From July 25 to August 01, 2013 young scientists of Kazan Federal University, Oleg Nikitin, Alsu Sagitova, Ramil Valitov and Mikhail Varfolomeev, were taking part in organisation and holding of the International Youth Ecological and Tourist Convent “EcoLadoga-2013”, which was held on the northern bank of Ladozhskoye lake with the assistance of the Federal Agency of the Russian Federation for Tourism.

The Union of Young Scientists and Specialists of Eurasia and the Russian New University supported by the State Committee of the Republic of Karelia for Tourism, Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS) under the chairmanship of the counsellor to the President of the RF, Mr. Sergey Glazyev, as well as by the Federal Centre for Toxicological, Radiological and Biological Safety, the Karelian Scientific Centre of the RAS and other large-scale scientific and educational institutions were the convent initiators.

It is not the first time that young scientists from KFU successfully take part in events, regularly held by the Union of Young Scientists and Specialists of Eurasia in Kazan, Moscow, Dubna and other cities.

Over 100 young scientists and specialists in ecology, biology, chemistry, economics, jurisprudence and ecotourism coming from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Lipetsk, Petrozavodsk, Sortavala, as well as from Ukraine, Austria and the USA took part in the convent.

This year the convent was devoted to very important dates and events: the Year of Environment Protection, the International Year of Water Cooperation, anniversary of the “Northern Convention” signing. The convent was preceded by meetings and conferences in Moscow, Kazan, Petrozavodsk and Saint-Petersburg.

Famous experts, such as, Mr. Victor Stepanov, the former leader of the Republic of Karelia, Prof. Yuriy Savelyev, Doctor of Economics, Deputy Director of the Karelian Scientific Centre of the RAS, et al. made welcome speeches and gave master-classes within the Convent holding period. An open lecture delivered by the Director of Fulbright Program in Russia, Mr. Joel Ericson, became a special event of the convent.

“The main goal of the convent is to demonstrate interest of various regions in ecotourism development in Ladoga region,” said the Co-chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Dmitry Shkaev, “as well as to draw attention to ecological problems of the lake and form a roadmap for Northwestern Tourist Cluster creation in Ladoga region, in compliance with the instructions of the President of Russia. I can affirm that 100 percent of all of these goals have been attained by the participants”.

There was an ecological laboratory deployed afield on the bank. Hydrochemical and hydrobiological researches by water samples and bottom deposits taken in the northern water basin of Ladozhskoe lake were conducted in this laboratory. About 30 physicochemical parameters of natural waters were determined and compared with standards currently in force: macrocomponent composition of water; oxygen, biogenic elements and heavy metals content etc. The conducted researches haven’t detected any exceeding of maximum permissible concentration for any of the parameter. As a whole, water in Ladozhskoye lake is characterised by a high quality by a spectrum of certain hydrochemical indices: it is “soft”, low-mineralized (sweet) water, it can be referred to the “clean” water  category (the 2nd quality class). This fact has also been confirmed by bioindicative researches: abundance of indicator groups of organisms (faverels, dayflies, caddis flies, planarians) and the biotic index of Woodiviss (up to 9). However, there were some problems found in spite of such good results: some signs of anthropogenic eutrophication were observed for individual parameters; such an anthropogenic eutrophication can lead to the lake transformation from oligotrophic to mesotrophic state.

There was a press conference devoted to the Convent results organised in the National Museum of the Republic of Karelia on August 01, 2013. Participants were also offered a massive excursion program.