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MOSCOW HOSTS WEEK OF NANSEN IN MEMORY OF NORWEGIAN DIPLOMAT
ITAR-TASS
October 26, 2011 Wednesday 02:52 PM EST
Russia
Visitors to the Week on Nansen exposition in Moscow will learn new
facts from the biography of an outstanding Norwegian scientist,
Polar researcher and diplomat, Fridtjof Nansen, see photographs of
the legendary man unknown to the general public and listen to his
favorite music.
Deputy head of the Norwegian diplomatic mission in Moscow Bord Ivar
Svendsen said that the Norwegian side highly appreciates a big interest
in their compatriot and a legendary man displayed in Russia.
He was a unique person, a man of broad interests, a good scientist and
an excellent diplomat who made a great contribution to the development
of humanitarian projects in Russia, Ukraine and Armenia, the Norwegian
diplomat said. He praised the exposition devoted to Nansen, saying
its program is diverse and rich in content.
Natalia Budur, the Russian author of Nansen's biography, said in her
book that Nansen skied across Greenland, sailed through Arctic ice to
the North Pole and after being an ambassador got down to humanitarian
activities and signed a very important document on the territorial
integrity of Norway.
A conference held at the Sakharov Center in Moscow on Wednesday
in the framework of the "Week of Nansen" is being attended by
scientists from Russia and Norway and other visitors. Later in the
day an exposition of photographs dedicated to Hansen will open to
show Hansen's activities in the field of repatriation of prisoners
of war, assistance to the victims of famine in Samara and Saratov,
the activities of Nansen Committee in Kharkov, his work at sessions
of the League of Nations in which Nansen took part, a book published
by the Nansen mission in bid to raise funds in aid to Russia, Nansen
passports and other photographs.
In 2011 the world celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nansen's birth.
Since 1919 after a period of scientific research in the North and
until 1930 when Nansen died he fully devoted himself to humanitarian
activities.
During a horrible period of famine in the Volga region in Civil War
Nansen made heroic efforts to ensure food and financial aid to Russia
from Europe and the United States and contributed his own funds,
helped solve refugee problems. In 1922 Nansen became a first ever
High Commissioner for refugees.
On the initiative of the International Red Cross the name of Fridtjof
Nansen was given to passports issued to refugees from Russia. This
widely used document gave a new lease of life in the West to Igor
Stravinsky, Sergei Rakhmaninov, Mark Shagal, Anna Pavlova and other
bright representatives of Russian art and culture.
The name of the bright man was given to a lunar crater, islands
of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, mountain peaks in Antarctica,
Tien -Shan and Canada, an island in the Kara Sea. Many streets in
world cities were named after the celebrated man. His name crowns an
annual prize in the field of human rights awarded by the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Nansen Refugee Award was created in 1954 in honor of Fridtjof
Nansen, the legendary Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and
politician.
ITAR-TASS
October 26, 2011 Wednesday 02:52 PM EST
Russia
Visitors to the Week on Nansen exposition in Moscow will learn new
facts from the biography of an outstanding Norwegian scientist,
Polar researcher and diplomat, Fridtjof Nansen, see photographs of
the legendary man unknown to the general public and listen to his
favorite music.
Deputy head of the Norwegian diplomatic mission in Moscow Bord Ivar
Svendsen said that the Norwegian side highly appreciates a big interest
in their compatriot and a legendary man displayed in Russia.
He was a unique person, a man of broad interests, a good scientist and
an excellent diplomat who made a great contribution to the development
of humanitarian projects in Russia, Ukraine and Armenia, the Norwegian
diplomat said. He praised the exposition devoted to Nansen, saying
its program is diverse and rich in content.
Natalia Budur, the Russian author of Nansen's biography, said in her
book that Nansen skied across Greenland, sailed through Arctic ice to
the North Pole and after being an ambassador got down to humanitarian
activities and signed a very important document on the territorial
integrity of Norway.
A conference held at the Sakharov Center in Moscow on Wednesday
in the framework of the "Week of Nansen" is being attended by
scientists from Russia and Norway and other visitors. Later in the
day an exposition of photographs dedicated to Hansen will open to
show Hansen's activities in the field of repatriation of prisoners
of war, assistance to the victims of famine in Samara and Saratov,
the activities of Nansen Committee in Kharkov, his work at sessions
of the League of Nations in which Nansen took part, a book published
by the Nansen mission in bid to raise funds in aid to Russia, Nansen
passports and other photographs.
In 2011 the world celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nansen's birth.
Since 1919 after a period of scientific research in the North and
until 1930 when Nansen died he fully devoted himself to humanitarian
activities.
During a horrible period of famine in the Volga region in Civil War
Nansen made heroic efforts to ensure food and financial aid to Russia
from Europe and the United States and contributed his own funds,
helped solve refugee problems. In 1922 Nansen became a first ever
High Commissioner for refugees.
On the initiative of the International Red Cross the name of Fridtjof
Nansen was given to passports issued to refugees from Russia. This
widely used document gave a new lease of life in the West to Igor
Stravinsky, Sergei Rakhmaninov, Mark Shagal, Anna Pavlova and other
bright representatives of Russian art and culture.
The name of the bright man was given to a lunar crater, islands
of the Franz Josef Land archipelago, mountain peaks in Antarctica,
Tien -Shan and Canada, an island in the Kara Sea. Many streets in
world cities were named after the celebrated man. His name crowns an
annual prize in the field of human rights awarded by the Office of
the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Nansen Refugee Award was created in 1954 in honor of Fridtjof
Nansen, the legendary Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and
politician.