First 30 Expeditions of 4th Season of ‘Rediscovering Russia’ Project Selected

Photo courtesy of the Organising Committee of the ‘Rediscovering Russia’ Project

The selection process for the inter-university student expedition programme ‘Rediscovering Russia’ has concluded. The programme is implemented by HSE University in collaboration with the presidential platform ‘Russia—Land of Opportunity’ and Rosmolodezh’s programme ‘More Than a Trip,’ with support from the Russian Geographical Society. The expert council has approved the first 30 expeditions, with 12 universities and 18 organisations among the winners. These expeditions will take place from April to November 2025, covering 23 regions across the country.

ANO ‘Russia—Land of Opportunity’ was created in 2018 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who headed its supervisory board. The platform’s mission is to build Russia’s future by offering equal opportunities to everyone. The platform helps people gain opportunities for self-development. It serves as an open space for talented and engaged individuals of all ages, facilitating networking and knowledge exchange among school students, university students, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, and volunteers. Over the five years of the platform’s operation, 20 million people from all Russian regions and 150 countries around the world have taken part in its 26 projects, and more than 1,500 companies, universities, and government and public organisations have become partners.

By participating in the ‘Rediscovering Russia’ project, students have the opportunity to showcase their professional skills, embark on expeditions to tackle real challenges in regional development, and provide local teams with support from the country’s brightest young specialists. The project includes various expeditions, allowing student teams to engage in cultural, social, educational, environmental, technological, and urban development initiatives.

The selection process attracted over 230 applications from universities, organisations, foundations, associations, government institutions, and development agencies from more than 100 cities across Russia. In addition to the winning expeditions, the project’s website features a waiting list, with applications that may later be incorporated into the programme.

Olesya Teterina

‘Today, meaningful youth tourism is not just a trend—it is a response to the needs of multiple audiences at once. On one hand, local communities seek to attract young professionals and future researchers to help solve local challenges, whether it is preserving the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples or developing portable communication systems that function seamlessly in the Arctic. On the other hand, students themselves want to put their theoretical knowledge to the test, challenge themselves, and work on real-world problems that benefit people. We have been partners of this project for several years now and are delighted to see growing interest in research trips among students. Thanks to the ‘More Than a Trip’ programme, nearly a thousand young people will set out on expeditions across Russia this year. They will gain not only valuable hands-on experience but also teamwork skills, new perspectives, and a deeper appreciation of their country through cultural and educational activities included in the trips. This season promises truly exciting journeys for the participants,’ said Olesya Teterina, General Director of ANO ‘More Than a Trip.’

‘Rediscovering Russia’ is a nationwide inter-university programme of student expeditions. Students from the country’s top universities take part in socially significant projects that positively impact regional communities. The initiative provides students with a platform to demonstrate their professional skills and work on real regional development projects, while local teams benefit from the expertise of young specialists. The project was launched at HSE University in 2017. Since then, more than 500 expeditions have taken place, involving over 6,000 students and lecturers. In 2022, the project reached a new inter-university level thanks to the support of the presidential platform ‘Russia—Land of Opportunity’ and Rosmolodezh’s ‘More Than a Trip’ programme.

In the upcoming season, students will have the opportunity to embark on an expedition to Khabarovsk Krai, where they will create an interactive children’s book about the culture of the Oroch people—one of the indigenous minority groups of Russia’s Far East. This project aims to introduce younger generations to the unique cultural heritage of the region in an accessible and engaging way. Another expedition, in Kaliningrad Oblast, will focus on developing an inclusive guided tour featuring audio descriptions for visually impaired visitors. Meanwhile, as part of the Victory Path project, students will design a mobile application incorporating geocaching mechanics and interactive quests to immerse users in the history of Tula, a Hero City, during World War II.

The highest number of case study applications for future expeditions was submitted under the Culture category (24.9%). The most applications for organising expeditions came from Irkutsk Oblast, Sverdlovsk Oblast, the Republic of Karelia, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug—Yugra, and the Republic of Buryatia. 

Dmitry Zemtsov

‘For the fourth season now, we have been running “Rediscovering Russia” at an inter-university level in partnership with the presidential platform “Russia–Land of Opportunity” and Rosmolodezh’s “More Than a Trip” programme. Over the years, numerous young specialists have made meaningful contributions to our country, demonstrating their professional skills in real-world conditions. We are delighted to see how our project continues to grow, generating interest among students as well as our regional partners,’ said Dmitry Zemtsov, HSE Vice Rector and Chair of the Expert Council for the Rediscovering Russia competition.

Undergraduates, master's students, and PhD candidates from any university in Russia—including international students—can apply to an expedition of their choice. The age range for participants is 18 to 35, and prospective students enrolling in 2025 will be eligible to apply for expeditions starting in September.

Winning expeditions will receive full coverage of travel, accommodation, meals, and cultural programmes for participants and mentors, along with methodological support. The organisers are planning a series of training sessions with each team before the expedition: participants will be informed about the expedition work format, how to properly cover the expedition, and will also have the opportunity to get to know each other and prepare for the trip. After the expedition, a number of events are also planned: in addition to finalising the expedition product, participants will attend reflection sessions about their work, a competition for the results of the expeditions, and a final forum of the season, where the best teams and partners will be awarded.

‘More Than a Trip’, a programme operated by ANO ‘More Than a Trip’ under Rosmolodezh, has enabled over 235,000 young people to explore Russia’s unique locations, learn about university and industrial achievements, develop socially significant projects, and make friends. Participants of these trips across the country include prize-winners and winners of national competitions—schoolchildren, university students, young professionals from various regions, and family members of military personnel.