International research conference Lake Baikal – Treasure of the World has started in the Monte Carlo Oceanography Museum founded a hundred years ago by Prince of Monaco Albert I. This conference is a part of a two-day presentation of scientific results of the international research expedition Mirs on Baikal (2008-2010), a wide-scale project by the Lake Baikal Protection Fund.
Speaking at the event’s opening ceremony on 15 June, M.V.Slipenchuk, Head of METROPOL Group, Chairman of the Board of the Lake Baikal Protection Fund, pointed out that efficient environment protection in the era of globalization is only possible through joint efforts of various countries. He also noted that “the unique data collected by scientists during the Baikal expedition will be sufficient for ten years”. Mr Slipenchuk further stressed that “the platform of the Lake Baikal Protection Fund is unique: the Fund unites a lot of movements. Its activities are pure science, pure practice with no populism at all”.

A.N.Chilingarov, Head of the «Mir Subs on Baikal» expedition, President of the Lake Baikal Protection Fund, Deputy of the State Duma, thanked Mr Slipenchuk for assistance in the arrangement of the Lake Baikal research expedition and said that “preservation of the globally unique famous Lake Baikal that contains 83% of Russia’s fresh water reserves and 20% of those of the world is a nationwide task. We must know everything about the preservation of this lake-sea”, said Mr Chilingarov.

Evaluating the significance of the three-year «Mir Subs on Baikal» Expedition, N.S.Kasimov, Academician and First Vice President of Russian Geographical Society, said: «Mirs on Baikal» expedition has produced important scientific results and facilitated the development of many projects in the Baikal Region. It is of utmost importance to preserve Baikal’s ecosystem based on international cooperation, interaction with Mongolia, as Baikal’s main feeder, the Selenga River, has its waterhead in Mongolia. This is why we are now launching a new expedition to assess the condition of the Selenga basin”. In his turn Bertrand Fautrier, Vice President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation noted in his address the importance of cooperation between the Foundation and the Lake Baikal Protection Fund.

A scientific conference held after the opening ceremony heard reports by Аrnold Tulokhonov, Director of the Baikal Institute for Nature Management of the Siberian Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bair Tsyrenov, Vice President of the Lake Baikal Protection Fund, Alexander Yegorov, researcher of the Shirshov Oceanology Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Milan Radovanovich, Director of the Institute of Geography under the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Gayane Petrosyan, executive producer for documentary projects of the TV studio of Roscosmos State Corporation, and Ivan Zhivadinovich, Director of State Enterprise Serbia’s Water Resources.

The presentation also included a ceremonial first performance of popular-science French-language film Depths of Baikal. This film, shot at the order of the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal by the Russian State Television and Radio Company specially for the European audience, tells of the legendary Lake Baikal and an unprecedented international research project in that area. The documentary’s main characters are the world’s deepest fresh-water lake and Baikal hydronauts, who participated in the international “Mir Subs on Baikal” expedition.
The viewers fully appreciated the film. In particular, Alexander Zordan, Director of Vincent Pérez producer center, praised Depths of Baikal as a movie-maker. He noted that such projects and documentaries lay a good ground for full-length adventure feature films, including those telling of the nature and ethnic culture of the Baikal Region.
In conclusion of the event academician N.Kasimov highly appreciated the completed scientific conference and noted the need for regular public updates on the results of the “Mir Subs on Baikal” expedition by representatives of the Fund and researchers.

The presentation of the results of Baikal expedition will continue on 16 June.