KRSU scientists take part in the second stage of the international expedition of the Russian Geographical Society to Issyk-Kul
Since June 30, the second stage of a large-scale research project of the Russian Geographical Society «Along the route of Peter Semenov-Tyan-Shansky» has been taking place on the coast of Lake Issyk-Kul. The expedition, organized in preparation for the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great scientist and traveler (which will be celebrated in 2027), brought together scientists from Russia and Kyrgyzstan.
Employees of the Department of History of the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University — Associate Professor, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Director of the KRSU Museum Vasily Vladimirovich Ploskikh, as well as teacher Sergei Vadimovich Yanshin, are actively participating in field research. Both specialists are involved in the archaeological part of the expedition and participate in underwater and ground-based research of historical sites.
One of the key study programs works was the study of the ecological situation of the coastal areas of Issyk-Kul, as well as the seismic activity of the region. An important task was also the reconstruction of the route of the Semenov-Tyan-Shansky expedition of the 19th century — with an analysis of the connections between the traditional knowledge of the local population and modern environmental challenges.
An archaeological team led by Maxim Menshikov (Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences) focused on studying flooded monuments near the village of Toru-Aigyr using underwater drones. Work is also underway to record petroglyphs near the village of Ornok.
Specialists from Tomsk State and Russian State Hydrometeorological Universities make a great contribution to the environmental agenda. They screen for microplastic pollution in coastal waters and tributaries of the lake, assessing the impact of tourism and economic activities on the Issyk-Kul ecosystem. Botanists from St. Petersburg State University are studying changes in vegetation cover, comparing modern data with herbariums collected by P.P. Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky.
The expedition is given additional significance by a working meeting held with representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic. Scientists obtained up-to-date, closed laboratory data on the water quality of the lake and its tributaries — sampling was carried out at 17 points. A report from the NIMiEP department was also transmitted, which contains information on the state of pastures in the Semiz-Bel region of the Tonsky district, including a list of flora of 118 plant species.
On July 5, an international scientific camp for students from Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Kazakhstan started on the basis of the educational and health complex «Zhashtyk». The camp includes an educational program in 12 areas, including lake ecology, geographic information systems and historical reconstruction of archaeological sites. From KRSU, senior teacher Igor Khasanovich Skulinets and teacher Aiza Zhenishbekovna Sarkazakova are taking part in the camp.
According to the participants, the project was a unique opportunity not only for scientific discoveries, but also for strengthening cooperation between countries, exchanging experiences and jointly finding solutions to global environmental problems.
