First-Ever Birding Race Held in Bashkortostan’s Blagoveshchensk

7 october 2025

Blagoveshchensk hosted its inaugural on-foot birding competition on October 4. It’s a birding race conducted by the Land of the Lapwing project, implemented as part of SIBUR's Formula for Good Deeds social investment program. The event drew school students, teachers, environmental activists, and local nature enthusiasts. Teams hiked along scenic routes meandering through and outside the city, identifying bird species and contributing data to volunteer-led research efforts.

The timing chosen for the race was quite emblematic, coinciding with the Eurasian Bird Count, an annual international census involving thousands of volunteers who track bird quantities and movements across the vast continent. This underscores the importance of the fact that the event local to Blagoveshchensk can contribute to gaining a broader understanding of regional bird migration and population trends and processes.

The race’s route traversed several iconic nature areas as ten competing teams explored the Bolshoy Island, the Zaton inlet on the bank of the Belaya River floodplain, and the city pond on the Potekha River. The contestants were fortunate to spot a flock of mute swans stopping over on their south-bound journey.

The competition was a result of joint efforts undertaken by SIBUR, the Birds and People nonprofit, and the Bashkortostan-SIBUR Quantorium, marking a launch of systemic eco-education and biodiversity conservation work in the region.

Elena Snezhko, Head of SIBUR’s Formula for Good Deeds program:
“The Land of the Lapwing project keeps growing and gaining momentum in the cities of SIBUR’s presence, and it’s gratifying to see that it has extended all the way to Blagoveshchensk, a city with such a diverse nature and a caring educational community. There’s huge potential here for advancing a culture of environmental stewardship and we’re confident that this first-ever competition will give rise to continued efforts focusing on bird species conservation and eco-education.”

Oksana Kislitsyna, a methodologist with Blagoveshchensk’s Children’s Educational Technopark, a race participant:
“As an educational facility, we see this as an important milestone. Birding isn’t just about observing birds. It’s a format that helps develop one’s skills of observation, analytical thinking, and being ready to stand up for one’s environment. We’re delighted that Blagoveshchensk is opening a new chapter of the Land of the Lapwing project and we hope this is will pave the way to a time-tested partnership. By working together, we can keep expanding our environmental outreach spanning everything from classroom projects to regular competitions and research initiatives.”

Anna Toropova, a metrology engineer at POLIEF, a race participant:
“Our team is really grateful to the organizers for such an excellent event! Everything was top-rate: a picturesque route, a friendly atmosphere, and genuine dedication. We’re already looking forward to another event like this and hope that this becomes a regular tradition in Blagoveshchensk. We’ll definitely spread the word by telling our friends and coworkers. I am confident we are going to see way more people joining the race next year! For the time being, we will keep walking around the city and noting local birds… Birding won’t let you get off the hook.”

The Land of the Lapwing project was launched in 2019 as part of the Environmental Protection focus of SIBUR’s Formula for Good Deeds program seeking to protect biodiversity, popularize ornithology and involve local residents in eco-stewardship. Blagoveshchensk is the latest city to join the project making it yet another area where the project gets closer to local communities inspiring the new generation to preserve nature.

Background:

The Formula for Good Deeds, SIBUR's social investment program, was launched on February 1, 2016 in all key cities where the company operates. It is being implemented across seven focus areas covering all essential social sector domains: urban development, education and science, sports and healthy living, environmental protection, culture, inclusion, and volunteering. Detailed information about the program is available on the program’s website at www.formula-hd.ru.

The Land of the Lapwing project is a comprehensive bird conservation initiative implemented out of SIBUR’s ZapSibNeftekhim facility, Russia’s largest petrochemical complex. Having being under implementation since 2019, it falls under the environmental protection focus area of the Formula for Good Deeds social investment program. Further details about the project are available at its dedicated website at https://www.formula-hd.ru/projects/nature/chibisi/.

Birds and People, the nonprofit partnership for advancing ornithology, has dedicated its efforts to promoting interest in ornithology. It focuses on advancing competitive birding, providing training to novice birders, organizing excursions and tournaments for competitive birders. To find out more, visit http://birder.ru.

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