News

Monday 26 April 2021

Working Trip of the Institute of Oriental Studies Delegation to Sevastopol

Working Trip of the Institute of Oriental Studies Delegation to Sevastopol Working Trip of the Institute of Oriental Studies Delegation to Sevastopol

 
A delegation of the Institute of Oriental Studies (the Russian Academy of Sciences) visited Sevastopol on the 23rd - 26th of April.

The delegation was headed by N.N. Naumkin, the Scientific Director of the Institute, Academician, senior political adviser to the special envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria.

The delegation also included Ph.D. N.G. Romanova, the Deputy Director for scientific work, and V.V. Lebedinskiy, the Head of the Crimean Studies Center.

Within the event framework, the delegation members took part in the round table "Sevastopol - Tartus: Cooperation Horizons". The round table was held at the Sevastopol State University.

The following speakers spoke at the round table: Ye.B. Altabaeva, Senator of the Russian Federation, D.A. Profatilov, Director of Sevastopol Economic Development Department, V.D. Nechaev, Rector of Sevastopol State University, doctor of political sciences.

V.V. Naumkin analyzed in his speech the difficult political and economic situation currently prevailing in the Syrian Arab Republic and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

V.D. Nechaev, the Rector of Sevastopol State University, spoke at the representative office opening of Sevastopol University in the Syrian Arab Republic. He said: “Now the representative office is working on inviting Syrian students to Sevastopol State University. 20 students have declared their desire to study in Sevastopol in various specialties and training areas.”

Ye. B. Altabaeva, the Member of Federation Council said: “It is very important that next year children from Syria will study with us. We understand that when a person lives with us for several years, grows into our culture and social space, he or she assesses differently what is happening in Russia. We have professors and students of our university doing underwater archaeology on the territory of the Eastern Mediterranean. It seems to me that this is such a great field for action. I will no longer study at the university definitely, and it just takes my breath away from understanding what prospects are opening up.”

An international Syrian-Russian underwater archaeological mission has been working in Syria since 2019. During the round table, the participants of this expedition, the Sevastopol State University and the Institute of Oriental Studies representatives spoke on the accomplished work results. 

V.V. Lebedinskiy, the leading researcher of the Institute of Social Sciences and International Relations of the Sevastopol State University said: “This season we used diving equipment as we needed to identify the targets we found in 2019. We used a remotely controlled unmanned underwater vehicle. The ancient Phoenician city-state had been located on the island of Arwad since the 2nd Millenium BC. The city was a major trade center of the Eastern Mediterranean. The island was protected by a fortress wall. A part of this wall is now in the sea. We have examined the sea-bed in the area of ​​uninhabited islands. Ancient wharfs have been found on each of them.” 

Joint research is planned to be continued later this year. Scientists will create accurate digital plans and 3D models of the studied objects with reference to geographic coordinates.

The Institute of Oriental Studies representatives visited the State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve "Tavricheskiy Chersonesos" during their visit to Sevastopol. The Institute of Oriental Studies has been cooperating for more than twenty years with this museum. A number of interesting research projects have been implemented during this time: joint underwater archaeological research, exhibitions. The annual international scientific conference "Historical, Cultural, Interethnic, Religious, and Political Ties of Crimea with the Mediterranean Region and the East Countries" has been established. This event was included in the measures package of the Russian Federation Government.

Ученый секретарь Херсонес музея проводит экскурсию
Ученый секретарь Херсонес музея проводит экскурсию

Делегация ИВ РАН в центре морских исследований
Делегация ИВ РАН в центре морских исследований