Putin Recalls His Famous Bear Expedition in Kamchatka; Congratulates Winner of Documentary Contest

Many of the Russian Geographical Society's projects and achievements became possible due to voluntary inclinations.

Many of the Russian Geographical Society's projects and achievements became possible due to voluntary inclinations. The creators of the film about bears in Kamchatka are among the winners of the RGS contest. They lived side-by-side with them for seven months in a row.

- Was it scary?

 

Dmitry Shpilyonok, camera man: "Beginning of the Life" documentary cameraman: Of course, no one can say otherwise. It's a predator. One should respect the bears. If one starts fearing them, then they should leave the place because they are at the top of the food chain".

The president, who visited the ceremony, recalled how he was at those places himself.

Vladimir Putin: "That's a cute one. By the way, he runs faster than a horse. He's very fast".

After those words, Putin got in the boat and went up close to the bear. The expedition was eight years ago, but the memories are still fresh.

Vladimir Putin: "The bears were here and there. When they started approaching from the other side, we thought that we should move somehow, you see, while these guys lived there close to them for seven months. Such a work allows us to understand who we are, where we're from and to where we're going. It allows us to be stronger from the inside. It's very important. It's one of the elements of our national identity".

One can film thousands of stories just like the one in Kamchatka. The country, which even we don't know very well ourselves.