The St Petersburg Wildlife Festival opened at St Petersburg University

Careful and thoughtful attitude towards the environment comes from awareness of nature — not only in the countryside, but also in the city. Indeed, urban areas also have their own ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna. In the streets and squares of St Petersburg, there is an abundance of avian life. Photographs of St Petersburg’s feathered inhabitants have been presented at the exhibition by Andrei Ivanov, Professor in the Department of Contemporary History of Russia at St Petersburg University, a finalist of the national Crystal Compass Award.

The exhibition "Birds of St Petersburg through the lens of Andrei Ivanov" will be held at the Gallery of the Twelve Collegia Building until 19 June 2023.

The exhibition was opened by Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University. In his address, Aleksandr Babich stressed that environmental education is a focus area of St Petersburg University’s activities. Thus, the University has an Environmental Clinic and offers a number of specialised degree programmes. ‘We live in a metropolis and we are proud of its architectural beauty, but to some extent, we may fail to notice its natural beauty. This exhibition provides an opportunity for us to stop and marvel at the wonderful creatures living in our city,’ said Aleksandr Babich. ‘Also, this exhibition is of particular interest because its author is a professor at the Institute of History, who care about nature and environment, including those of St Petersburg. I hope that this exhibition and the festival that we are opening today will help you to discover many fascinating things that may inspire you to start observing and studying the wildlife of our city or the whole country.’

Professor Abdulla Daudov, Director of the Institute of History at St Petersburg University, shared that his colleague’s passion for photography was a revelation to him. Professor Daudov said that he had been impressed by Andrei Ivanov’s patience and persistence. He would go to the park early in the morning, before work, to try to capture the beauty at a moment when one would hold one’s breath with wonder and delight. These fleeting glimpses of wonders of nature that Andrei Ivanov was able to capture and convey are presented at the exhibition. ‘In my opinion, environmental patriotism is not about marching around with flags and slogans, protesting and demanding something. It is about everyday acts of kindness, respect, and attention to the world around us, to what nature gave us, or, to put it more broadly, to God-given gifts,’ said Abdulla Daudov. ‘It is true what they say, beauty will save the world. We see a lot of good and bad things around us, but where is beauty? It turns out that it is always nearby. You only need to see it. For this end, we have to love this planet and the world, and especially our lesser brothers.’

The author of the exhibition, photographer Andrei Ivanov, Professor in the Department of Contemporary History of Russia at St Petersburg University, expressed his gratitude to the University for the support in organising the exhibition.

I will be happy if, after watching these works, you will begin to notice and appreciate the natural beauty around you, because these birds are living among us. Here, you will see birds photographed exclusively within the borders of St Petersburg and its immediate surroundings. Each and every one of you will be able to see them with your own eyes if you pay a little more attention and get up a little earlier in the morning.

Photographer Andrei Ivanov, Professor in the Department of Contemporary History of Russia at St Petersburg University

Pavel Glazkov, Candidate of Biology, a St Petersburg University alumnus and a presenter of the Saint Petersburg TV channel, noted that Professor Andrei Ivanov is well known among wildlife photographers for his academic pedantry and perfectionism, which helps him to take first-class photos. But the main value of the exhibition lies in the fact that it gives us an example of how a love of nature can inspire and enhance love for the homeland. ‘This photo exhibition is a part of a month-long festival that features a number of events dedicated to St Petersburg’s wildlife. The phrase "St Petersburg’s wildlife" may sound surprising, indeed. Well, think of it like this. We have the Red List of Threatened Species of St Petersburg. The fact of the matter is, Peter the Great founded this city on the White Sea-Baltic flyway − Europe’s most important bird migration route, with tens of millions of birds migrating through it. Hence, St Petersburg is a key place. It is not only the Northern capital of Russia, but also the ornithological capital of our country,’ said Pavel Glazkov.

In my view, the only way to protect nature now is through getting to know it better, because knowledge fosters the feeling called love.

Pavel Glazkov, photographer and presenter of the Saint Petersburg TV channel

At the opening ceremony of the St Petersburg Wildlife Festival, Irina Shemarova, Leading Research Associate at the Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, gave a copy of the book "Birds − Living Treasures of St Petersburg and Its Suburbs" to the collection of the M Gorky Scientific Library of St Petersburg University. The programme of the opening day features talks by leading scientists of St Petersburg University and invited experts in ornithology. The author of the exhibition will give a master-class on photographing birds in a metropolis.