Young geologists' rally in St. Petersburg

The fourth all-Russia rally of young geologists, which is also the first international rally of geologists to be hosted by Russia, is opening in St. Petersburg on Monday.

Event organizers expect that the rally will gather 50 teams from all over Russia and from the Commonwealth of Independent States. All teams are made up of teenagers aged between 12 and 18.

During the next seven days, the young geologists will try their luck at geological route surveillance, hydrogeological and geophysical tasks, definition of rocks and materials, and description of natural exposure of rocks. Each team will present its own collection of rock samples and report the results of geological works done in their native region.

The forum will sum up the results of the work done by the young geologists and outline the prospects for youth movements involving geologists and ecologists. Apart from that, the children will have an excursion around St. Petersburg with visits to geological museums and meetings with prominent geologists of the city on the Neva.

The first rally of young geologists was held outside Moscow in 1959. It had gathered 12 geological societies from the Urals and from Russia's central regions. All-Russia rallies are being held in the framework of a presidential program and organized by the ministry of natural resources and the ministry of education.