Program of the international youth educational ecological camp «Dialogue of Cultures»

• The Kenozero National Park, Arkhangelsk is providing the resource base
• Lyceum 1553, Moscow is providing methodological support
• Moscow State Municipal Creativity Center for the Youth is providing methodological support and partly finances
• «Me and the Earth» Fund, Moscow,
• Youth Initiatives Center, Moscow

Aims and tasks of the camp: cultural exchange under conditions of developing globalization and cultural integration, rallying the young from different countries and developing tolerant views in the unstable social and political situation in the world, creating a system of ecological thinking. Introduce the representatives of different countries and cultures to the nature and the traditions of the Russian North.

The site: the village of Maselga region of Kargopol Arkhangelsk area, the territory of the Kenozero National Park. Maselga is an inhabited village, conserving traditional culture of the Russian North, is adapted to organizing profile youth camps: traditional Russian homes provided with heating stoves, a Russian steam bath-house, a canteen, a kitchen. The village is situated on the edge of a picturesque forest near three lakes. The landscape is good for skiing, sledging, horse-riding and other kinds of winter sports and activities. Since 1999 a summer ecological camp for children of the Arkhangelsk region has been organized there.

Climate: a snowy, dry winter, the temperature is from 0 in Celsius and lower, -8 — -15 in average.

Transfer to the camp: from Moscow to Nyandoma by train (16 hours), then to the village by bus (about 3 hours). An excursion program can be organized in Kargopol and in Lyadiny ( wooden traditional churches and other buildings).

The official language of the camp is English

Program of activities:

«Faces of the Earth» — games representing different cultural traditions

Program of interaction for the participants «Developing skills of mutual understanding and tolerance» including a gaming stimulation, mass interaction, small debating groups, various trainings.

Ecological educational route including elements of traditional winter tourism and sports.

Program of mutual creative musical and artistic activities. Meeting with the artist V. Shevelev, a representative of a dynasty of craftsmen in Kargopol, with craftsmen making traditional baskets and toys. Organizing a master-class in artistic modelling of earthenware.

Excursions to Kargopol and to Lyadiny.

Sports activities: skiing, sledging, horse-riding, other sport games.

Celebrating the Christmas in the church of Alexander Svirsky on the Hizhgora Hill. Getting acquainted with Russian traditions and customs: Yuletide traditional gamed, fortune-telling, Christmas carols singing.