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Students of ����Vlog��ý MIREA participated in the 5th International Volunteer Project of Interethnic Accord “Beacons of Friendship – at 2022”.

The project is being implemented thanks to the efforts of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of Russia and is aimed to preserve and strengthen interethnic harmony and restore Caucasian historical monuments. This time, 3 republics were participating: Dagestan, Ingushetia and North Ossetia-Alania.

Volunteers from ����Vlog��ý MIREA had an opportunity to meet and make friends with young people from Chechnya, the Republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, the cities of Kaluga, Perm, Kaliningrad, and the DPR and the LPR. Before coming to the Caucasus, young people passed preliminary selection.

For ten days, from August 3 to 13, three teams participated in the work to preserve and restore the ancient towers and fortresses of the North Caucasus. “Highlanders” went to Dagestan, “Kunaks” worked in the mountains of North Ossetia, “Eagles” – in Ingushetia. The students saw with their own proper eyes the watch-towers, the family and battle (signal-watch) towers many of which are objects of cultural heritage of federal and regional significance.

Volunteers labored hard, worked on the towers, took away the grass, took out construction debris, etc.

In North Ossetia, the young people visited the glacier, worked on the towers, dragged away stones, built scaffolding. In Ingushetia, they helped in the improvement of the Mosque where Namaz was said a few days later. In Dagestan, despite the rain, they worked high in the mountains. In the afternoon, the participants familiarized themselves with the history, traditions and customs of the regions.

Upon returning to North Ossetia, a joint “evening of friendship” was held in the village of Zaramag. Many have found friends there, I would like to believe that for years to come, in many respects  that happened thanks to the land of the Caucasus.

The closing ceremony of the work shift was held in the Dagestan House of Friendship.

Opening the event, Ruslan Gusarov, project manager, noted: “Our main goal is to eliminate interethnic stereotypes and prejudices caused by insufficient knowledge of the culture of the peoples of the Caucasus.”

Volunteers presented short films inspired by the nature of the Caucasus: the films gave an exciting account of their expedition and work in the regions, told the viewers about the hospitality of the local population. The students also appreciated the educational program: master classes in pottery, jewelry, Caucasian dances. The closing ceremony of the shift was held in the Dagestan House of Friendship.

An important goal of the project was not only to strengthen interethnic ties and friendship between the peoples of Russia, the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and neighboring states, but also to introduce the young people to the historical heritage of the peoples of the Russian Federation, their culture and traditions, make a practical contribution to the process of preserving and restoring the famous Caucasian military, sentry and signal towers and fortresses.

The “Towers of the Caucasus” project also supports the development of the tourism potential of the national republics, regions of Southern Russia, as well as that of the friendly neighboring countries.