Published on: 2026-09-25
Source: Moscow Government – Правительства Москвы –
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Applications have opened for the fourth season of the project “Unique Documents. A New Generation’s Perspective.” It is organized by Main Archive of Moscow and the metropolitan Department of Education and Science based at the Moscow Center for Educational Practices. In the new season, students of grades 8–11 and college students will study archival materials on the history of the Russian Geographical Society and famous Russian travelers, as well as assist specialists in granting some of these documents the status of unique items. This was reported by Anastasia Rakova, Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Social Development.
“In Moscow, we are creating all conditions for schoolchildren and students to study history more deeply and try their hand at research work. It is precisely for this reason that in 2023 we launched the project ‘Unique Documents. A New Generation’s Perspective,’ which gives them the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of archival heritage. We are now opening applications for its fourth season. This year, the project is dedicated to the Russian Geographical Society, outstanding domestic scientists, geographers, and travelers. Finalists will be able to study originals of especially valuable documents related to Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, Ivan Kruzenshtern, Ferdinand Wrangel, and Nikolay Przhevalsky and will have the opportunity to prepare justifications for granting these documents the status of unique. Since the project’s inception, more than 4,500 young Muscovites have joined it, and 47 files they have researched have been entered into the State Register of Unique Documents of the Moscow Archival Fund,” said Anastasia Rakova.
From geographers to navigators
Project participants will study materials on the biography of the outstanding Russian scientist Pyotr Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky, the founder of an original direction in Asian studies. He was not only a geographer but also a geologist, botanist, and zoologist. In his honor, the Russian Geographical Society awards a medal to researchers who have made valuable discoveries or written outstanding works.
Among the materials yet to be studied is the case of a donation by Admiral and navigator Ivan Kruzenshtern to the library of Moscow University of a copy of the description of the first Russian circumnavigation on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva.” The expedition, led by Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yuri Lisyansky, concluded in 1806 and became an important milestone in the history of the domestic fleet and geographical exploration.
The documents of Moscow University also contain materials about Ferdinand Wrangel — a naval officer, navigator, and explorer of the Arctic. He participated in circumnavigations and led an expedition to study the northeastern coast of Siberia. During it, they described the territories from the Indigirka River to Kolyuchinskaya Bay and mapped the Bear Islands. From 1829 to 1835, Wrangel was the chief administrator of Russian settlements in America.
A separate collection of documents is dedicated to the traveler, geographer, and naturalist Nikolai Przhevalsky. His expeditions significantly expanded knowledge about Central Asia, and one species of wild horse—Przewalski’s horse—is named after the scientist.
63 participants became finalists of the project “Unique Documents. A View of the New Generation”Capital city schoolchildren studied archival documents dedicated to famous pilots
How to participate in the project
The project will take place in two streams: “Russian Geographical Society” and “Geographers and Travelers.” To participate, it is necessary to choose one of the proposed topics, register and prepare a competition essay. Submissions for the “Russian Geographical Society” category are accepted until October 28 inclusive, and for the “Geographers and Travelers” category — until November 18 inclusive.
An essay of no more than one page must be sent in PDF format to the email address: contest@archive.mos.ru. The file name should include the author’s name, educational organization, and chosen topic. When evaluating the works, the structure and logic of presentation, historical accuracy, literacy of written speech, originality of the text, and compliance with participation conditions will be taken into account.
The authors of the best essays will be invited to Main Archive of Moscow for three in-person meetings. Participants will become familiar with the methodology of working with archival materials, study original documents, prepare justifications for assigning them the status of unique items, and present the results of their work. In-person sessions for the “Russian Geographical Society” direction will be held from November 11 to 25, and for the “Geographers and Travelers” direction from December 2 to 16. The results will be summarized in January 2027 at a formal awards ceremony.
The project “Unique Documents. A View of the New Generation” started in 2023. In the first season, young people studied the personal files of students of the Imperial Moscow University, such as Nikolay Pirogov, Anton Chekhov, and Vasily Kandinsky. The season was so successful that the mentors of participants from schools and colleges asked for it to continue. Since then Chief Archive of Moscow conducts the project annually. Schoolchildren and college students have already studied the cases of Heroes of the Soviet Union, materials of the Society for the Promotion of the Achievements of Experimental Sciences and their Practical Applications named after Khristofor Ledentsov, as well as personal files of astronomers, designers, pilots, and conquerors of the Arctic.
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