Science and society: The Prize of the Russian Geographical Society awarded in Moscow

December 9, 2104 in Moscow took pace the awarding ceremony of the Prize of the Russian Geographical Society. This award has an international status and is awarded for the first time.

In the fight for the awards the Russian Geographical Society were participated about 350 projects. The best works were identified in seven nominations: “Expedition and Travel”, “Geographical Research”, “Youth Project”, “Natural and Cultural Heritage of Russia”, “Media projects”, “Man of the Year of the Russian Geographical Society”, “The Best Foreign project about Russia”.

The president of Russia Vladimir Putin attended the awarding ceremony the Prize of the RGS. The head of state awarded the prize in the nomination “Man of the Year of the Russian Geographixal Society” Konstantin Bogdanov – for the detection and research of the battle ship “Lefort”.

Konstantin Bogdanov - director and organizer of the expedition “Lefort”, Chairman of reconnaissance and diving club and the head of the International Underwater search expedition "Bow ships of the Great Victory". Participants in this project on 4 May 2013 found the ship “Lefort” of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Empire, the place of death of which for a century and a half was unknown, and the causes of the accident - inaccurate. The tragedy of the ship and its 826 passengers ranked ninth in the list of the biggest wrecks in the history of mankind took place in peacetime. Studies involving tens of diving to a depth of 70 meters, helped identify the causes of death of the ship, to recreate the course of events. According to the results of the expedition was created virtual museum with photos and video from the scene of the last refuge of the ship, which enables millions of people to see the legend.

“We are reviving one more tradition of the Russian Geographical Society – the awards”, - noted in his speech Vladimir Putin.