Published on: 2026-08-31
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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This summer, more than 250 students from the Moscow Palace of Pioneers on the Vorobyovy Hills participated in nine scientific and educational expeditions. The research took place in six regions of the country: the routes covered Southern Yamal, Krasnoyarsk Krai, as well as Moscow, Kaluga, Vladimir, and Volgograd regions. The children studied natural territories, observed astronomical phenomena, and learned about the history of domestic cosmonautics. This was reported by the press service Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow.
“One of the key directions of the summer expedition program of the Palace of Pioneers became biogeographical and environmental protection studies. Thus, in the South Yamal region in the Ingilor nature park, the children carried out detailed biological descriptions of the territories, recorded 164 plant species, more than 90 lichen species, 88 bird species, over 35 butterfly species, and 10 mammal species. In the Elton nature park of the Volgograd region, schoolchildren studied relict steppes, conducted bird censuses, and observed a new population of saigas. The collected data will be handed over to specialized scientific organizations and can be used in environmental protection work,” the agency’s press service said.
During expeditions to the Krasnoyarsk Territory, schoolchildren worked in the territories of the Krasnoyarsk Pillars National Park and the Ergaki Nature Park. Young researchers studied the diversity of flora and terrain, as well as learned about how natural sites are preserved.
Another part of the summer program was dedicated to astronomy, astronautics, and space technologies. In the Kaluga region, schoolchildren followed the route Borovsk — Obninsk — Kaluga, got acquainted with the scientific legacy of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and Alexander Chizhevsky, visited modern scientific enterprises and the State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky.
In the Vladimir region, expedition participants studied the basics of aviation and space technologies. The program included familiarization with the structure of parachute systems and descent vehicles, as well as celestial navigation.
One of the most interesting directions of the summer program was observing noctilucent clouds in the Moscow region, the rarest and highest in the atmosphere. In the vicinity of Pushchino, schoolchildren studied these phenomena occurring at an altitude of about 80 kilometers. The young researchers conducted photo and video recordings, noted the brightness and shape of the clouds, and also mastered the method of RGB photometry, comparing channels to determine the height of the cloud layer.
Ecological studies were also organized in the Moscow region. In the territory of the Mozhaysk Reservoir, schoolchildren studied the biodiversity of the Moscow River valley: they conducted field observations, identified species of plants and animals, and assessed the ecological condition of the area. In the “Upper Reaches of the Bolshaya Sestra River” nature reserve, young researchers became acquainted with the diversity of local flora and fauna.
The result of the summer expeditions was not only new knowledge in the fields of ecology, biology, astronomy, and the history of space exploration, but also experience in research work, observations, and team collaboration. The materials collected by the students will be used to prepare projects and participate in scientific competitions and conferences.
The Moscow Palace of Pioneers on the Vorobyovy Hills is the largest institution of extracurricular education in the capital. This year it celebrates its 90th anniversary. More than 60,000 children aged from one and a half to 18 years old participate in its clubs and sections. The programs are divided into six clusters: technical, artistic, tourist-local history, natural sciences, physical culture and sports, and social-humanitarian.
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Extracurricular education programs develop creative and critical thinking in schoolchildren and equip them with skills that will be useful in their future profession. The activities conducted within the framework of extracurricular education contribute to the project “All the best for children” national project “Youth and Children”. You can learn more about Russia’s national projects and the capital’s contribution at special page.
A large-scale project has appeared on the mos.ru portal special project, dedicated to the development of key sectors of Moscow. Among them are transport, industry, healthcare, education, sports, and construction. The special project helps to learn how the capital has changed over recent years, what initiatives aimed at making the lives of city residents even more comfortable are currently being implemented, and what awaits Moscow and its inhabitants in the near future.
On the project page “Education” tells about how educational institutions are transformed during reconstruction under the program “My School” and how the update affects the quality of education. Re-equipping colleges allows students to acquire practical skills during their studies and obtain professions that are in demand on the labor market.
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