Shoigu took part in the event in the MSU platform.
If you missed the dictation, you can do it online up to 31 October 2 p.m. MSK. The test will last for 45 minutes.
