A unique sight awaits the participants of the World Public Assembly. One of the decorations of the international dialogue platform will be the exhibition “Russian Sailboats in Latin America”. It will feature photographs of the expedition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica. The essence of public diplomacy will manifest itself through artistic images.
Between 2019 and 2020, the Russian training sailboats Kruzenshtern, Sedov and Pallada made an expedition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian navigators under the command of Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev. The sailboats visited four Latin American countries and took thousands of guests on board during the stops.
In the ports of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Chile, events were held dedicated to the glorious events in the history of Russia, the feat of the Soviet people in the victory over fascism during World War II.
The most striking episode of the trip was the rendez-vous of three Russian sailboats in the South Atlantic and a 200-mile race (regatta) in the area of the South Sandwich Islands and the island of South Georgia. The regatta was held in difficult conditions of a nine-point storm.
The project of the round-the-world expedition was aimed at strengthening international cooperation, expanding humanitarian, educational and cultural ties between the countries, becoming an example of the effectiveness of public diplomacy and direct communication between people from different continents.
Russian sailboats have made trips to Latin America more than once. So, in 2010, the bark Kruzenstern, one of the largest four-masted barges in the world, passed through the Panama Canal.
In 2026, the Kruzenstern barque will turn 100 years old. Now it is used for the organization of first practice and training in marine professions for cadets of both Russian educational institutions and foreign countries. About 140 cadets are trained on each voyage.
The photo exhibition captures the moments associated with the visit of Russian training sailboats to Latin America and Antarctica, as well as the passage of the barque Kruzenstern through the Panama Canal.
The exhibition “Russian Sailboats in Latin America” is supported by the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation and the World Peoples Assembly. Nikita Anisimov, a member of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, a Russian public figure, will moderate the panel session “Latin America – Greater Eurasia: The Era of New Strategic Opportunities” at the World Public Assembly. The exhibition will be a wonderful artistic illustration for her:
“The entry of the Kruzenshtern into a port in any country is always a huge celebration for local residents. This is a completely unique and effective format of public diplomacy with the demonstration of the Russian flag and the Russian presence in the farthest corners of the world. I really hope that next year Kruzenshtern will travel to Latin America again and visit Cuba. I am sure that this will be a landmark event for the residents of Havana and numerous tourists, promoting a positive image of Russia in the world.”
Alexey Bondarev, one of the organizers of the Antarctic Cruise of Russian sailboats and a member of the Creative Union of Artists of Russia, is the author of the exhibition “Russian Sailboats in Latin America”. The exhibition also features works by photographers Vasily Semidyanov, Eduard Molchanov, Evgeny Romanenko and captain of the frigate Pallada Nikolai Zorchenko.
The project was supported by Vladimir Volkogon, Rector of Kaliningrad State Technical University, who currently manages the barges Kruzenstern and Sedov.
